Gulliver's Travels Summary and Analysis of

Part I, "A Voyage to Lilliput," Chapters I-II

Chapter 1

Each chapter is advertised. In this chapter, "The Author gives some Account of himself and
Family, his first Inducements to travel. He is shipwrecked, and swims for his Life, gets safe on
shore in the Country of Lilliput, is made a Prisoner, and carried up the Country."

The narrative begins with the narrator, Lemuel Gulliver, describing his childhood and the events
that led him to become a seaman. He tells the reader that he is the third of five sons and that he
was sent to a Puritan college at the age of fourteen. Afterwards he became an apprentice to a
surgeon in London, during which time he also learned about navigation and mathematics in
preparation for a future on the sea, "as I always believed it would be some time or other my
fortune to do." Next he studied "Physick" (medicine) because he thought it would be "useful in
long Voyages."

Afterwards Gulliver married Mrs. Mary Burton and began his life as a surgeon, taking on several
patients. When his business begins to fail, he takes a six-year trip to the sea, where he serves as
the surgeon to two ships and travels the East and West Indies. He spends much of his time on
these voyages observing the people and learning their languages.

The real problems begin in 1699. Gulliver sets sail on a voyage that starts out prosperously but
quickly takes a turn for the worse. The ship encounters violent storms, has bad food, and
weakens the crew (twelve crew members die) when the ship hits a rock and is split. Six of the
crew members, including Gulliver, get into a small boat and row until they are overturned by a
"sudden Flurry." Gulliver swims until he is nearly exhausted, at which point he finds an island,
comes across a patch of grass, and sleeps for what he estimates is more than nine hours.

When Gulliver awakens, he is lying on his back. He finds himself unable to sit up or move at all.
His "Arms and Legs were strongly fastened on each side to the Ground; and [his] Hair, which
was long and thick, tied down in the same manner." He feels something moving along his body
almost up to his chin, at which point he sees that it is "a human Creature not six Inches high,
with a Bow and Arrow in his Hands, and a Quiver at his Back." Gulliver will later learn that
these creatures are called Lilliputians. Startled by this sight, Gulliver roars out and soon manages
to free his left arm. The frightened Lilliputians fire dozens of tiny arrows into his hand, face, and
body until he lies calmly. The Lilliputians then build a stage to Gulliver's side that is about a foot
and a half tall, upon which a "Person of Quality" stands and makes a ten-minute speech to
Gulliver in a language he cannot understand.

Gulliver signals that he wants food and drink, so the people bring baskets of meat and several
loaves of bread, which he eats three at a time because they are so tiny to him. The Lilliputians
also bring two barrels of drink, which he enjoys even though they are smaller than a half a pint
together.
Gulliver admits that as he lies on the ground he often thinks of taking up fifty of the small
creatures in his hand and crushing them-but he does not want to be pricked with arrows again,
and he has given his "Promise of Honour" to behave in exchange for good treatment.

After he has eaten, Gulliver signals to the people to move out of the way. He relieves himself by
"making Water." He promptly falls asleep because his drink had a sleeping medicine in it. Once
they are sure he is asleep, the Lilliputians, who are excellent mathematicians, transport Gulliver
to the Capital. They use a large platform with twenty-two wheels pulled by dozens of four-and-a-
half-inch horses, dragging Gulliver half of a mile. After he awakens, Gulliver finds that he is
chained by his leg in the capital, but he is able to move in a circle of about two yards in diameter.
More than one hundred thousand Lilliputians come out to see Gulliver.

Chapter II

"The Emperor of Lilliput, attended by several of the Nobility, comes to see the Author, in his
Confinement. The Emperor's Person and Habit described. Learned Men appointed to teach the
Author their Language. He gains Favour by his mild Disposition. His pockets are searched, and
his Sword and Pistols taken from him."

Gulliver has been allowed to move about at the end of his chain and to retire into his small
house. He gives a detailed description of his need to relieve himself after two days without
defecating-and how he finally does so, first in his house because of embarrassment and on every
following day early in the morning so that it can be carried away by two workers before the
general population is awake.

The emperor comes to visit Gulliver. The two attempt to converse even though they cannot yet
understand each other's language. Gulliver tries to speak to the emperor and his men in every
language he knows, but to no avail.

Gulliver is given a strong guard to protect him against those citizens who enjoy pestering him.
When a group of six citizens is caught shooting arrows at Gulliver, one of which narrowly
misses his left eye, they are given to Gulliver to punish as he sees fit. Gulliver puts five of the
men in his pocket and dangles the sixth above his mouth as if he is going to eat him, but he then
lets all of the men go, gaining favor with those who are watching.

During this time the emperor holds many conferences with his wisest men, trying to decide what
to do with Gulliver. They are worried that he could escape or that he could cause a famine
because of how much food it takes to keep him satisfied. It is eventually decided that two
officers should be appointed to search Gulliver with his assistance. Afterwards, Gulliver is asked
to demonstrate the purpose of each of the items found on his person. When he fires his pistol into
the air, several of the Lilliputians fall to the ground in fright.

Analysis

Gulliver begins the story of his journeys in the typical pattern of the travel narratives of his time.
He tells the reader a great deal of background information, such as where he was born, which
schools he attended, and his profession. The reader learns that Gulliver began his life in a very
usual way. He was basically middle-class and had to work for a living. By setting up the narrator
as a normal person in the beginning of the book, Swift helps readers to sense that Gulliver is
trustworthy and a regular guy whom they can relate to. While a more fantastic narrator may have
been more impressive and exciting, for the satire to work best, readers are placed in Gulliver's
everyman shoes.

The perception that Gulliver is trustworthy diminishes, however, as soon as Gulliver comes into
contact with the Lilliputians. It is obvious that the creatures are figments of Swift's imagination,
since it is extremely unlikely that such beings actually exist. But Gulliver's trustworthiness is
unimportant insofar as the reader recognizes that the real conversation is with Swift. We
continue happily on Gulliver's journey in order to find out what Swift wants us to perceive
through the tale.

At the time that Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels, England was the most powerful nation in the
world, with a large fleet of ships, which were constantly searching for new lands to control.
During these searches the English came into contact with several new civilizations. The
Lilliputians seem almost possible in this context. But Swift chooses to set the first culture
Gulliver comes into contact with as far too small to be real. He makes the Lilliputians only six
inches tall. It is significant that Gulliver, coming from the most powerful nation in the world, is
able to be held prisoner by six-inch men. Swift is asking the English to consider the pride of their
own country, especially as a colonial power. A great number of small people can overpower one
large person-if they are resourceful enough. Are England's colonies powerful and crafty enough
to do it?

At the same time, it is apparent that even though Gulliver fears the tiny arrows of the
Lilliputians, he could almost certainly escape if he put his mind to it. Why does he choose to
stay? Perhaps he is curious about the Lilliputians, their culture, language, and ways of living.
Gulliver's curiosity and thirst for knowledge were established in the first few paragraphs of the
novel. Or perhaps Gulliver enjoys the power that comes with being a giant. Even as a prisoner in
Lilliput, Gulliver is the most powerful being on the island.

