Gulliver’s Travels: A Summary and Analysis
Chapters 1 to 3: Lilliput
Gulliver’s Arrival and Early Encounters
1. How did Gulliver arrive in Lilliput?
After a shipwreck, Gulliver found himself adrift at sea. Exhausted, he eventually reached the shore of Lilliput.
2. What was Gulliver’s first experience of the Lilliputians?
While asleep on the beach, Gulliver was awakened by tiny creatures crawling on his body – the Lilliputians.
3. How did the Lilliputians take Gulliver to their capital?
They ingeniously transported him on a large wooden platform with wheels, pulled by a team of Lilliputians.
Gulliver’s Possessions and the King’s Court
4. What did the King’s officials find in Gulliver’s pockets?
They discovered various items, including knives, a watch, a comb, coins, a gun, and bullets.
5. How did the King choose his officials?
He held a competition where candidates had to demonstrate their agility by jumping and dancing on a tightrope.
The Mysterious Hat and the Endian Conflict
6. What was the strange black thing found on the beach?
It was Gulliver’s hat, which had washed ashore.
7. What was the difference between the Small-Endians and the Big-Endians?
This satirical conflict revolved around which end of a boiled egg should be cracked open – the small end or the big end.
Gulliver’s Aid in War and a Strange Request
8. How did Gulliver help Lilliput in the war with Blefuscu?
He captured the Blefuscudian fleet by tying their warships together and pulling them to Lilliput.
9. He protected his eyes by putting on an old pair of reading glasses. (This seems out of place and may belong elsewhere in the text.)
10. What did the King want Gulliver to do next?
The King, emboldened by Gulliver’s success, wanted him to completely destroy Blefuscu.
Putting Out the Palace Fire
11. How did Gulliver put out the fire in the palace?
He extinguished the fire by urinating on it.
Chapters 5 and 6: Escape from Lilliput
The King’s Plot and Gulliver’s Escape
1. What punishment does the king decide on for Gulliver?
The King, angered by Gulliver’s refusal to destroy Blefuscu, decides to have him killed.
2. Do any of Gulliver’s friends warn him of the danger?
Yes, Gulliver is warned of the plot against him.
3. Does Gulliver kill any Lilliputians during his escape?
No, Gulliver escapes without harming any Lilliputians.
Journey to Blefuscu and Return to England
4. Where does Gulliver go after escaping Lilliput?
He swims to the neighboring island of Blefuscu.
5. Where does he go next, and what does he take with him?
Gulliver eventually finds passage back to England, taking with him some miniature livestock as souvenirs.
Chapters 7 and 8: Brobdingnag
Gulliver’s Arrival and the Giant Farmer
1. Why was the farmer glad to sell Gulliver to the queen?
The farmer saw Gulliver as a profitable curiosity and sold him to the Queen of Brobdingnag.
The King’s Initial Impression and the Troublesome Dwarf
2. What did the King think Gulliver was at first?
The King initially believed Gulliver was a mechanical toy.
3. What did the Queen’s dwarf do to Gulliver?
The dwarf, jealous of Gulliver, treated him cruelly, playing pranks and putting him in danger.
Brobdingnag’s Isolation and Gulliver’s Recreation
4. Why was it unusual for foreigners to visit Brobdingnag?
The treacherous seas surrounding Brobdingnag made it difficult for ships to reach the island.
5. Why was Gulliver able to go rowing or sailing?
The Queen had a small boat and a specially made container built for Gulliver’s recreation.
Dangers and Discussions with the King
6. What was the greatest danger to Gulliver in Brobdingnag?
Animals, particularly a monkey, posed a significant threat to Gulliver’s safety.
7. What did the King want Gulliver to tell him about?
The King was curious about Gulliver’s homeland and its customs.
8. Why did the King refuse Gulliver’s offer of gunpowder?
The King was horrified by the destructive potential of gunpowder and rejected Gulliver’s offer.
Chapter 9: The Island of Laputa
The Pirate Attack and a New Island
Why did Gulliver’s sailors attack him and leave him on a small island?
The sailors mutinied, hoping to become pirates, and abandoned Gulliver on a deserted island.
Chapters 10 and 11: The Land of the Houyhnhnms
The Ruling Horses and Their Yahoo Servants
Who was in control of this island?
Intelligent horses, known as Houyhnhnms, ruled the island.
Who were the servants in the country of the Houyhnhnms?
Primitive, brutish human-like creatures called Yahoos served the Houyhnhnms.
Gulliver’s Diet and the Concept of Lying
What did Gulliver eat on the island?
He subsisted on a diet of cakes made from corn and milk.
Why did Gulliver have to explain to his Houyhnhnm master what “lying” was?
The Houyhnhnms, being inherently truthful, had no concept of lying.
The Houyhnhnms’ Views on Money and Gulliver’s Happiness
What did Gulliver’s Houyhnhnm master think about money?
The Houyhnhnms had no need for money, as they lived in a communal society based on sharing.
Why was Gulliver so happy in the land of the Houyhnhnms?
He admired their rationality, virtue, and simple way of life.
Gulliver’s Departure and Reflections on Humanity
Why did the Houyhnhnms ask Gulliver to leave their country?
They considered him a potential threat due to his resemblance to the Yahoos.
What did Gulliver think about his family when he got home?
He was disgusted by their resemblance to the Yahoos.
What did Gulliver realize five years later?
He realized that despite his attempts to enlighten humanity through his writings, people continued to engage in vice and corruption.