Gulliver's Travels
Here's the space for all you Swift enthusiasts!
posted by Ms. Clapp @ 8:27 AM
24 comments
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Previous Posts
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- Group 4 is, frankly, remarkable.
- Group 3 is Mahhhvelous!
- Group 2 is Astonishing!
- Group One is Brilliant!
- Act III of R and G
- R & G Act II
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- Q & A for 2.2 and 3.1
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24 Comments:
Damnit! Jill beat me to the blog. Oh well, it's okay, you did a great job. I've read up to chapter five so far and can offer some argument to the things Jill said in here, so DON'T READ FURTHER UNTIL NOTED UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SPOILED:
The Lilliputians have developed their own country, in actuality. They believe that Lilliput is the only country in the world besides Befuscu, their enemy. They actually believe that Gulliver fell down from the Heaven's, for they have no record or recollection of the existence of any other "mountain-men." The emperor wears a sword for protection because, indeed, Befuscu is arming up to invade their island. They intend to use Gulliver as their enforcer in the battle, after granting his freedom under a certain amount of rules, some of which include his not being able to leave the island, and that he cannot really go anywhere without permission. I do find it amusing that Gulliver does not "rebel" and just leave them, or kill them all for, basically, kidnapping him, but I can see the satire in it. Gulliver is making this giant man obey these tiny little creatures because, in the 18th century, although the people "outsized" the government, the authority that the government had over them was enormous, so it was impossible to fight back. It's hard to tell just what Gulliver is saying this early in the book but you did hit the nail on the head with your depictions. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the Lilliputians and how much power they had over Gulliver. It's going to be swell to see just where these little creatures are going to take Gulliver next. I can't wait to see the battle. For some reason all I can think of is the Hobbit and the Battle of the Five Armies where, (I believe his name is) Bjorn comes in and basically whipes out most of the armies single-handedly. Yes, I'm such a dork. I'm "15 degrees off cool" as Bill Engvall would say. =)
Oh yeah I totally forgot to write when you can start reading again if you didn't want any spoilers hahahaha. Oh well, just read the whole thing and be shocked, or don't read it until you're up to chapter 5. Wow, my mind is slipping, I need a nap.
First let me just say that it is hilarious that Gulliver is being kept prisoner by the Lilliputians, who are only six inches tall. Although Gulliver is like a giant to the Lilliputians, the Lilliputians still fight back with their arrows and bows. The Lilliputians think that they have a lot of power, although they really do not because Gulliver can kill them by like stepping on them. It is also funny how Gulliver “tries” not to step on the little people. He has the ability to free himself from the chains but doesn’t do it which is weird. Anyways, although the Lilliputians are small, they seem to think they are very important and powerful, although in reality they are not. Also on pages 28 and 29 Swift begins to describe the different things in Gulliver’s pockets and it just supports the whole idea of how Gulliver COULD kill the little Lilliputians, but he doesn’t.
Also another thing I wanted to mention that Swift obviously pokes fun of is the way the Lilliputians “choose their officials.” On page 31, it states that “when a great office is vacant either by death or disgrace five or six of those candidates petition the Emperor to entertain his Majesty and the court with a dance on the rope, and whoever jumps the highest without falling, succeeds in the office.” Swift exaggerates how ridiculous the government is by describing how officials are chosen based on how high they jump. This connects back to his time in which he is actually ridiculing how England appointed their officials. Evidence from his life also supports this claim because in the intro it says that “some of the cynicism about the political tribe” stems from his conflict with learning the “scheming methods of courts and statesmen.” (xvi) Through the Lilliputians Swift is trying to show the irrational nature of men and how it corrupts society. Yup, that’s all I have for now.
oh yes, so for those who maybe skipped the introduction which is like I don't know, 30 pages? READ IT! I found it very useful =]
I want to read Gulliver's =(...
