Gulliver and James Bates

Gulliver and James Bates is a foundational relationship in Lemuel Gulliver's early life, as Bates served as his master, mentor, and professional sponsor, setting Gulliver on the path to becoming a surgeon and a traveler. The bond between the two men, established during Gulliver's apprenticeship in London, shaped his career, provided him with crucial professional connections, and influenced his decision to return to sea after his initial attempt at a settled life failed. Bates's role as a trusted figure and recommender is a recurring touchstone in Gulliver's own account of his early years.

Identity and Background

James Bates was an eminent surgeon in London to whom Gulliver was bound as an apprentice. Gulliver's father, who had a small estate in Nottinghamshire and found the cost of maintaining his son at Cambridge too great for a narrow fortune, arranged this apprenticeship. Gulliver continued with Bates for four years, during which he also used small sums of money sent by his father to learn navigation and other parts of mathematics useful for travel, as he always believed it would be his fortune to do so. After leaving Bates, Gulliver went to his father and, with assistance from his uncle John and other relations, obtained forty pounds and a promise of thirty pounds a year to study physic at Leyden for two years and seven months, knowing it would be useful in long voyages.

Life and Plot Trajectory

Soon after his return from Leyden, Gulliver was recommended by his good master, Mr. Bates, to be surgeon to the "Swallow," under Captain Abraham Pannell. Gulliver continued with this ship for three years and a half, making a voyage or two into the Levant and some other parts. When he came back, he resolved to settle in London, and Bates encouraged him in this plan, recommending him to several patients. Gulliver then took part of a small house in the Old Jewry and married Mrs. Mary Burton. However, Bates died two years later, and with few friends, Gulliver's business began to fail, as his conscience would not suffer him to imitate the bad practice of too many among his brethren. After consulting with his wife and some acquaintances, he determined to go again to sea, serving as surgeon successively in two ships and making several voyages for six years to the East and West Indies, by which he gained some addition to his fortune.

Key Actions and Objectives

Bates's primary actions in Gulliver's life were those of a mentor and sponsor. He took Gulliver as an apprentice for four years, teaching him the trade of surgery. After Gulliver's studies at Leyden, Bates actively promoted his career by recommending him for the position of ship's surgeon on the "Swallow" and later by recommending him to patients when Gulliver attempted to establish a practice in London. Gulliver consistently refers to Bates as "my good master," indicating a relationship of respect and gratitude. Bates's death is a pivotal event, as it directly leads to the decline of Gulliver's London practice and his subsequent decision to return to sea, a choice that sets the entire narrative of Gulliver's Travels in motion.

Relationships and Conflict

The relationship between Gulliver and Bates is characterized by mutual respect and professional obligation. There is no conflict between them; rather, Bates is a consistent source of support. The conflict arises from Bates's absence after his death, which leaves Gulliver without a patron in London. Gulliver's own integrity—his refusal to imitate the bad practice of too many among his brethren—contributes to his business failure, but Bates's death is the immediate cause. The relationship also contrasts with Gulliver's later, more fraught relationships with other authority figures, such as the Emperor of Lilliput and the King of Brobdingnag, where trust is broken and service is met with suspicion or ingratitude.

Change and Ending

The relationship ends with Bates's death, which occurs two years after Gulliver's marriage. This event marks a turning point in Gulliver's life, as it precipitates the end of his first attempt at a settled, land-based career. The loss of his master and recommender forces Gulliver to abandon his practice in London and return to the sea, a decision that leads directly to his voyages to Lilliput, Brobdingnag, and beyond. Bates's influence, however, persists in Gulliver's professional identity as a surgeon, a skill he continues to rely on throughout his travels.

Narrative Role and Evaluation

James Bates functions in the narrative as a crucial but brief figure whose role is to establish Gulliver's professional credentials and to provide a plausible motivation for his return to sea. Bates is presented as a competent and generous master, a foil to the corrupt and self-serving figures Gulliver will later encounter in courts and governments. His death is a narrative device that propels Gulliver out of a settled life and into the adventures that form the substance of the book. The relationship also serves to establish Gulliver's own character as a man of integrity and gratitude, as he consistently speaks of Bates with respect and acknowledges his debt to him.