Literary creativity often intersects with various issues and problems of its time, illuminates essential topics, or ridicules decisions and phenomena. Social, political, and religious factors influence the motives of literary works because they resonate with the personal beliefs of their authors. Religion played an important cultural and social role at all stages of its development. Religious teachings were constantly changing, old ones faded, and new ones were formed. At the same time, their influence on society was never unambiguous. Writers, as bearers of worldview concepts, glorified or ridiculed religions and religious figures in their works, thus bringing their vision of the importance of concepts to the masses.
The relationship between literature and religion is worth mentioning in the period of English literature of the 18th century, namely Jonathan Swift’s novel “Gulliver’s Travels.” The relevance of his work is due to the issues of politics and religion highlighted in the novel. The writer raised the topic of the unequal position of people in the state, the government’s attitude toward citizens, and the place of religion in life. Religious differences play a vital role in this novel. According to the plot, in Lilliput, there are constant disputes between “big Endians” people and other “little Endians” people. Thus, the author provides an allegory for the quarrels between Catholics and Protestants at that time.
In today’s world, people tend to be tolerant of the differences that exist between them. Religious affiliation is not considered a determining factor in an individual’s outlook. Everyone has the right to practice any religion to which that person’s soul lies and should not be persecuted for it. At the current stage of the development of society, there is no place for quarrels based on religion. Tolerance is the norm of the civilized world and is enshrined in international legal documents. If a person does not share the religious views of others, this should not become an obstacle to adequate communication and respectful treatment.
Jonathan Swift’s novel ridicules strife and recognizes it as senseless and unnecessary to humanity. Disputes between Catholics and Protestants are based on numerous differences in the structures of their churches. They begin with significant aspects, such as the interpretation of the Bible, and end with seemingly small things, such as a church’s or cathedral’s interior. Despite the scale of differences between the denominations, their representatives fought each other at every opportunity. The author ridiculed this phenomenon and despised religious strife. Although the novel’s theme concerns England of the 18th century, the question raised in the plot is still relevant today. Religious, cultural, or political differences have always existed and will exist at all further stages of human development. However, if in the novel “Gulliver’s Travels” the realities of the religious system of that time are mocked, in modern life, such quarrels are exceptions and should not occur at all.
One can trace certain similarities by summarizing Jonathan Swift’s vision of religious strife in Gulliver’s Travels and the current state of the issue. Religion was and is the cause of many disputes between representatives of different faiths. Unfortunately, in England in the 18th century and in the modern world, there are manifestations of intolerance. Only some people are ready for the full integration of all differences between people into society. Disputes or even wars arise on this ground. Thus, the question raised in the novel is relevant even today, as it highlights human arrogance and short-sightedness. It is necessary to realize that it is practically impossible to achieve the global universality of religion. Instead, one should learn to understand and respect a worldview different from one’s own so that such situations as in the novel do not arise in life.