Gulliver's Travel by Jonathan Swift

            Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is a book of adventure, new lands, discovering new places and things…or is it? In Gulliver’s Travels, Lemuel Gulliver travels from England to different countries and has experiences that are outlandish and peculiar. While I thought the book and its characters’ tone seemed a little defensive and arrogant, almost satiric, (I thought this because of how Gulliver is always asking for the reader’s forgiveness while also not seeming to care and babble on about things that do not matter the reader, the ones he cared for their opinions the most), I looked it up to find it in fact was about a conflict with the English government of Swift’s day. I love this because while he is confronting something personal he turns it into a great story that is very interesting and captivating to the reader.

            In Swift’s book there are a plethora of possible themes that could be taken away. For example, one theme could be man versus society. Lemuel Gulliver is somehow imperfect in every new country and society he travels to. The society, who may at first accept him, always be rid of him in one way or another. In Lilliput the king was displeased when Gulliver would not continued to help them and charged him with treason and in Brobdingnag, the king disliked that he has used guns, etc and Gulliver’s “travel box” is conveniently dropped into the ocean by a giant eagle. Gulliver also finds imperfections within the majority of places he visits. For instance, he finds that when in Brobdingnag even thought the ladies let him run on them while they are not clothes; he discovers the size of their pores to be disgusting. I find his first few experiences in those societies and foreshadowing of what will become of his rejection of society.

            Another thing that was unique to Swift’s work was the reappearance of a few things through out the book. One thing that was reoccurring was Gulliver’s clothing. He always described specifically the clothing he was wearing tearing or receiving, whether it was great, too big, to this or that he always had to mention it and spent a great length of time on it. Also, human waste came up frequently; once when he put out the fire by relieving himself on the Queen’s home, or when others in Houyhnhnm country would throw it and the flies that drop it on his food, etc.  I am honestly not sure what that’s supposed to mean or if it’s like the women whom he found disgusting just because of their giant bodies or if it is just a coincidence.

            Overall, this is a fantastic book. I think Gulliver’s Travels is my favorite piece of classic literature that I’ve read, so far. I recommend it to my peers and even adults who enjoy reading classical literature. Even though it is an old, satiric piece of work, it is enchanting and enjoyable. I find most classics to be hard to follow along with and I get lost in the first paragraph, but I liked how this book was not like that, I was actually able to comprehend what was going on and maintain an understanding.

Word Count: 535 words