Changing the Traditions of the Lilliputians In Gulliver's Travels, through the character of Lemuel Gulliver, Jonathan Swift apparently wishes to change the traditions of the Lilliputians. Traditions included breaking eggs on the smaller side first and "that all true believers break their eggs on the convenient side"; other similar satirical traditions were to be followed, found in the chapter entitled "A Journey to Lilliput". One of the first traditions that appears in the chapter is the rope dance. Rope dancers are Lilliputians seeking government work, to perform, as a competition, candidates dance on ropes, or "a thin white thread, extended about two feet twelve inches from the ground" (73); whoever jumps highest earns a place in office. Even the people who currently hold the position continue this tradition, to demonstrate that they have not lost their ability. There seems to be no desire to modify this tradition; in contrast, Gulliver seems to be amused by the tradition. The second tradition of the Lilliputians that appears in this chapter is that of heels. The heels represent the two different political parties in this Empire; The Slamecksan are the ones with low heels and the Tramecksan are the ones with high heels. Raldresal, principal secretary of private affairs, tells Gulliver that they, the Slamecksan, believe that the high-heeled government is much bigger than their government, but that "the power was completely" on their side (84). He adds that the Emperor himself has lower heels than all his officers, but that he has one heel higher than the other, which makes him walk unevenly. Perhaps, through the description of uneven heels, the author is telling the reader that the government is not perfect at all, but is "irregular" or unjust. However, there are many other traditions that he believes should be changed.