Gullivers Travels Essay, Research Paper

Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver^s Travels in 1762 with the intent of

entertaining many people. Entertainment through satire is what Swift

had in mind. This was accomplished when Bantam Books first published

his tales in 1962. It was again published by Bantam Books in 1981, New

York, New York being the place of publication.

To fully understand Gulliver^s Travels, one must first reflect

upon the following: the plot, character, setting, theme,

point of view, conflict, climax, resolution, symbolism, and figurative

language. These ideas will help the reader comprehend some of the

ideas portrayed throughout the novel, as well as why Swift wrote them.

The setting plays an important role in all novels, but in

Gulliver^s Travels, one must take into consideration that the

four different parts of the book have different settings. The first

setting is more or less on an island called Lilliput, on November 5,

1699. Gulliver ended up on this island due to a ship wreck. The

setting to the second part of the novel happens to be upon his arrival

to another island that Gulliver wishes to inspect for water. This was

on the 16th of June, 1703. The third part of the book has many

different little scenes. The first of which takes place on Laputa an

island of deformed creatures. The fourth and final part of the book

takes place in the country of Houyhnhnms, in 1711.

The main character, Gulliver, is a well educated sailor. He

has been recommended to be a surgeon. Traveling around the

world, exploring new places, Gulliver meets many new cultures and

civilizations. Gulliver wears clothes not uncommon to the 1700^s. He

has long hair, that sometimes restricts him from turning his head.

Gulliver is a round character. This can be seen when he refers to past

experiences during an adventure. This means that he can compare the

two situations, thus learning from it. There are many minor

characters. Easier referred to by the names of their people. Them

being: the small Lilliputians, the giant Brobdingnags, the creatures

at Lugnagg and Balnibarbi, with the islands of Laputa and

Blubdrubdrib. And finally, the Yahoos and Houyhnhnms. Gulliver^s

stories are told in the first person by himself.

Some very important symbols are used throughout the novel to

depict some very important ideas. One of these symbols would

be when Gulliver relieves himself on the Lilliputians royal castle to

put out a fire. It seems, as though how silly something may seem, it

just might be an answer to an important problem. A second symbol

clearly seen is the relationship to the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms.

This is easily perceived as a representation of the relationship to

horses and humans. The superiority of the horses in the novel shows

how, although different, they may just be as smart, if not smarter than

the owner.

Some very important themes that the reader may have picked up

on can be very helpful. One of these themes is that no matter

how small something is, it is not inferior. Gulliver stayed with the

Lilliputians for a very long time. The fact that they were only six

inches tall did not mean that he could do anything he wanted around or

to them. Another theme that the reader should have got is that no

matter how large something is, it still has to have a small amount of

brains. The giants in the second part were very tall, but nowhere did

the book say that they were very smart.

There are many different conflicts throughout the novel as

well. Some of these being internal, and others being

external. One of the internal conflicts can be seen when Gulliver is

tied down by the Lilliputians. Gulliver has a chance to snatch up many

of the little creatures, but knows that they will most likely shoot him

with needle-like arrows. An external conflict is between Gulliver^s

crew against nature. Many times Gulliver gets blown off course by a

storm or has his boat overturned by waves. This is an example of human

against nature.

Some of the literary devices that Swift uses in Gulliver^s

Travels are satire and irony. Swift wrote the novel as a

parody of travel books and an indictment of mankind; it is revered as

a charming children^s story. The ironies Swift intended to be

recognized-the small-mindedness of the tiny Lilliputians, the physical

and moral abnormality of the giant Brobdingnagians, and the perfect

animalizing of the filthy manlike Yahoos (far inferior to the placid

horses they work for)-are often ignored or dismissed.

After considering all of this, the reader should have a better

understanding of the novel. Being able to pay a greater

attention to the details of a novel always helps one understand the

greater, more broad ideas following them. Jonathan Swift was a

magnificent author. Without his Gulliver^s Travels, there would be a

great gap in the art of Literature.