In Part I of Gulliver's Travels, the Lilliputian empire is depicted as being divided into two opposing political factions, distinguished solely by the height of their heels.
-
The Tramecksan, or High-Heels, symbolize the Tory Party in England.
-
The Slamecksan, or Low-Heels, represent the Whig Party, which was in power when Swift wrote the novel.
-
Swift deliberately exaggerates the triviality of their distinction—the height of a shoe heel—to satirize the petty and often meaningless disputes that caused deep and bitter divisions between England’s political parties.
-
Through this allegory, Swift critiques the absurdity and pettiness of political conflicts in his own society.
