The topic of Gulliver’s Travels is the journey of the titular character, Lemuel Gulliver and his journey of exploration and the wondrous sights he beholds. Published in 1726 by Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels is a satirical piece of literature which uses fantastical comparisons in order to criticize as well as highlight issues of the time. The voyage to Brobdingnag is covered in the second part of the book, the inhabitants of the Land of Brobdingnag are giants with an organized society that is monarchical in nature. Given the time period which Gulliver’s Travels was published, the comparisons within the work can at times seem rather antiquated, though frequently they deal with human nature which inevitably is a constant. Despite the passage
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Both societies are led by a central ruler, though there is a great difference in the amount power wielded by a king and a president, an additional similarity can be found in the arrangement of the family, which centered on the nuclear family and was patriarchal in nature. Both societies show a fascination with new things and making toys of them. At the time this was written, zoos were not limited to animals, with people being coveted attractions, living in reproductions of what was considered their natural habitats, this can be seen in Gulliver’s Travels when the farmer has Gulliver perform shows for profit as well as the amusement of people”…I should conceive it to be exposed for money as a public spectacle”. Its human nature to judge those deemed lesser to oneself, and this is seen in the way the citizens of Brobdingnag treat Gulliver and in the king’s opinion of the English government. Overall several parallels can be drawn between modern society and Brobdingnag society, but there are also several differences as …show more content…
Whereas the Lilliputian’s small stature represents the pettiness of humanity, the great size of the Brobdingnagians is evidence of the hubris which many people exhibit. Gulliver himself exhibits a great deal of pride, who despite considering himself a highly skilled sailor, still manages to shipwreck himself and find himself lost and afraid ”scared and confounded as I was, I could not forbear going on with these reflections”. Swift used the behavior and even stature of the various inhabitants of the lands Gulliver explores to satirize various aspects of humanity as well as specific groups of people. With comments towards, noblemen, clergy, scholars, commoners and everything between Swift’s employment of satire and other literary techniques shows why Gulliver’s Travels is considered an enduring classic of English
Both societies are led by a central ruler, though there is a great difference in the amount power wielded by a king and a president, an additional similarity can be found in the arrangement of the family, which centered on the nuclear family and was patriarchal in nature. Both societies show a fascination with new things and making toys of them. At the time this was written, zoos were not limited to animals, with people being coveted attractions, living in reproductions of what was considered their natural habitats, this can be seen in Gulliver’s Travels when the farmer has Gulliver perform shows for profit as well as the amusement of people”…I should conceive it to be exposed for money as a public spectacle”. Its human nature to judge those deemed lesser to oneself, and this is seen in the way the citizens of Brobdingnag treat Gulliver and in the king’s opinion of the English government. Overall several parallels can be drawn between modern society and Brobdingnag society, but there are also several differences as …show more content…
Whereas the Lilliputian’s small stature represents the pettiness of humanity, the great size of the Brobdingnagians is evidence of the hubris which many people exhibit. Gulliver himself exhibits a great deal of pride, who despite considering himself a highly skilled sailor, still manages to shipwreck himself and find himself lost and afraid ”scared and confounded as I was, I could not forbear going on with these reflections”. Swift used the behavior and even stature of the various inhabitants of the lands Gulliver explores to satirize various aspects of humanity as well as specific groups of people. With comments towards, noblemen, clergy, scholars, commoners and everything between Swift’s employment of satire and other literary techniques shows why Gulliver’s Travels is considered an enduring classic of English