Better late than never, right Ms. Clapp? For all intensive purposes in this blog I am going to use the term little people for the Lilliputians, because it's just easier for me. So anywho, I officially love Swift; as this is just the kind of book I love. It really pokes fun at every aspect of British government during the period in which Swift chooses to poke fun at. Right in the beginning, the British need to both control everything and their fear for the unknown is satirized right in the beginning, when Gulliver is tied up by the little people. Yeah, I'm with Jill that that whole scene with him going to the bathroom is rather odd; the only reason I can event think about is that, if you can help the government somehow, then they will clean up your mess? Don't take that to heart, because I'm just throwing out ideas. By far my favorite part of the book is that he puts out the fire in the castle by peeing on it. I literally laughed for a good minute. That seems to be the best example of Swift's satirization; it really conveys what Swift really thinks about the monarchy and rulers in Britain (hint: he's not too fond of them.) I also liked how Swift made all of these obscure references of acts and happenings that actually took place in Britain. Although I wouldn't have realized any of these allusions if the book didn't have footnotes. Swift also points out the hypocrisy in the government. Gulliver ruins the fleet of the little people's enemy, and they honor him and admire him for what he did. After he has defeated the enemy, they really see no use to him, because he is a burden on their economy, so they decide to try him for treason. Through satirization of Britain's government, Swift shows how ineffective and unjust it really is.
Oh yeah Maggie, I completely forgot about that! How they choose the new officials on how high they jump; perhaps a play on words (with jumping, how much they please and follow orders by thier superiors.) That reminded me of another funny thing; how the little people got into this huge war over how to break an egg. It's another allusion to the British government, and how they will pick a fight over anything, and also to show that they misuse their power (if you were one of the most powerful countries in the world, that using your military power over cooking practices probably isn't the right decision). I have a couple of questions about the whole government and set-up of the little people. I do like the idea of the whole "reward system" of the gov't, and how if they follow the laws then they get rewarded when they're over. However, the whole idea about the person who accused another person of a crime, and if there's proof proving that the person is innocent, you can be punished for accusing someone. I can't decide if Swift is describing an ideal government that he wishes Britain to adopt, or is he's simply describing another failing form of government. So anyone with any thoughts on that?
Another example to show that Swift uses satire to ridicule the government is (page 54) when the "Emperor hath a mind to distinguish his mark of his favor" by laying out threads on a table, and giving the most prestigious thread (blue-coloured silk) to the longest leaper.
One of the things i noticed while reading part one is the importance of Swift emphasis on Gulliver physical size. It oblivious that he doesn't need to obey all the rules that the Emperor told him to, because he can just effortlessly kill "diminutive people". In part two, Gulliver travels to Brobdingnag and the inhabitants are like 20 times his size.
So maybe Swift is not only ridiculing the government, but also Gulliver’s flaws?
Or is it too early to tell?
Okay, I just finished part one, and it's pretty awesome! The whole indictment of Gulliver was just hilarious, because he never intended to break any law whatsoever. I find it amuzing that he was actually helping the Lilliputians when he urinated on the castle to put the fire out and they bring him up on charges similar to the crime of defacing public property today. It's almost like graffiti! I agree that the satire of the book deals with the British government and their control issues over everything. No matter how big the obstacle was, they wanted to conquer it and control it. This is even represented through the Lilliputian's desire to bring Befuscu under it's control. Swift is a genius to be able to make a fantasy-based story that is really a satirical portrayal of the political scene of his time. Well, I really can't wait to get to the second part, where everyone is 60 feet tall, just to witness even more of Swift's genius.
Alrighty, just finished Part 2 of Gulliver's unlucky travels. And once again, Swift keeps finding more and more examples to satirize his government. When Gulliver is first discovered, the giants aren't very friendly to him, which conveys how the government both fears the unknown and their natural tendency of being mean and suspicious. After the farmer realizes that people would pay a pretty penny to see this miniature human, he decided to exploit Gulliver for the financial benefits. At one point, Gulliver talks about how he was so physically and mentally exhausted at performing menial tasks that he almost collapsed. The one bright spot in the land of the giants is the little girl, who is very caring and loving to Gulliver. What does this represent? The little girl is too young to be affected by such adult attributes as greed and condescension of people not as important as you. I agree with Jill this whole chapter parallels the large discrepancy in class in England, and the little girl represents how society is where the blame should lie, as it slowly but surely corrupts people. The dwarf is one funny character. He is jealous that someone is smaller than him; it has to deal more with the attention he receives. He tries to thwart Gulliver by playing pranks on him, because it's also the first person that he could pick on. Another thing that has to do with class issues, is the scene when Gulliver almost died when the bees came into his box/room. It shows that something so insignificant to someone more important could be a matter of life and death for someone not so high on the social ladder. The best part of this section is when Gulliver is bragging about how functional and sound Europe's government is, but the King takes notes on it, and immediately points out all the faults in it. Although not as subtle as his other criticisms, it just shows that the problems in the government are so easy to distinguish, yet nothing is done to fix them. This book is very interesting, as Swift is a very cunning author.
