Saturday, March 3, 2012

What are the main concepts of part 1 and 2 of "Gulliver's Travels"? What are the differences?

All four parts of the book deal with politics and humanity.  It is a social satire focused on all the horrible deeds of the English cleverly disguised as a travel journal.

Part I is the Lilliputians...the little people.  They are haughty and full of themselves.  They give Gulliver orders about sinking the Blefescuians (symbolic French) even though Gulliver had nothing against them.  Their haughty and holier-than-though manners make it even funnier when the royal highness' quarters catch on fire and Gulliver urinates on the castle and the royal lady inside in order to save her life.  That makes twice she is covered in his body fluid...the first being when he kisses her hand and the moisture from his lips coat her entire arm with slime.  Hilarious!  These people also do some weird things to get into office...tight rope walking and jumping and creeping.  One party wears high heel shoes, the other wears low heels, and the mayor wears one of each so not to insult.  Strange, but typical of politics, don't you think?

Part II is the Brobdingnagians.  The giants.  Here, Gulliver is a Lilliput.  The King thinks of the English according to Gulliver's discussions as the most odious vermin who ever crawled on the face of the earth...filled with all the vices known to humanity--greed, pride, ambition, murder, etc.  In an attempt to impress, Gulliver makes gunpowder which just blows up the place. An unflattering picture

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