El Dorado and Houyhnhnm Land - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages The beaten roads of Houyhnhnm are in contrast to the covered roads of El Dorado, on which the pebbles and sand are gold and precious stones. The public buildings and houses in El Dorado are built on a palatial scale and are adorned with all manner of precious materials. Even the “very plain house” (Voltaire, 78) of the retired courtier is ornamented in gold and silver. On the other hand, in Houyhnhnm Land, the “buildings, although very rude and simple, are not inconvenient, but well contrived to defend them from all injuries of cold and heat” (Swift, 12). In all aspects, Houyhnhnm Land is the epitome of simplicity, while El Dorado is filled with material wealth.

The inhabitants of the two lands stand in marked opposition to each other. The Houyhnhnms are highly refined, intelligent horses, whose “grand maxim is, to cultivate reason, and to be wholly governed by it” (Swift, 9). In contrast to these noble horses, Houyhnhnm Land is also inhabited by the savage-like Yahoos, who are completely ruled by avarice and sensual depravity. The citizens of El Dorado are of one kind only: humans who have no passion for the gold and jewels which abound in their land. Peruvian is the language of El Dorado, while the Houyhnhnms and Yahoos have their distinct speeches. There is no religion in Houyhnhnm Land while the people of El Dorado offer thanksgiving to a single God, without the trappings of formal religious institutions. El Dorado has a “palace of sciences, --- filled with instruments employed in mathematics and physics” (Voltaire, 86), whereas the Houyhnhnms “have no letters, and consequently their knowledge is all traditional” (Swift, 11). The simple food of grass, oats, and milk consumed by the Houyhnhnms differs from the sumptuous repasts of the inhabitants of El Dorado. The Houyhnhnms use sleds drawn by Yahoos, while red sheep draw the carriages of El Dorado.
The reaction of Gulliver differs markedly from that of Candide to Houyhnhnm Land and El Dorado. Gulliver is so much in love with the land and the noble horses that he decides to remain there for the rest of his life. ...Download file to see next pages Read More