Gulliver's Travels Summary and Analysis of

Part I, Chapters III-IV
Chapter III

"The Author diverts the Emperor and his Nobility of both Sexes in a very uncommon manner.
The Diversions of the Court of Lilliput described. The Author hath his Liberty granted him upon
certain Conditions."

Because Gulliver has been behaving so well, the emperor, his court, and the general population
are beginning to trust him. Gulliver also has made a great deal of progress in learning the
language and learning about the culture he is now such a large part of.
The emperor decides to entertain Gulliver by showing him a tradition of the court in which
candidates for an open position of honor compete by walking to the middle of a string or tight-
rope that is suspended two-and-a-half feet above the ground. They jump as high as they are able.
"Whoever jumps the highest without falling succeeds in the Office." Gulliver tells the reader that
very often these competitors are injured or fall to their death.

Gulliver's hat is found washed upon the shore, and he asks the emperor to command his men to
bring it to him. It is worn from being dragged the half-mile to the kingdom, but it looks tolerably
good. The emperor then asks Gulliver to stand up tall with his legs spread apart so that his troops
can march through them.

Gulliver is finally granted his freedom on the condition that he (1) swear to help the Lilliputians
if they are ever in a war, (2) survey the surrounding land, (3) help with any building that needs to
be done, and (4) deliver messages. He agrees. In return he will be granted the food and drink
sufficient for 1,724 Lilliputians.

Chapter IV

"Mildendo, the Metropolis of Lilliput, described, together with the Emperor's Palace. A
Conversation between the Author and a Principal Secretary, concerning the Affairs of that
Empire: The Author Offers to serve the Emperor in his Wars."

The first thing Gulliver wants to do once he is free is see the metropolis of Lilliput. He finds the
town very impressive. It is "capable of holding five hundred thousand Souls" and has two great
streets that are five feet wide and cross in the middle, quartering the city. At the center is the
emperor's palace. When Gulliver reaches the palace, the empress reaches her hand out the
window for Gulliver to kiss.

Two weeks later Reldresal, the Principal Secretary of private Affairs, comes to see Gulliver and
tells him about the "two mighty Evils" that Lilliput struggles against: "a violent Faction at home,
and the Danger of an Invasion by a most potent Enemy from abroad." He describes two parties
of Lilliput, the Tramecksan and Slamecksan, who are distinguished by the high and low heels of
their shoes. The emperor has decided to permit only low heels in the administration of Lilliput.

Reldresal and the Lilliputians also have to worry about the threat of invasion from those living
on the Island of Blefuscu, "which is the other great Empire of the Universe." The people of
Lilliput and Blefuscu are unable to get along because years ago, after an emperor's son was
injured trying to break his egg on the smaller end (the traditional way of egg breaking), he
decreed that no one may break the smaller end of his egg. This caused a great uproar among
many of the Lilliputians and led to six rebellions and thousands of deaths. Eventually the Big-
Endians were exiled and went to Blefuscu, where they gained favor and convinced the
government to go to war against Lilliput.

Gulliver finishes the conversation by telling Reldresal that, while he does not want to interfere,
he is "ready, with the hazard of [his] Life, to defend his Person and State against all Invaders."
Analysis

These two chapters highlight the kinds of commentary Swift makes throughout the novel. By
describing a society that chooses its highest officials with silly competitions like seeing who can
jump the highest on a tight-rope, Swift is poking fun at the way officials are chosen in England.
He is also commenting on the disturbing trend of politicians who are willing to do whatever it
takes to gain favor in the court-including humiliating themselves. The danger of ambition is also
figured here; jumping badly can lead to death.

Having Gulliver stand with his legs apart so that the Lilliputian armies can walk through is also a
ridiculous idea. It is a comment on the pomp and circumstance of English armies. To Swift it
seems that armies are often more concerned with looking impressive than with being impressive.
This scene might also be an allusion to the Colossus of Rhodes, described in Julius Caesar by
Shakespeare as a larger-than-life figure that men could walk through the legs of.

The contract Gulliver signs in order to gain his freedom further highlights the unequal
relationship between Gulliver and the Lilliputians, but it is a relationship where a cordial contract
trumps simple power. Gulliver could easily take control and break the contract, but he chooses to
be peaceful.

The war between the English and the French is parodied in the conflict between the Lilliputians
and the Blefuscudians. Their conflict over which end of the egg to break reflects the centuries-
old conflict over how to practice religion-as Protestants or Catholics. While the wars over
religion certainly were very serious, Swift suggests that what was being fought over (at least on
the religious rather than the political side) really was not very important. In Swift's eyes, fighting
over religion is as pointless as fighting over which end of an egg to break.

Swift also parodies the political parties within England. The Tory party is represented by the
Low Heels while the Whigs are represented by the High Heels. Considering that Swift himself
changed parties, he must have understood that political allegiance was important. Yet, political
bickering is often about such unimportant matters as the height of one's heels.

Gulliver's Travels Summary and Analysis of

Part I, Chapters V-VIII
Chapter V

"The Author by an extraordinary Stratagem prevents an Invasion. A high Title of Honour is

conferred upon him. Embassadors arrive from the Emperor of Blefuscu, and sue for Peace. The
Empress's Apartment on fire by an Accident; the Author instrumental in saving the rest of the
Palace."

When the Lilliputians and Blefuscudians go to war, Gulliver proves to be very useful by
dragging the entire Blefuscudian fleet of ships to the shore of Lilliput, where "The Emperor and
his whole Court stood on the Shore expecting the Issue of the great Adventure." When Gulliver
arrives, he cries out, "Long live the most puissant Emperor of Lilliput!" The emperor gives
Gulliver the land's highest honor, "Nardac."

Later the emperor requests that Gulliver go back to the enemy's shores and do his best to destroy
what is left, turning the empire into a province. Gulliver thinks that this action is going too far
and declines the request. Three weeks after Gulliver's victory, an embassy from Blefuscu arrives
offering peace, which the emperor accepts.

A few days later Gulliver is awoken at midnight by hundreds of Lilliputians telling him that there
is a fire in the empress's chamber in the palace. Gulliver hurries to be of assistance, but he
quickly realizes that the thimble-sized buckets he is being passed are not having an affect on the
raging fire. Thinking quickly, Gulliver chooses to urinate on the fire, putting it out completely
and keeping it from spreading to the rest of the palace.

Gulliver returns to his home, where he awaits word of how the emperor and empress will react to
his deed. He shortly learns that the empress feels abhorred.

Chapter VI

"Of the Inhabitants of Lilliput; their Learning, Laws and Customs, the Manner of Educating their
Children. The Author's way of living in that Country. His Vindication of a great Lady."

Gulliver goes into great detail about what he has learned about the Lilliputians, their customs,
and their culture. He tells the reader that everything in Lilliput is proportionate to the
Lilliputians' size and that even their eyesight is adjusted so that they can see things closer than
Gulliver can.

Gulliver also describes many of Lilliput's laws, telling the reader that dishonesty and false
accusations are punished more severely than theft and other terrible things are punished in
England. If someone in Lilliput accuses another but is proven to be wrong in the accusation, the
accused is punished severely while the falsely accused person is rewarded.