Yes I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY! So I'm bascially halfway through the third section of the book and it seems that this part of the book has more to do with the nature of humans instead of the government. Although government is often mentioned throughout. Anyways, I found it really RIDICULOUS how they charge Gulliver for treason. Their accusations were not even logical. For example they said he was a traitor because Gulliver didn't want to make the people of Blefuscu slaves. To charge somebody of a fault like that is really absurd.
I also liked what Jill and Drew said about Gulliver's nurse. I am going to call her nurse from now on because I can't possibly remember her name or spell it. I agree that the father was really greedy and selfish becuase he didn't have to work Gulliver so hard. He could of given him some rest so that he can still do his little tricks for the people. I think it also shows how like stupid he is becuase if you really were smart you'd figure out that in order to get the best profit you'd take care of the person who is going to GIVE you that profit. Also I found it weird how the father just let go of his daughter so easily. Although her daughter wanted to stay with Gulliver. It just shows that there's not much love there.
Anyways, I took some notes on the beginning of the introduction today so I want to share it with you guys becuase then we could look out for exactly WHAT Swift is satirizing.
1) exploration of man's social and moral nature through fantasy
2) miserable condition of man, his weakness, pride, vanity, unmeasurable desires, disappointments, passions
3)corruptions of reason
4)deluding hopes
5)natural and artificial wants
6)his cares and anxieties
7)disease of body and mind
8)dread of future
9)government
10)religion
Maybe these could possibly help you guys because I know that I have to be constantly reminded of what I am looking for, otherwise I MISS IT!
I don't think I listed all of them but yeeah that is the jist!
I forgot to say that this book is very very easy to read because it is only like 3 pages per chapter! Otherwise if the chapter was long I would probably not catch what Swift is trying to satirize. Anyways I know that was random! Lol
Almost done with the third section of the book, and I'm loving it just as much as I did when I first started reading the book. I wondered how Swift could keep the book both entertaining and to the point, since he seemed to exhaust all of his options with the big people and the little people. However, he assuaged my fears with the land of the floating islands (not good with those weird names). Anyhoo, since the land that Gulliver is currently in has a floating island, and said island could block the sun and the rain and thus ruin the life of the people below them, it serves as how much an interference the government can be in everyday life. Also, with the help of my handy footnotes, it talks about how it's an allusion to British policy towards Ireland. I found that Institute (or whatever it was called) to be quite hilarious, as some of the experiments were useless, hopeless, and very "penetrating" to people's everyday lives. It shows how little the government cares about the well-being of their citizens, and that they can be veiled by the prospect of progress. The other land that Gulliver traveled to, where he summoned past rulers from the grave, really conveys Swift's low opinion of not only the current government in Britain, but the corruptness of organized society in general. The fact that he asks Greek, Roman, and British rulers and gets less than favorable answers about how they ran their government shows that the despicable way that the Britain government runs didn't originate with them. Overall, this book is very telling and also shows public opinion in Britain during this time. I can't wait to finish this book.
okay I haven't been able to log in to my name for a while now and I just made a Google account like they wanted me to just because I was getting annoyed, so yeah. Well I finished part two and I must say that Swift is still a genius. I love the idea that the giants are trying to put all this power over such a minute little creature. Swift is saying that the government excerts its power over all things in its land, without consideration. The parts where they were using Gulliver as entertainment tells me that the governemnts like to exploit all of their resources for their own personal benefit. Even Gulliver, in his narration, explains how they are very stubborn and closed-minded, and that reflects to his government in which they do not want to listen to change. Around this time, the government was rejecting many new theories that were coming about and it shows how the governments do not like change. I am really enjoying Swift's genius through this book and I'm glad I could finally blog and get by these internet shackles! I'm sorry, I hate technology, just a little rant there for the end.
