The Emperor of Lilliput arrives early in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, and he proves to be instantly memorable, as Swift uses both the Emperor and his policies to illustrate the absurd nature of politics and politicians. Swift characterizes the Emperor as a corrupt, pompous, and proud ruler who delights in ridiculous political ceremonies and practices. The Emperor's reign is defined by two tense conflicts: the conflict between the Low Heels and High Heels, and the conflict between those who believe eggs should be cracked open at the little end and those who believe eggs should be cracked open at the big end. Overall, it's clear that the Emperor is not only a petty and absurd person, but also presides over and participates in petty and absurd debates that are blown completely out of proportion. By crafting such a character, Swift makes fun of and points out the many flaws of the political leaders of his day. Indeed, it's often thought that the Emperor of Lilliput is meant to correspond to the real political figure of King George I, who ruled England during part of Swift's lifetime.
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