Essays on Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver’s Travels, written by Jonathan Swift and published in 1726, is an imaginative novel that follows the adventures of Lemuel Gulliver as he visits a variety of strange lands. It is an exploration of themes such as human nature, politics, science and philosophy.The book begins with Gulliver washing up on the shore of Lilliput after a shipwreck. He soon discovers himself to be much larger than the inhabitants and they imprison him. The people are divided into two political parties: Big-Endians, who crack open their eggs at the large end; and Little-Endians, who crack them at the small end. This division results in war between them which Gulliver eventually helps to resolve when he creates a compromise between both sides. During his stay in Lilliput Gulliver also faces various other challenges that he must overcome before finally departing for home. In subsequent travels, Gulliver encounters other strange lands including Brobdingnag where everything is giant sized; Laputa where mathematics is applied to every aspect of life; Glubbdubdrib populated by magicians capable of bringing back historical figures from the dead; The Houyhnhnms ” intelligent horses ” who rule over grotesque humanoid creatures called Yahoos who represent humans’ worst attributes; and finally Balnibarbi which contains all sorts of technological wonders but fails to bring about any real progress or advancement due to its impracticality and foolishness. Throughout these voyages Gulliver gradually comes to understand more about humanity’s flaws as well as its capacity for greatness when it sets aside petty differences and works together towards common goals. In this way, Swift expresses his own views on society through satire while entertaining readers with fantastical tales about far-away places that challenge many preconceived notions we have about our world today.