Gulliver’s Travels : Key info
Gulliver’s Travels is a notable literary work by Jonathan Swift. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Gulliver’s Travels.
Key info
Full Title: Gulliver’s Travels (Original Title: Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, by Lemuel Gulliver)
Author: Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
Titles of the Author: Master Satirist, Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Source: Original work, inspired by real travel narratives and satire on contemporary society
Written Time: 1720–1725
First Published: 1726
Published Dates: 1726 (first edition); revised editions appeared in 1735
Total Parts: 4 Parts (commonly referred to as four “voyages”)
Type of work: Novel
Genre: Satire / Adventure / Fantasy / Political Allegory
Point of View: First Person (narrated by Lemuel Gulliver)
Climax: Gulliver’s realization of the true nature of humanity after living among the Houyhnhnms in the fourth voyage; he rejects human society after his return
Setting:
Time Setting: Early 18th century
Place Setting: Various fictional and real locations: Lilliput, Blefuscu, Brobdingnag, Laputa (and associated islands), Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg, Japan, the Country of the Houyhnhnms, and England (Gulliver’s home)
Voyages/ Travels of Gulliver
Part I: A Voyage to Lilliput (4 May 1699 – 13 April 1702)
Part II: A Voyage to Brobdingnag (20 June 1702 – 3 June 1706)
Part III: A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib and Japan (5 August 1706 – 16 April 1710)
Part IV: A Voyage to the Land of the Houyhnhnms (7 September 1710 – 5 December 1715)
Key Notes
Satire: The word “satire” means a literary work that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s foolishness or vices, especially in the context of politics and society. Jonathan Swift is known as one of the greatest satirists in English literature. “Gulliver’s Travels” is a brilliant example of social and political satire—Swift criticizes British society, politics, scientific progress, and human nature itself. For example, the tiny people of Lilliput and their petty wars, the way of life in Brobdingnag, or the Houyhnhnms seeing humans as animals—all are part of Swift’s subtle satire.
Travels/Voyages: “Gulliver’s Travels” is divided into four separate voyages or journeys, and in each voyage, Gulliver discovers new, imaginary lands and their strange societies. Through Gulliver’s eyes, Swift satirizes various aspects of contemporary society and human nature.
Allegory: An allegory is a story with a hidden meaning, typically moral or political. Most of “Gulliver’s Travels” can be read as an allegory. Lilliput represents petty politics, Brobdingnag symbolizes a different point of view, Laputa satirizes scientific impracticality, and the land of the Houyhnhnms allegorizes the flaws of human nature.