Gulliver's Travels
by Jonathan Swift
Table of Contents
Plot Summary
Gulliver’s Travels recounts the adventures of Lemuel Gulliver. Gulliver is a trained surgeon from England who decides to go to sea after his surgical business fails. He enjoys traveling. However, Gulliver encounters a shipwreck and wakes up in the island nation of Lilliput, where he is tied to the ground by miniscule threads. He soon realizes that the Lilliputians, who are less than six inches tall, are holding him captive. They attempt to stab Gulliver with arrows, but the size of the Lilliputians and their arrows have little effect on the “giant.” Despite their fear of Gulliver, once they observe that he is behaving himself, the Lilliputians are welcoming. They offer him food and present him to their emperor.
The Lilliputians decide to use Gulliver in their war with the citizens of Blefuscu, which is a neighboring region. The main conflict between the Lilliputians and the people of Blefuscu is the proper way to crack an egg. Despite their growing fondness of Gulliver, the Lilliputians convict him of treason when he extinguishes a fire at the royal palace by urinating on the flames. The Lilliputians demand that Gulliver be starved and shot in his eyes. Thankfully, Gulliver flees to Blefuscu. While there, he finds a boat. Once he repairs the boat, he sails back to England.
For two months, Gulliver remains in England with his wife and family. After staying with his family, Gulliver undertakes his next journey by sea. This time, he is led to Brobdingnag, where he encounters giants. When discovered by a giant farmer, Gulliver is kept like an animal. The farmer then sells him to their queen. Gulliver finds the Brobdingnagians revolting, especially because their large size amplifies their flaws. Even when two ladies allow Gulliver to frolic on their naked bodies, Gulliver is appalled. Along with his disgust toward their physical constitution, Gulliver finds the residents of Brobdingnag ignorant and intolerable. Gulliver leaves Brobdingnag when an eagle picks up his cage and drops him into the ocean.
Gulliver’s next journey...
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