I'm almost done reading Gulliver's travels!!! Anyways, Swift is definately using the Yahoos to show the imperfections of mankind. Yahoos are described as dirty, hairy, unteachable, mischievous, etc. The yahoos fight with each other and don't even show respect to their own kind, which displays how humans disrespect each other. Also it shows how humans are savage-like and animal-like. I also really like the contrast that Swift uses between the Houyhnhnms (from now on called Horses) and the Yahoos because it really emphasizes how stupid, inhumane, corrupt, unreasonable, and dishonest humans are. On page 187, the horses are having dinner with Gulliver and just the manner that they eat in and their views of honesty and "the thing which was not" or lying shows how much humans lie and connive their way throughout their lives. The horses represent "the perfection of nature" and they constantly show Gulliver that humans are materialistic through their clothing, wants, and passions because unlike humans, the horses "wants and passions are fewer." (195)
Also, everytime Gulliver goes to a different master/king/ruler, he talks to them about England's government, customs, and laws. Everytime they discuss those topics, the kings and rulers always show Gulliver how corrupt his society is.
Anyways, that is all I have for now. Out of all his travels, I like the Voyage to the Houyhnhnms the best. =]
So I am almost done reading the book, I plan on blogging again later tonight and finishing it tomorrow. I see a really big change in Swift's ideas between the first two voyages and the third voyage. While in the first two voyages he is attacking government through a parallel to size, it seems as if he is being a bit more complex when satirizing government. I think by introducing the floating island, Swift first off is showing how easily there can be great "distances" between a government and its people in the sense that the way the citizens view the world and the way the government view's the world can be complete opposites. Swift, in different ways has been expressing a certain intelligence among the different people in each different place, but it seems as if he really puts an emphasis on intellect and technology in the third part of the novel. I think there is a great parallel to the techonology they present in the third part to the technological change England was going through at the time. Though I have enjoyed the book, the third part is definitely my lead favorite of all. I'm not finished witht he fourth part but I love it so far so I will report back later on how I am doing.
BTW- that whole google account thing totally messed me up because I had this big long blog typed out and when I went to do my google account it lost my blog so I typed a summarized version...sorry for the shortness of it! hehe
Gulliver's fourth and final adventure is incredible. I find it so amusing that the whole world that they Houyhnhnms live in, is governed by an animal that we see simply as a form of transportation. Swift shows a great shift in this section of the book through Gulliver because rather than trying to escape this new land he is in, he hopes to become a part of it and eventually sees himself as a part of this civil and advanced society. He feels that the Yahoos represent all that is bad within the society he lives in-the natural greed and deviant ways. However one thing that I did while reading this final journey is that I looked at the Houyhnhmns are normal and good and kind and viewed them as what was right and good in the world, and I grouped Gulliver with the Yahoos, just as he grouped everyone back home as a Yahoo. I really looked back at my life and how the Yahoos express how humans would be if we didn't have the natural curiosity and intelligence that has caused us to develop over time. Also it shows that as humans we see all other life forms as being simple, primitive and unintelligent when in reality, they could have a complete understand of the world as we see it and we just do not know that. I enjoyed the time that Gulliver spent with the Houyhnhmns and I feel that their kindness and understanding of life but I became annoyed with Gulliver who felt he was a part of something so miraculous. There was nothing about Gulliver that made me believe he should be a part of this society. Being a person who believes that others are naturally good, I felt as of the Yahoos and the Houyhnhmns made up two key parts of humans. If we didn't have the intelligence and compassion for others and on occassion interest for only others, we would simply be like the greedy Yahoos. I feel like the Houyhnhmns are that part of human nature that is easily lost when a connection with nature is lost. Another point that stuck out in my mind is that the Houyhnhnms have no idea of what it is like to feel pain or suffering. The fact that they are so accepting of the natural course of life and do not question it made me feel like once again that our natural goodness and acceptance is lost by selfishness and greed. Humans constantly seek more than what they have-more money, more food, more time, more more more- but the Houyhnhmns do not do so with death. They accept that it is something not inevitable and do not let it run the course of their lives. I assume many humans would love to lead a life like this because rather than focusing on getting everything done before they end, they could simply live without question and probably live a more fulfilling life in doing so.
That is it for now...I will be back soon though!
Why, hello there! I just finished part three and Swift is definitely not short of any satire in this section. Part three sees Gulliver in Laputa, an island that also had another island floating above it. One aspect of this island is that the government uses it's size to block out sun and rain on certain parts of the island below, destroying its agricultural infastructure. The government builds everything without any right angles, rejecting new methods of mathematics, although they worship the old methods. Swift is trying to say that the government is this daunting being that has the ability to ruin towns with its massive force. The fact that they do not accept new mathematical theories plays on the fact that the governments back then rejected any new theories for fear of having a rebellion of every once-believed notion in life. The governments are extremely stubborn and resist change. Although what Swift is suggesting about his government seems to be repetative, at least to me, it is nonetheless extremely entertaining.