Also, Gulliver tells the reader that children are raised by the state rather than their parents.
Different classes learn about different things. The nobility's children, for instance, learn about
honor, justice, courage, modesty, clemency, religion, and love of country.

Gulliver ends the chapter by straightening out a falsehood created by Flimnap, who has "always
been [his] secret enemy." Gulliver declares that Flimnap's accusation that Gulliver carried on
with his wife is completely untrue, which should reestablish the lady's reputation.

Chapter VII

"The Author being informed of a Design to accuse him of High-Treason, makes his escape to
Blefuscu. His Reception there."
A high member of the court arrives to tell Gulliver that he is being charged with treason.
Originally his sentence was to be death, but Reldresal has argued successfully to have the
sentence lessened to the removal of Gulliver's eyes. The charges Gulliver has been accused of are
"making water" in the royal palace, refusing to reduce Blefuscu to a province, aiding the
ambassadors of Blefuscu when they came to ask for peace, and planning to visit Blefuscu.

Not wanting to have his eyes put out, Gulliver flees to Blefuscu, where he is warmly received.

Chapter VIII

"The Author by a lucky Accident, finds means to leave Blefuscu; and, after some Difficulties,
returns safe to his Native Country."

While in Blefuscu, Gulliver spies a ship that is the proper size for him to sail in. He spends about
a month making repairs, during which time the emperor of Lilliput sends a message demanding
that Gulliver be returned so that his sentence can be carried out. The emperor of Blefuscu sends
back a message refusing. Gulliver eventually sets sail and is picked up by a merchant ship and
returned to his home, where he makes a solid profit showing Lilliputian-sized livestock he has
carried home in his pockets.

Analysis

The contract for Gulliver's freedom proves pointless. He promised in writing to serve the
emperor, which he does by capturing the enemy's fleet. But when the emperor asks him to go
back and destroy the enemy, Gulliver refuses-and there is nothing the Lilliputians can do to
persuade him. The contract, in this case, is completely useless. Power proves more important,
and it is fortunate that Gulliver uses his reason to decide how to use his power appropriately.
(Again one might consider the implications for England as a colonial power.)

When Gulliver puts out the palace's fire by urinating on it, Swift is doing more than making a
joke that one should pee on the problems of the state. A fire is a serious thing. One serious
implication is that royalty is ephemeral. The royal palace can catch on fire just like anything else,
and when it does, no amount of royal power can put it out, just physics-and the dirty side of
nature at that. Gulliver proves the point when everyone under the emperor's power is trying to
put out the fire with their tiny buckets, and he realizes the only way to put it out is by urinating.
Swift is also showing the reader something about the ridiculous needs of royalty, because even
though Gulliver has saved the palace he has done so in a blameworthy manner.

Most of the time in Gulliver's Travels when Gulliver tells the details of a society's ways of living,
Swift is satirizing something wrong with English society. This can occur when he describes the
society negatively, but it also can occur by demonstrating a difference between the other culture
and his own. It is apparent that many of the Lilliputian customs are attractive to Swift. For
instance, in Lilliput, lying is a capital offence. We see this again when we meet the
Houyhnhnms, the noblest race on Gulliver's journey, who do not understand the concept of
saying that which is not true. Swift suggests that lying is worse than several of the blameworthy
offences in England.
It is interesting to note that even though lying is seen as a terrible offense in Lilliput, Flimnap
tells a huge lie (that Gulliver slept with Flimnap's wife) and gets away with it. Apart from the
ludicrous physical implications of a giant having relations with a Lilliputian, the problem here is
that the society must be able to enforce its norm against lying for the law to matter. This may
also be a commentary on the seeming ability of those in positions of power to get away with
breaking the law. When the law comes down unfairly on Gulliver, he has actual rather than
statutory power to leave, so he simply leaves Lilliput to live with their enemies.

Gulliver's Travels Summary and Analysis of

Part II, "A Voyage to Brobdingnag"
Chapter I

"A great Storm described, the long Boat sent to fetch Water, the Author goes with it to discover
the Country. He is left on Shoar, is seized by one of the Natives, and carry'd to a Farmer's House.
His Reception there, with several Accidents that happen'd there. A Description of the
Inhabitants."

On June 20, 1702, ten months after his return from Lilliput and Blefuscu, Gulliver returns to the
sea in a ship named Adventure. The journey begins very smoothly, the only delay being caused
by an illness contracted by the captain. They continue on their journey for several months until a
storm begins to brew, pushing the Adventure several miles off track. On June 16, 1703, the crew
sees land and drops anchor, at which point the captain sends a dozen men on shore to fetch
water. Gulliver wanders away from the other men to observe the countryside until he sees them
in the boat hurrying back to the ship. He tries to call out to them, but he sees that they are being
chased by a giant-though the giant is not able to catch the boat. Gulliver runs as fast as he can
into the island.

Gulliver finds that much of the island is well cultivated, but to his surprise, when he comes
across a hayfield, he realizes that the grass is more than twenty feet tall. Similarly, corn is at least
forty feet high. Gulliver sees another giant, this time well-dressed, walking along the path he is
on. He notes that each of the giant's strides is about ten yards long. The well-dressed giant is
joined by seven workers, whom he instructs to begin reaping the corn (though Gulliver cannot
understand the language).

Exhausted and filled with despair, Gulliver lies down and hopes that he will die. He writes, "I
bemoaned my desolate Widow, and Fatherless Children." He begins to think back on the
Lilliputians who thought that he was such a powerful and strong creature, saying that he now
feels as a single Lilliputian would feel among humans. "Undoubtably," he muses, "Philosophers
are in the right when they tell us, that nothing is great or little otherwise than by Comparison."

When he is about to be stepped on by one of the farmers, Gulliver cries out as loudly as he can.
The giant stops short and picks up Gulliver to get a better look. Gulliver resists struggling in
order to avoid being dropped sixty feet to the ground and instead brings his hands to a prayer
position and points his eyes skyward. The giant seems pleased with Gulliver and, putting him in
his pocket, heads over to show his master.

The master takes Gulliver home to show his wife, who screams at first, but when she sees how
polite Gulliver is, she quickly warms up to him. Gulliver and the farmer try to speak to each
other but are unsuccessful. At dinnertime, Gulliver sees that the full family consists of the
parents, three children, and an elderly grandmother. The farmer's wife breaks up some bread and
a small piece of meat and hands them to Gulliver, who gets out his knife and fork and proceeds
to eat, thoroughly delighting the whole family. Later, as Gulliver walks across the table toward
the farmer (whom he now calls his master), the farmer's son picks him up by one leg and dangles
him in the air until the farmer grabs him back and boxes the boy's ear. Gulliver, not wanting to
make an enemy in his new home, signals that he would like the boy to be pardoned, which he is.

At this point an infant is brought into the room, who at the sight of Gulliver cries to get him into
its hand-with which the mother obliges. Quickly the baby squeezes Gulliver and puts his head in
its mouth, at which Gulliver cries out until the baby drops him, luckily into the mother's apron.
The baby cannot be quieted until the nurse nurses it. The sight of the woman's breast is repulsive
to Gulliver. It is so large in his view that he can see all of its defects.

