At the time Swift was writing his anonymously published satires, England had been
entrenched in a long war with France, the British monarchy had undergone upheaval--
King George I was unpopular yet very powerful--and the country was plagued by
political scandals Gulliver's Travels gave Swift the opportunity to express his anger and
frustration with England's ruling class and monarchy. Nevertheless, to what extent
might Swift's satire be relevant today?