So I guess I am going to wrap up my views of Gulliver's Travels. Overall I have to say, it is definitely one of the most unique and interesting books I have ever read. After reading Swift's different interpretations about government and society, I can honestly say that I have a better appreciation for those who feel that they US government is someone lax ha-ha. Overall I feel as if they best description of the government is shown through the Lilliputians. Their hold over Gulliver while he was in their land, for me reflects how easily government can control life. The Lilliputians, though so small, just as a few members of government, had a very strong hold over Gulliver and were able to govern what he did and did not due. Though it was perceived as if Gulliver simply had a respect for the Lilliputians, I feel as if he was somewhat ignorant of how easily he could have left Lilliput even within his first day there. I loved the differences between the Yahoos and Houyhnhmns. I feel as if this was the best interpretation of natural human nature and how people are in their most primitive state. In the end I loved this book. I think Swift is brilliant in his ability to make two comparisons to thinks that have literally no connection at all.
So, I just finished the book, and the book kind of went into a very...different formula than it had the first three parts. Obviously, the fact that in the new place where Gulliver is "stranded," that humans are called Yahoos and are portrayed as beastly and immoral has obvious symbolism. Honestly, that is one of the reasons why I like Gulliver's Travels so much; that Swift wouldn't just blatantly expose what he is trying to convey in satirizing English life. However, in this part, once he begins to hate and despise the Yahoos, and even his family he considered Yahoos, he pretty much just comes right out and says what's wrong with society. Also, I wasn't a fan of Gulliver's sudden spastic change of character. The first three parts I really empathized with him, how he continually gets bad luck, and how he indirectly leads you to Swift's satire. Now, you had to really look at Gulliver and how he now hates humans, instead of looking with him at different people's cultures and traditions (I was mad I couldn't imagine being Gulliver's first mate!) The end really didn't satisfy me either, as he was so repulsed with his family that he couldn't see them for a while, and he bought horses and talked to them. I thought Gulliver had more sense to realize the faults of the horse's lifestyle. Couldn't he see that, since they didn't fear death, that it's just one example of how one-dimensional their society is, and thus unlivable by humans? So, although as a body of work I really liked this novel, the last part has unfortunately left a bitter taste in my mouth in its wake. (I still think Swift was both cool, and a genius)
Yeah, I sort of agree with Drew. When Gulliver returned to his home, you'd figure he'd be really excited to see his familiy because he's been gone for 3 years but he couldn't even stand being near them. I don't know, it just seems like the "Horses" were meant to show some qualities of humans that have been corrupted over the years but I do not think the Horses' views were meant to change Gulliver's attitude about his own family. It just seems like he was influenced too much by the horses. Instead of being enlightened by the horses' views of human nature, he began to disgust humans entirely. I don't know, I just feel like there wasn't a balance because he shunned the good people along with the corrupted people. I also think Gulliver was too eager to be with the Horses because the Horses have their own defects also. They are TOO perfect. They are suppose to represent the perfection of nature, but nature isn't perfect. hmm...I'll write some more later. Sorry if I confused you guys!!!
Finished the book a couple of days ago but I just never got a chance to actually blog for section four, so here I am. Well, I think that the Houyhnhmns are meant to represent the nature of governments to brainwash people that they come into power over. For instance, Gulliver himself sees the humans, or Yahoos, as immoral and sort of like beasts, and wants to conform to the ways and ideals of the Houyhnhmns. Gulliver even turns to not even wanting to see his own family anymore. He is completely turned off by the Yahoos and despises everything they do. I agree that the book took a twist with this fourth section, where he has completely changed his lifestyle and his beliefs because of these island inhabitants that he has encountered. I found it particularly interesting when he did not want to be picked up by the boat with the men on it and desired to live on a secluded island by himself. Swift is trying to convey that the governments during his time tried every trick they could to brainwash the people into siding with them, whether it was by commenting only on the negative aspects of any other faction or by "sweetening" their own status. The Houyhnhmns really put down all of the Yahoos, and really made themselves seem as if they were just superior to all else that lived. I particularly enjoyed reading this book and just how Swift related politics in such a fantasy-filled world that seemed like something out of a fairy tale. Props to Swift!
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