After dinner Gulliver signals that he is tired. The farmer's wife sets him on her bed and covers
him with a handkerchief, where he sleeps until two rats the size of large dogs startle him.
Gulliver fights them with his hanger (a short sword), killing one and scaring the other away.

Afterwards Gulliver signals that he needs time alone in the garden to relieve himself. He asks the
reader to excuse him for dwelling on particulars.

Chapter II

"A Description of the Farmer's Daughter. The Author carried to a Market-Town, and then to the
Metropolis. The Particulars of his Journey."

Gulliver is given into the care of the farmer's daughter, Glumdalclitch, who teaches him the
language and treats him very well, like a child would care for a favorite doll. In fact, she keeps
him in a doll's cradle, which she closes inside a drawer at night to keep him safe from the rats.

As word of Gulliver spreads throughout the kingdom, the farmer begins to realize that there is
profit to be made and takes Gulliver to the marketplace, where he performs shows for paying
patrons. The show is so successful that the farmer decides to take Gulliver on a tour of the
kingdom. Gulliver does ten shows a day, which makes him quite tired.

Chapter III

"The Author sent for to Court. The Queen buys him of his Master the Farmer, and presents him
to the King. He disputes with his Majesty's great Scholars. An Apartment at Court provided for
the Author. He is in high Favour with the Queen. He stands up for the Honour of his own
Country. His Quarrels with the Queen's Dwarf."
Having heard about the wondrous little creature that is making his way around the kingdom, the
queen sends for him and his master to come to court. Gulliver immediately impresses the queen
with his compliments and general manner, so she asks the farmer if he would be willing to sell
Gulliver. The farmer, believing that Gulliver will die in about a month because he has lost so
much weight from performing, quickly names a price. Gulliver is happy to live at court and be
done with performing. He asks only that Glumdalclitch stay as well to continue taking care of
him.

Afterward the queen carries Gulliver to the king's chamber. The king at first believes that
Gulliver is some sort of mechanical creature, but he eventually believes that Gulliver is just
helpless. Gulliver tries to explain that where he is from, everything is proportionate to him.

The queen has a small apartment built and new fine clothes tailored for Gulliver. She enjoys his
company very much. Gulliver often comments that watching the Brobdingnag people eat or
getting too close to their faces is quite repulsive.

Gulliver and the king spend a great deal of time discussing politics. Gulliver explains how things
work where he is from. The king laughs at English politics, which puts Gulliver off at first. Soon,
however, Gulliver realizes that his adventures have begun to sway him to the same opinion; his
perspective has begun to change.

Gulliver finds an enemy in the queen's dwarf, who seems to be jealous of all the attention
Gulliver is getting.

Chapter IV

"The Country described. A Proposal for correcting modern Maps. The King's Palace, and some
Account of the Metropolis. The Author's way of travelling. The chief Temple described."

Gulliver spends a great deal of time describing the landscape of Brobdingnag, the palace that he
now lives in and his manner of traveling in a small traveling box designed especially for him. He
also sees and describes the largest temple in Brobdingnag, which he does not find impressive in
its size.

Chapter V

"Several Adventures that happened to the Author. The Execution of a Criminal. The Author
shews his Skill in Navigation."

Serving in Brobdingnag proves difficult for Gulliver. He experiences a series of dangers because
of his small size-and because the dwarf relishes in making Gulliver's life difficult. The ladies at
court treat Gulliver like a toy, dressing and undressing him and undressing themselves in front of
him. Gulliver again mentions how offensive he finds the skin and smell of the Brobdingnagians.
He remembers the Lilliputians' similar reaction to his smell, which he did not understand at the
time. Gulliver nearly drowns when a toad jumps onto the boat the queen has had made for him.
He is also carried to the top of the palace by a monkey and narrowly survives. The monkey is
killed, and it is declared that monkeys will no longer be allowed in the palace.

Chapter VI

"Several Contrivances of the Author to please the King and Queen. He shews his Skill in
Musick. The King enquires into the State of Europe, which the Author relates to him. The King's
Observations thereon."

Gulliver salvages several of the king's hairs from his shaving cream and makes himself a comb.
He then makes the seat of a chair from the queen's hair but refuses to sit on it because doing so
would be insulting to her. He also makes Glumdalclitch a small purse.

Gulliver spends the evening at a concert in Brobdingnag. For him the music is so loud that he
cannot enjoy it unless his traveling box is brought as far away as possible and all of the windows
and doors are closed.

Gulliver often goes to see the king, who requests a detailed description of the government of
England, which Gulliver relates. The king asks him many questions, challenging various aspects
of the government and having particular difficulty with England's violent past. In the end the
king concludes that the English are well below the Brobdingnagians, calling them "the most
pernicious Race of Little odious Vermin that Nature ever suffered to crawl upon the Surface of
the Earth."

Chapter VII

"The Author's Love of his Country. He makes a Proposal of much Advantage to the King, which
is rejected. The King's great Ignorance in Politicks. The Learning of that Country very imperfect
and confined. Their Laws, and military Affairs, and Parties in the State."

Gulliver is offended by the manner in which the king has dismissed the English as a lowly
society. He tries to impress the king by telling him about some of the many great inventions of
England, beginning with gunpowder. Gulliver goes into great detail about the power and effect
of gunpowder and what the king could accomplish with it, saying that he could easily control
everyone in Brobdingnag with gunpowder. The king is "struck with Horror" and disgusted by
Gulliver's proposals. He tells Gulliver that if he values his life, he should never mention
gunpowder again. Gulliver cannot believe that the king would reject such an immense
opportunity. Gulliver then discusses the general ignorance of the Brobdingnag people, including
their simple laws and practices.

Chapter VIII

"The King and Queen make a Progress to the Frontiers. The Author attends them. The manner in
which he leaves the Country very particularly related. He returns to England."
Gulliver has been in Brobdingnag for two years and strongly feels that it is time to leave. He is
basically being treated as a pet. But the royal family does not want to part with him.
Coincidentally, on a trip to the seashore, a giant eagle picks up Gulliver's traveling box and flies
off with him. Realizing that the box is not edible, the eagle drops it into the sea. After some time
the box is picked up by a passing ship of Gulliver's normal proportions. Gulliver finds it very
difficult to adjust to the size of things back in England. He feels much larger than the others.

Analysis

Whatever Gulliver did not gain in perspective (in terms of size) during his time in Lilliput, he
gains in Brobdingnag. His time here not only gives Gulliver an understanding of what it is like to
be powerless, but it also shows Gulliver how the Lilliputians must have felt when near him. Of
course this situation is even more intimidating because here there are many giants, while in
Lilliput he was the only one. This is how a Lilliputian would feel in England. The differences
Gulliver experiences between the two islands are heightened because of the close proximity of
the trips. Gulliver feels even smaller in Brobdingnag than he would have felt if he had never
journeyed to Lilliput.

Gulliver's newfound understanding of perspective helps him to feel powerless more profoundly-
first for himself, when he curls up and rather pathetically hopes to die, and then for others,
especially for the Lilliputians he left behind. As his fear rises, he becomes more and more
emotional, eventually becoming so overwhelmed that he gives up, curling up into the fetal
position.

