Jonathan Swift (1667--1745)

Introduction to Introduction to Gulliver’s Gulliver’s TravelsTravels

Jonathan’s best fictional work

was published in 1726

Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, by Samuel Gulliver.

The book contains four parts, each dealing with one particular voyage during which Gulliver meets with extraordinary adventures on some remote island after he has met with shipwreck, piracy and other misfortunes.

Lemuel GulliverLemuel Gulliver

Narrator of novel Middle-aged, middle class,

British Intelligent, well-educated Naïve Unaffectionate to wife A doctor on a Royal Navy

ship who washes up on the shores of several fictional countries.

Upon returning to England, he is painfully aware of his country’s flaws.

Mrs. Mary Burton: Mrs. Mary Burton is Gulliver's wife. He only states her name at the beginning of the novel, and thereafter refers to her as his wife. She is mentioned only during his rare time in England.

Captain William Pritchard: Captain Pritchard is the head of the ship named Antelope. He controls Gulliver's first voyage in which a storm overtakes the ship, leaving Gulliver stranded on the strange land of Lilliput.

A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT

The first part tells about his experience in Lilliput

The emperor believed himself to be the delight and terror of the universe, but it appeared quite absurd to Gulliver who was twelve times as tall as he.

In his account of the two parties in the country, distinguished by the use of high and low heels.

Religious disputes were laughed at in an account of a problem which divided the Lilliputians:

“ Should eggs be broken at the big end or the little end?”

Main CharactersMain Characters

Lilliputians Inhabit Lilliput Only 6 inches tall Prone to conspiracies and

jealousies

Emperor Ruler of the Lilliputians Despite small size, loves

being in control, exercising his power, and his large palace

Gulliver visits Lilliput

Meets the Lilliputians

He finds that the population is split between 'Big Enders' and 'Little Enders‘

The Emperor who is keen to go to war with Belfuscu and the defecting 'Big Enders‘

The Empress who originally likes Gulliver, but is then offended when he urinates on buildings to put out a fire

A VOYAGE TO A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAGBROBDINGNAG

Second Journey to Brobdingnag

In the second part, Gulliver is left alone in Brobdingnag where people are not only ten times taller and larger than ordinary human beings, but also superior in wisdom. Gulliver now found himself a dwarf among men sixth feet in height. The king, who regarded Europe as if it were an anthill.

Gulliver sold and used as a slave, mostly used for entertainment purposes

Discusses history and policies of his native country with the King

Main CharactersMain Characters

Brobdingnagiants Giants that inhabit Brobdingnag Reasonable, gentle

The Queen Sweet, kind Humorous, witty

The King Intellectual, rational Does not know much about politics

A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI,

LUGGNAGG, GLUBBDUBDRIB, AND JAPAN

The third part deals mainly with his accidental visit to the flying Island, where the philosophers and designers devote all their time and energy to the study of some absurd problems. Their scientists are engaged in projects for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers, turning ice into gunpowder and making cloth from cobweb.

Laputans Inhabitants of the flying island of Laputa which has diameter of 7837 yards.

Munodi A Lord who lives in Lagado the metropolis of Balnibari

Professors of various academies who take up Gulliver's suggestions

Governor of Glubbdubdrib

Struldbruggs who offer eternal life but become progressively senile in doing so.

Maldonada A port

Guldubdribb land of sorcerers

Glangluenstand port of embarkation from Luggnagg

Xamoschi landfall in Japan

Nangasac where he meets Captain Theodorus Vangrult with whom he sailed back to England.

A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE

Houynhms Final Journey to the

Country of the Houyhnhnms

Horses rule the deformed Yahoos

Gulliver banished from their society Feel he is a threat to their

civilization Aware he has a

resemblance to a Yahoo

Summary of Last Book The last part is the most interesting account of his

discoveries in the Houyhnhnm land, where horses are endowed with reason and all good and admirable qualities, and are the governing class.

Contrary to the Houyhnhnms, the Yahoos possess every conceivable evil. They are malicious, spiteful, envious, unclean and greedy. Gulliver admires the life and ways of the horses, as much as he is disgusted with the Yahoos, whose relations remind him of those existing in English society to such a degree that he shudders at the prospect of returning to his native.

Main CharactersMain CharactersYahoos

Yahoo’s an uncouth human-like race Dirty, hairy, primitive, but

human-like Many different kinds

Blonde, redheaded, dark-haired

Servants of Houyhnhnms

Houyhnhnms

A horse-like race who rule over the unruly Live in peaceful, simple society Rule with reason and

truthfulness Do not even have the word

“lie” in their vocabulary

The end of the novelThe end of the novel

The author takes his last leave of the reader;

proposes his manner of living for the future;

gives good advice, and concludes.

The main object of the satire in Gulliver's Travels is human nature itself, specifically Man's pride as it manifests in “pettiness, grossness, rational absurdity, and animalism”. Gulliver's character, as a satirical device, serves Swift's ends by being both a mouthpiece for some of Swift's ideals and criticisms and as an illustration of them. Thus, criticism on human nature are made through Gulliver's observations as well as through Gulliver's own transformation from a “naive individual... into a wise and sceptic misanthrope,”

As we travel with Gulliver through the voyages, Swift brilliantly peels away our pretensions, layer by layer, until he shows us what we are and challenges us, intensely and urgently, to be better. In Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift continues to vex the world so that it might awaken to the fact that humankind needs saving, but it has to save itself.

The solution to the human dilemma is not as simple as Gulliver's rejection of humanity, and Swift's final success, in terms of stimulating response, is that, after masterfully dissecting and presenting the problem, he leaves the application of his lessons to “the judicious reader.”