Gulliver's Travels: Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World.

There is a continual presence of urine and excrement in all four parts of the book. Swift uses waste to dispel any high-minded precepts one might have of humanity. In other words, while humans strive toward lofty ideals, they are nevertheless unclean and not lofty at all. Both human excrement and the physical imperfections of the human form symbolize the inner corruption of humanity: While humans wish to see themselves as virtuous and motivated by high ideals, as Gulliver initially does, the truth is that they are more like the Yahoos—unruly, violent, greedy, and “filthy” inside and out due to their vices. The filthiness of human waste therefore mirrors the vices hidden within.

Language is generally an obstacle to be overcome in the book, forming an important motif. In each of Gulliver’s journeys, communication with the natives is difficult. What usually happens is that Gulliver must use body language to communicate during his early interactions. It is not until he learns the native language that he can fully discourse with the inhabitants. The motif of language therefore serves as a way of reflecting upon the importance of connection and communication amongst different peoples and places, with Gulliver’s near-encyclopedic knowledge of various languages humorously exemplifying this human drive for connection.