Once Gulliver is brought to the farmer's house, many challenges await him because of his lack of
power in this land. A mere baby threatens his life, as do two common rats. Gulliver is able to
fight them off in a seemingly heroic fashion, but it is clear that he could have lost the fight.
Gulliver is also surprised by the aesthetic differences of the world from this new perspective. The
nurse's breast is disgusting to him because he can clearly see every deformity and blemish. He
imagines what the Lilliputians thought of his physicality.

In these chapters we again see Gulliver as less than heroic. Just as in Lilliput, when Gulliver did
not fight against his captivity (as Odysseus might), here Gulliver does nothing to try to avoid
being captured. He waits until he is about to be stepped on before taking any action at all. And he
only begs for mercy from the giant Brobdingnags. Gulliver relies on the protection of a young
girl who tucks him into a doll's cradle at night. Gulliver survives and thrives only partly on the
basis of his good manners. For the most part, he is a pet and a curiosity.

Gulliver's compliance continues when he is required to perform so that the farmer can earn
money. Gulliver becomes drastically emaciated, but he never resists what he is being told to do.
In fact, readers do not really learn that Gulliver hated his task until he is out of danger and
complains to the queen of Brobdingnag. Once Gulliver is seemingly safe at the court and has
gained favor with the queen, he remains a plaything with very little respect, especially from the
ladies at court.
As a tiny person in the Brobdingnag world, Gulliver endures several trials that a larger person
would never have to suffer. This again reminds the reader of the importance of physical strength
as well as intellectual strength. Even when combat is not an issue, a large stature intimidates
one's opponent. As a tiny person, Gulliver is left to the whims of those around him. In the fifth
chapter, for instance, Gulliver is captured by a small monkey that would have been a minor
threat in England.

The overreaction of the queen and the rest of the government to this incident sheds important
light on the Brobdingnag government. It seems that this government is rash. The killing of the
monkey also shows that Gulliver has more status in the court than that of a toy or an animal. His
nemesis is the dwarf, who used to be the small man in court.

The king and Gulliver have long conversations about politics, but the king never really considers
Gulliver's opinions on important matters. Being small, Gulliver is considered petty, and the idea
of gaining power through gunpowder is anathema to the king. Through Gulliver's discussions
with the king, the reader learns that perspective extends beyond size to opinion. After several
days of discussing the governments of England and Brobdingnag, the king declares the English
to be "the most pernicious Race of Little odious Vermin that Nature ever suffered to crawl upon
the Surface of the Earth." Again Gulliver's Travels brings light to the fact that people from
different backgrounds often have different opinions on the same subjects, even though people
tend to follow similar patterns. Gulliver finds that each people prefers its own ways, but a
traveler who spends a long time elsewhere might (or might not) come to prefer the foreigners'
ways over his own. Experience, thought, and tradition are important considerations in making
this choice.

As for gunpowder, for Gulliver (and through him, the English), gunpowder represents the height
of achievement primarily because of the power it has provided. The Brobdingnag king, however,
is not corrupted by power. He is able to see that the negative effects of gunpowder would far
outweigh the positive ones in his society. He might be right that Gulliver is narrow-minded, but
his tirade on the general stupidity of the Brobdingnags takes the opposite point of view. Still, on
this issue he is unable to see his own faults or those of his society. It is up to Swift to show us,
through Gulliver's tale, what Gulliver's insistence on gunpowder means.

Gulliver's Travels Summary and Analysis of

Part III, "A Voyage to Laputa ... and Japan"
Chapter I

"The Author sets out on his Third Voyage, is taken by Pyrates. The Malice of a Dutch-man. His
arrival at an Island. He is received into Laputa."

After being at home for only ten days, Gulliver is visited by a ship captain who invites him on a
voyage departing in two months. Gulliver convinces his wife that this is a good opportunity and
sets off, again working as the surgeon.
After they sail for three days, a storm arises, driving the ship to the north-northeast, where they
are attacked by pirates. They are unable to defend themselves. Gulliver insults the captain of the
pirate ship and as punishment is set adrift in "a small Canoe, with Paddles and a Sail, and four
Days Provisions."

On the fifth day of sailing in his canoe, Gulliver reaches a small island, where he spends the
night in restless sleep. In the morning he notices that what he thought was a cloud floating above
the island is actually a floating island. Gulliver calls up to the people he sees moving about the
island. They lower down a system of pulleys that can pull Gulliver up.

Chapter II

"The Humours and Dispositions of the Laputians described. An account of their Learning. Of the
King and his Court. The Author's Reception there. The Inhabitants subject to Fears and
Disquietudes. An Account of the Women."

As soon as Gulliver steps onto the floating island, he is surrounded by a crowd of people. He
finds them very strange even though they are of a size similar to his. Their heads are slanted to
the left or right, and their clothes have pictures of either musical instruments or astronomical
signs.

Gulliver learns that he is on Laputa. The people here have terribly short attention spans, so they
carry around "Flappers." These are used for hitting other people during conversation in order to
keep them focused. After dinner a man is sent to teach Gulliver the language.

Gulliver finds that the Laputian houses are built very poorly and with no right angles. This is odd
because the men here are obsessed with mathematics. The people here never have peace of mind.
They are constantly worrying about dangers such as the possibility that the sun might go out. The
women are very sexual creatures who often cheat on their husbands, especially with their
preferred men from Balnibarbi, but the men are so wrapped up in mathematics that they do not
notice. The King of Laputa is not remotely interested in the government of England.

Chapter III

"A Phenomenon solved by modern Philosophy and Astronomy. The Laputians' great
Improvements in the latter. The King's method of suppressing Insurrections."

Gulliver learns that Laputa is floating above Balnibarbi, the island on which he landed his canoe.
Laputa contains 10,000 acres and is perfectly circular. It is able to move about the surface of
Balnibarbi but not beyond its borders, and it can move up and down because of its magnetic
forces. When a town from Balnibarbi acts up, the King has Laputa moved directly above it so
that it can receive no sun or rain. No one from the Royal family is allowed to leave Laputa.

Chapter IV
"The Author leaves Laputa; is conveyed to Balnibarbi; arrives at the Metropolis. A Description
of the Metropolis, and the Country adjoining. The Author hospitably received by a great Lord.
His Conversation with that Lord."

Gulliver finds Laputa terribly boring because the people there are all much more intelligent than
he is. He has a hard time conversing with them and is generally ignored. He petitions to go down
to Balnibarbi, and his request is granted. On Balnibarbi, Gulliver meets Lord Munodi, who
invites Gulliver to stay at his home. Munodi's home is beautiful and kept well, but when the two
travel out into the country Gulliver finds that the rest of the land is barren and sadly kept.
Munodi explains that this is because many years back, people from Balnibarbi visited Laputa,
and when they returned they decided to change things to a more academic way of living. This
idea has failed. Munodi's land is plentiful because he never changed his way of living.

Chapter V

"The Author permitted to see the grand Academy of Lagado. The Academy largely described.
The Arts wherein the Professors employ themselves."

Gulliver visits the Grand Academy of Lagado, the largest metropolis of Balnibarbi. The
scientists there are constantly working on experiments that Gulliver finds pointless. For instance,
he meets a man who is trying to extract sunlight from cucumbers. Other experiments are trying
to turn excrement back into the food it began as, trying to make gunpowder from ice, and trying
to employ spiders as weavers of silk. Professors are also attempting to alter the communication
of Balnibarbi by doing away with language altogether.

