Describe the ups and downs of Lemuel Gulliver’s life as presented by Jonathan Swift in “Gulliver’s Travels.”

Answer

Describe the ups and downs of Lemuel Gulliver’s life as presented by Jonathan Swift in “Gulliver’s Travels.”

“Gulliver’s Travels” (1726) by Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) shows many ups and downs in Gulliver’s life. Gulliver visits strange lands and meets strange people. He sees both the good and the bad sides of the world. Sometimes, he is praised. Sometimes, he is hated. These journeys change his heart and mind. His life becomes a long mix of adventure, pain, joy, and loss. Swift uses Gulliver’s life to teach us about human pride, foolishness, and the need for good values.

Tiny but Proud: Gulliver first goes to Lilliput. The people there are very small. But they think they are great. They have pride and silly rules. Their Emperor wants to rule the world. He wants to become: 

“Sole Monarch of the whole world.”

They give Gulliver a big post. But later, they plot to kill him. Gulliver runs away to save his life. This shows both rise and fall. He becomes great, then he falls. 

Giant and Safe: Gulliver’s second visit is to Brobdingnag. Here, people are very big. Gulliver feels like a toy. At first, he is afraid. Later, the king treats him with care. He is loved and kept safe. Gulliver tells stories about Europe. The king hears them and laughs. He says English people are cruel. He says the majority of Englishmen must be:

“The most pernicious life race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth.”

Gulliver feels small inside. He sees that a big size does not mean pride. His life is calm here, but he wants to leave. That is another turning point.

Flying and Foolish: Next, Gulliver goes to Laputa. It is a flying island. The people here are crazy about science. They do silly things. They try to get sun from cucumbers. They try to turn poo into food. Here is a quotation from the book to strengthen