Gulliver's Travles

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate November 2001

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When How is Just as Important as Why From the dawn of time, people have traveled, from the earliest nomads to our current astronauts. In most cases, the "why"Ã¯Â¿Â½ of their travel is of more interest than the "how."Ã¯Â¿Â½ Nomads searched for food, while astronauts seek to increase understanding about space. However, in Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift places emphasis on how, rather than why, Gulliver arrives to the lands of his adventures. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the authors' political and personal views are incorporated into Gulliver's initial isolation. The actions behind Gulliver's arrivals directly mirror the author's opinions in a satirical way.

After growing weary of sea life, Gulliver takes a three-year shore leave, only return to the sea because his practice "[will] not turn to account."Ã¯Â¿Â½ (pg. 26) After a storm turns up, Gulliver and the crew trust themselves "to the mercy of the waves."Ã¯Â¿Â½

(pg. 27) Gulliver is the only survivor, and "[conclud] they were all lost."Ã¯Â¿Â½ (pg. 27) Gulliver than washes ashore a deserted beach. Exhausted from his excursions, he sleeps. He wakes only to find his "arms and legs were strongly fastened on each side to the ground; and [his] hair"ÃÂ¦tied down in the same manner."Ã¯Â¿Â½ (pg. 27) At this point Gulliver does not know how or why he is bound as he is. However, he soon feels "something alive,"Ã¯Â¿Â½ (pg 27) moving on his body, and soon a "human creature not six inches high, (pg 27) comes into view. Gulliver lands in the land of Lilliput and is captured by its people, Lilliputians. Swift creates Lilliput and its people to be directly analogous to England. While England was a small country, like the six-inch Lilliputians, it was still a global domination. At this time in history, England was easily...