Chapter VI

"A further account of the Academy. The Author proposes some Improvements, which are
honourably received."

Gulliver then visits the part of the Academy designated for studies of government. He finds the
professors especially in this wing to be entirely crazy. They propose such things as studying
excrement to find treasonous people and taxing people based on beauty and wit.

Chapter VII

"The Author leaves Lagado, arrives at Maldonada. No ship ready. He takes a short Voyage to
Glubbdubdrib. His Reception by the Governor."

Gulliver decides to take a trip to the Island of Luggnagg but finds that no ships will be available
for the voyage for a month, so it is suggested that he visit Glubbdubdrib, which he translates to
mean the island of sorcerers or magicians. Once he arrives in the governor's home, he finds that
"The Governor and his Family are served and attended by Domesticks of a kind somewhat
unusual." Gulliver learns that the governor has the power to bring back the dead for the purpose
of serving him. Gulliver is given the option to bring back anyone he would like. He chooses
Alexander the Great, who tells Gulliver that he actually died because he drank too much. He then
brings back a parade of other famous dead.

Chapter VIII

"A further Account of Glubbdubdrib. Antient and Modern History corrected."

Gulliver spends a great deal of time speaking with various famous dead people. He speaks with
Homer, Aristotle, and Descartes and even gets them into conversation with one another. He later
brings back a few English Yeomen and finds them much larger and stronger than the English
people today. He worries that his countrymen are diminishing with time.

Chapter IX

"The Author's Return to Maldonada. Sails to the Kingdom of Luggnagg. The Author confined.
He is sent for to Court. The manner of his Admittance. The King's great Lenity to his Subjects."

Gulliver travels to Luggnagg, posing as a Dutchman. He says, "I thought it necessary to disguise
my Country, and call my self an Hollander, because my Intentions were for Japan, and I knew
the Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to enter into that Kingdom." His true identity is
discovered, however, and Gulliver is made a prisoner. He later learns that anyone who wants to
come before the king must crawl on hands and knees and lick the floor. The king, it turns out,
uses this tradition to his advantage when he wants to get rid of someone-simply by poisoning the
floor.

Chapter X

"The Luggnaggians commended. A particular Description of the Struldbrugs, with many

Conversations between the Author and some eminent Persons upon that subject."

Gulliver learns about the Struldbrug children who are born to Luggnaggians but who have a red
dot on each of their foreheads. These children are immortal, which causes Gulliver to fantasize
about what he would do if he were immortal. He dreams of the ability to take his time becoming
a master of many different subjects and amassing great wealth. But Gulliver soon comes to learn
that the Struldbrug children are actually very unhappy and jealous of those people who can die.
They find their own lives depressing.

Chapter XI

"The Author leaves Luggnagg and sails to Japan. From thence he returns in a Dutch Ship to
Amsterdam, and from Amsterdam to England."

After offering Gulliver employment in the court but finally seeing that he is determined to leave,
His Majesty gives him license to leave, a letter of recommendation to the Emperor of Japan, and
a gift of 444 pieces of gold and a very valuable red diamond. In Japan he is told to trample the
crucifix, which all Dutchmen are happy to do, but Gulliver manages to get out of doing so. He
takes a ship to Amsterdam and then to England, where he happily returns to his family.

Analysis

Again, Gulliver arrives at his new adventure in dramatic style, this time being cast from his ship
by pirates and left to drift about the sea. The time alone serves as a kind of existential preparation
for encountering a new society. He arrives exhausted, hungry, thirsty and alone, completely
ready to take in new ideas and opinions. Even so, he finds many of the Laputians' ideas difficult
to swallow. In general, Part III gives Swift a chance to try out a number of ideas for alternative
civilizations, and each one could support its own full narrative.

On Laputa, the floating island, Swift creates a way of physically stratifying a society. Those who
work with their hands for a living-and the ridiculous professors-live on Balnibarbi. The upper
class, including the royal family and the more able intellectuals, live on the floating island of
Laputa. In this way Swift makes the separation between the two types of people visually
obvious, with the better above the lesser.

We also learn that when a town from Balnibarbi acts up and needs to be punished Laputa is
moved above them, blocking out the sun and rain. This signifies a serious problem that Swift
sees in many governments. Justice should only be about retribution when necessary, but the
royalty makes the citizens even more unhappy by taking away that which they need to live. Swift
indicates that rebellions could be avoided all together if the citizens' satisfaction became a
priority of the royalty.

One main difference between the people of Laputa and the people of Balnibarbi is that those
living in Laputa have very limited attention spans. One thinks here of the absentminded
professor.

Indeed much of what goes on there seems to be related to the curse of being smart but
impractical. Although the people of Laputa are very intelligent, it gets them little. With their
slanting heads, they do not see things directly as they are. They seem to have no common sense,
which for someone like Swift, who cares a great deal about the material world, may be more
important than raw intelligence. Because of their lack of sense, they spend too much time
worrying about ridiculous things rather than noticing what is really wrong in their own lives.
They are so unaware that the men do not know that their wives cheat on them. This emasculating
fact is all too common for the unmanly intellectual.

When Gulliver visits Balnibarbi, he finds that the people have suffered an even worse fate. Being
unsuited for the intellectual life, they have tried to live on the basis of pseudo-academic life and
have failed miserably. The land has become barren because the people neglect it completely.
Instead they focus all of their attention on their ridiculous academics. By trying to be something
they are not-that is, like many would-be intellectuals-the Balnibarbi people have lost what they
once had, and now they are left with nothing. Swifts comments here on the importance of self-
evaluation and living the life to which one is suited. There is elitism here, with the lower people
needing to understand their natural place-but it is an elitism based on nature. A society needs
many different kinds of people in order to survive, and not everyone should be an intellectual-
and besides, the intellectuals do not do so well themselves.

In Glubbdubdrib, Gulliver is able to bring back great figures from history, including truly wise
people such as Aristotle. Nearly everything that he learns is different from what has been
recorded in the history books. Swift shows here that history cannot be trusted, especially because
those involved typically are not the ones who write their own history. The trouble now is that
Swift has shown us that we cannot trust others and we do not often do well when we falsely trust
in ourselves. We must trust in ourselves but only with a clear view of who we really are-our
proper location, perspective, and size all matter.

In Luggnagg, Gulliver meets a king who has his courtiers lick the floor as they approach him,
crawling on their hands and knees. Once again, we find Swift commenting on the ridiculous
rules of royals who abuse their power.

Immortality turns out not to be as wonderful as many people think. The Struldbrugs are
depressed, perhaps because there is no reason to act quickly. They have all the time in the world.
Meanwhile, they have plenty of time to see what mortals have done for themselves and their
society in their fleeting time alive.

It is interesting that Swift includes Japan, a real place, among these fantastic places. In his time,
Japan was a closed society that did not generally want to traffic with the outside world. It was at
the far edge of the East and as mysterious as these truly fictional places.

Gulliver's Travels Summary and Analysis of

Part IV, "A Voyage to the Country of the
Houyhnhnms," Chapters I-VI

Chapter I

"The Author sets out as Captain of a Ship. His Men conspire against him, confine him a long
Time to his Cabin, and set him on Shoar in an unknown Land. He travels up into the Country.
The Yahoos, a strange Sort of Animal, described. The Author meets two Houyhnhnms."

After five months at home, Gulliver leaves his children and pregnant wife yet again to go on his
fourth voyage, this time as captain. Not long into the trip, his crew mutinies, locking him into his
cabin for a great deal of time and threatening to murder him. Eventually the crew, who plan to
become pirates, drop Gulliver off on an unknown island.

Gulliver walks inland until he comes across a field of strange creatures. After observing them for
some time he comments, "Upon the whole, I never beheld in all my Travels so disagreeable an
Animal, nor one against which I naturally conceived so strong an Antipathy." Soon Gulliver
comes to realize that these are actually naked human beings behaving like cattle. Gulliver comes
face to face with one of them. He hits it with the side of his blade when it comes at him violently.
The animal-like human (which Gulliver later learns is called a Yahoo) cries out, causing the rest
of the forty Yahoos to surround Gulliver.

Gulliver fears the worst until the Yahoos suddenly flee because of a grey horse coming toward
them. The horse takes an interest in Gulliver and circles him until another horse comes along.
Gulliver observes that their whinnies to each other sound almost like a language. Gulliver hears
the word Yahoo several times and repeats it to the great surprise of both horses. The horses then
teach Gulliver the word Houyhnhnm, which Gulliver later learns is their word for themselves-for
horse. Afterward, the grey horse signals to Gulliver that he should walk in front of him, which he
does.

Chapter II

"The Author conducted by a Houyhnhnm to his House. The House described. The Author's
reception. The Food of the Houyhnhnms. The Author in Distress for want of Meat. Is at last
relieved. His Manner of feeding in this Country."

Gulliver and the grey horse arrive at a home where Gulliver expects to meet the horse's human
masters. The two move through every room of the house and meet several other horses before
Gulliver realizes that the grey horse is the master of the house.

After some discussion between the horse and his wife about whether or not Gulliver is in fact a
Yahoo, he is brought out to the stable where the Yahoos are kept and is made to stand next to
one of them. Aside from the extra hair, longer nails, and nakedness of the Yahoo, they are the
same.

Gulliver makes a kind of bread out of the horses' oats for his dinner and is given a small room
near the house with some hay to sleep in.

Chapter III

"The Author studies to learn the Language. The Houyhnhnm his master assists in teaching him.
The Language described. Several Houyhnhnms of Quality come out of Curiosity to see the
Author. He gives his Master a short Account of his Voyage."

After about three months of living among the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver has learned their language
quite well and can answer most of their questions. He tells them about the mutiny that landed
him on their shores, but they have a very difficult time understanding, because they have no
concept of what a lie is. They tell Gulliver that "The Word Houyhnhnm, in their Tongue,
signifies a Horse, and its Etymology, the Perfection of Nature."
The horses believe that Gulliver is a Yahoo-but a more rational and civilized Yahoo. Gulliver,
wanting to separate himself from the Yahoos as much as possible, asks not to be called a Yahoo
anymore.

Chapter IV

"The Houyhnhnms' Notion of Truth and Falsehood. The Author's Discourse disapproved by his
Master. The Author gives a more particular Account of himself, and the Accidents of his
Voyage."

Gulliver continues explaining the concept of lying to his master. He also explains the
relationship of horses and humans back in England. The horses cannot believe that humans
would be able to control creatures that are so much stronger than they are, but Gulliver explains
that horses are tamed beginning at a very young age.

Chapter V

"The Author at his Master's Commands informs him of the State of England. The Causes of War
among the Princes of Europe. The Author begins to explain the English Constitution."

Over the next two years, Gulliver explains much about the English government and political
systems. Gulliver tries to explain war and the reasons why humans kill each other. His master
says that Yahoos in England are worse than Yahoos because they use their reason to gain power
but use it badly.

Chapter VI

"A Continuation of the State of England. The Character of a first Minister."

Gulliver continues telling his master about the vices of the English people. He paints a
particularly disturbing picture of lawyers and doctors, saying that lawyers are the stupidest
among the Yahoos and doctors are corrupt and seldom cure their patients.

Analysis

In the country of the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver meets the species that is the most skeptical of him-
and for good reason. Gulliver must do everything he can to separate himself from the Yahoos, a
very different situation from his distinct positions in Lilliput and Brobdingnag. In order to
accomplish this, Gulliver does small things daily like using his best manners, eating with a knife
and fork, keeping his clothes on, and being as clean as possible. He shows that he can use
language, can reason well, and can be prudent and mannerly.

It is interesting to note that from the very beginning of his time in the country of the
Houyhnhnms, Gulliver strives to separate himself from his own species. Is this what Swift has
been trying to do his entire life? It often is difficult to strive for individual human greatness
among a mass of people who hardly try and have hardly any notion of what greatness would be.
In Brobdingnag, when Gulliver explained the English people and their way of life to the king, the
king decided they were lowly creatures and Gulliver became offended, trying to defend his
people. Something is different now in the country of the Houyhnhnms. When the grey mare tells
Gulliver that he thinks his people are worse than the Yahoos, Gulliver is quick to agree.

What is different here? Only Gulliver's experiences since Brobdingnag and his contact with the
Yahoos. Through the Yahoos, Gulliver has come to see some awful aspects of human nature, and
Swift has shown his readers what they would be (and often are) without the intelligence and
graces of which they are capable. Gulliver seems willing to turn his back on the English people
in favor of those he deems better than the English. Now that he has been exposed to many
alternatives, he can think carefully about who to admire and what political systems to favor, and
the English certainly come up short in relation to the Houyhnhnms.

Also interesting in these chapters is Gulliver's plain admonishment of lawyers and doctors.
Gulliver's negative commentary about lawyers is in many ways not surprising except for its level
of ferocity. Lawyers seem no better than politicians, going to court over the petty human
squabbles that Gulliver satirized as early as Part I. Gulliver's description of doctors as shallow
and greedy people who would kill a patient as soon as cure him is surprising to contemporary
readers, especially because Gulliver has spent so many years working as a surgeon. One should
remember that eighteenth-century medicine was still rather poor.

Gulliver's Travels Summary and Analysis of

Part IV, Chapters VII-XII
Chapter VII

"The Author's great Love of his Native Country. His Master's Observations upon the
Constitution and Administration of England, as described by the Author, with parallel Cases and
Comparisons. His Master's Observations upon Human Nature."

Gulliver has come to love the Houyhnhnms, their society, and their way of living. He writes, "I
had not been a Year in this Country, before I contracted such a Love and Veneration for the
Inhabitants, that I entered on a firm resolution never to return to human Kind, but to pass the rest
of my Life among these admirable Houyhnhnms in the Contemplation and practice of every
Virtue."

Gulliver then describes a conversation with his Master in which he is honored by being asked to
sit farther away. His Master tells Gulliver that his conclusion, after learning all about Gulliver's
fellow human beings, is that they are not as different from Yahoos, "their Brethren," as originally
thought.

Chapter VIII
"The Author relates several Particulars of the Yahoos. The great Virtues of the Houyhnhnms.
The Education and Exercise of their Youth. Their general Assembly."

In order to study the Yahoos more closely, Gulliver asks to spend some time among them, which
is granted. Gulliver is completely disgusted by the Yahoos. They smell terrible, are completely
unkempt, and act ridiculously, even throwing their excrement at one another. When Gulliver
sneaks away to a pond for a bath, he is nearly assaulted by one of the female Yahoos but is saved
by a Houyhnhnm.

Chapter IX

"A grand Debate at the General Assembly of the Houyhnhnms, and how it was determined. The
Learning of the Houyhnhnms. Their Buildings. Their manner of Burials. The Defectiveness of
their Language."

Gulliver's master attends a great assembly as the representative of his district. When he returns
he tells Gulliver that they were discussing whether or not to exterminate the Yahoos-and that he
suggested they be castrated when young, just as Gulliver told him horses in England often are.
That way they will be easier to tame, and they will eventually die off. In the meantime, the
Houyhnhnms can breed asses, which are much stronger and more manageable than Yahoos.

Gulliver tells the reader that the horses have no system of letters and do not read or write, but
that they maintain their knowledge through oral tradition. They also have very few diseases and
can calculate the year by the revolutions of the sun. Houyhnhnms live to about seventy or
seventy-five years old, and when they die no one makes a big fuss.

Chapter X

"The Author's Oeconomy and happy Life among the Houyhnhnms. His great improvement in
Virtue, by conversing with them. Their Conversations. The Author has notice given him by his
Master that he must depart from the Country. He falls into a Swoon for Grief, but submits. He
contrives and finishes a Canoo, by the help of a Fellow-Servant, and puts to Sea at a venture."

Gulliver is given a nice room in the Houyhnhnms' home, where he settles in very comfortably.
He makes new clothes and enjoys his life very much. The other Houyhnhnms, however, begin to
worry about a Yahoo living among Houyhnhnms. They fear that Gulliver may lead a revolt
among the other Yahoos. They tell Gulliver's master that it is time for him to leave the island.
When Gulliver hears this news, he faints from grief. Having no other choice, Gulliver builds a
canoe over the next two months. Heartbroken, he sets sail, but not before kissing his master's
hoof.

Chapter XI

The Author's dangerous Voyage. He arrives at New-Holland, hoping to settle there. Is wounded
with an Arrow by one of the Natives. Is seized and carried by Force into a Portugueze Ship. The
great Civilities of the Captain. The Author arrives at England."
Gulliver paddles away from the shore, determined not to go too far from the Houyhnhnms. He
writes, "My Design was, if possible, to discover some small island uninhabited, yet sufficient by
my Labour to furnish me with the Necessaries of Life, which I would have thought a greater
Happiness than to be first Minister in the Politest Court of Europe." He finds a small island,
where he lives for four days on raw oysters and other shellfish until he is discovered by the
natives. He runs to his canoe and rows away, but not before being shot in his left knee.

Gulliver sees a Portuguese ship, but he feels disgusted by the thought of sharing a ship with
Yahoos, so he chooses to return to another side of the same island. The Portuguese land and find
Gulliver. He refuses to leave, but the crewmates decide not to leave him by himself on the island.
The captain, Don Pedro, is very kind to Gulliver, but Gulliver cannot stand to be near Yahoos, so
he spends most of the voyage in his cabin alone.

Finally back in England, Gulliver's family is thrilled to see him alive, but Gulliver thinks of them
only as Yahoos and cannot stand to be near them. He buys two horses and spends at least four
hours a day in the stables conversing with them.

Chapter XII

"The Author's Veracity. His Design in publishing this Work. His Censure of those Travellers
who swerve from the Truth. The Author clears himself from any sinister Ends in writing. An
Objection answered. The Method of planting Colonies. His Native Country commended. The
Right of the Crown to those Countries described by the Author is justified. The Difficulty of
conquering them. The Author takes his last leave of the Reader; proposes his Manner of Living
for the future; gives good Advice, and concludes."

Gulliver concludes the tale of his travels, saying that everything he has written is true. He also
tells the reader that he is now able to eat at the same table with his family although he is still
working to teach them to overcome their vices. He only wants to help the world he lives in to
become more like the world of the Houyhnhnms.

Analysis

Gulliver tells his master about the way horses are treated in England, and the master cannot
believe it, just as the English would never believe that there was a place where humans are ruled
by horses. Yet, in the country of the Houyhnhnms, this relationship makes perfect sense.
(Compare Planet of the Apes.) Again perspective plays an important role in Gulliver's journeys.
There has been a major change between the two places. Here the horses have intelligence and
virtue while humans, according to the grey mare, are different from Yahoos only in appearance-
their morality is the same. Gulliver does not disagree. Swift encourages us to consider what
really does distinguish better and worse examples of humanity.

Swift creates an interesting parallel between the governments of the Houyhnhnms and of the
English when the grey horse attends the great assembly-both exhibit similar senses of entitlement
to rule on the basis of merit. The Houyhnhnms are discussing whether or not to exterminate the
Yahoos, never pausing to discuss whether or not they have the right to subjugate and kill the
morally weaker species. Similarly, the English colonists of Swift's time often felt moral
superiority to the native peoples-but if they really were like Yahoos, they had little right to think
so. And even if they were superior in various ways, the English needed to think carefully about
the alternative ways of ordering life and society before deciding what to do about it-as Gulliver
has learned.

The Houyhnhnms' decision to do away with the Yahoos is very interesting. First of all, the idea
to slowly kill off the race by castrating the males came from Gulliver. He has directly
contributed to the destruction of a subspecies of his own race, but he shows no remorse. Also, the
horses seem to feel better about killing off the Yahoos slowly by keeping them from breeding
rather than actually murdering them, even though the end result is the same.

Even though the reader has been on Gulliver's side throughout his adventures so far, here we
wonder if Gulliver has gone too far in giving up on humanity in favor of another species
altogether. Why would he choose to abandon his people, his life, and his family? It is true that
Gulliver is the kind of person who is called to the sea, to live apart from traditional society. And
we understand the criticism of humanity, especially if we have some of the religious sensibilities
of most of Swift's readers, knowing that humans are flawed in many ways. Can we redeem
ourselves? When Gulliver returns, he slips into his reclusive state, spending large amounts of
time talking to his horses, but he retains some interest in helping humans become better-
apparently through the work of comparing alternatives and choosing what is better-the life of the
Houyhnhnms.

Meanwhile, one should not forget that even though the Yahoos are disgusting, they express
something attractive about human nature. The Yahoos have strong emotions and are sexual
beings. They have fun, frolicking and playing in the fields. They are not afraid to get dirty or to
have less-than-perfect manners. The Houyhnhnms, on the other hand, do not have love, do not
shed a tear when one of them dies, and are aloof and rather cold. Perhaps it is not so bad being a
Yahoo-but we should be wary of this pull toward rough-and-tumble life. It was not quite right to
be an absentminded intellectual, and it is not quite right to be aloof like the Houyhnhnms, yet it
is not quite right to be a Yahoo. We must consider the alternatives and decide for ourselves.