Gulliver's giant feet walking in the diminuative forest of the lilliputians

Gulliver's Travels

by Jonathan Swift

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Part 1, Chapters 5–8

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Chapter 5

Gulliver forms a plan to prevent Blefuscu from invading Lilliput by capturing the Blefuscudian fleet. He ascertains that the channel separating Lilliput from Blefuscu is nowhere more than about six feet deep, then has hooks and cables made by the Lilliputians. He wades across the channel, swimming the deepest part, fastens fifty Blefuscudian ships to the hooks, and tows them back to Lilliput with the cables. The emperor of Lilliput is waiting on the shore and immediately bestows on Gulliver the title of nardac, the highest level of nobility. However, he quickly alters his view when Gulliver refuses to fall in with his idea of crushing Blefuscu completely and reducing the island to a province of Lilliput. Gulliver argues that his oath was to protect Lilliput, not to reduce a free people to slavery.

A few weeks later, an embassy arrives from Blefuscu to draw up a peace treaty, on terms highly advantageous to Lilliput. The ambassadors visit Gulliver, who arranges to pay a visit to their emperor. When he asks permission from the emperor of Lilliput to make this expedition, the emperor grants the favor with marked coldness. However, Gulliver is soon able to perform a great service for the emperor. The palace catches fire and seems in danger of burning down, when Gulliver puts out the fire by urinating on it. Since it is forbidden to pass water within the palace precincts, he has some fear that the emperor will be offended at his method of extinguishing the blaze. The emperor issues a royal pardon, but the empress is appalled and decides never to use that part of the palace again.

Chapter 6

Gulliver has already said that he plans to write a long treatise describing Lilliput in detail, but he decides to make a few general observations on the country in this chapter. First, he points out that, as the Lilliputians are slightly less than six inches high, everything around them is exactly in proportion, and some of the smallest objects, such as needle and thread, are actually invisible to him.

The Lilliputians have many strange customs. They bury their dead with heads pointing downward, since they believe the world will turn upside down at the resurrection, at which point they will therefore be standing upright. If someone accused of a crime against the state is found to be innocent, his accuser is put to death, and the accused is compensated for his ordeal. Fraud is regarded as a greater crime than theft, and a breach of trust is one of the most serious of all crimes. High moral standards are regarded as more important than great abilities in choosing candidates for any employment. Ingratitude is a capital crime.

Children are under no obligation to their parents, since, it is thought, the parents had children only for selfish reasons and, given the manifold pains of existence, did not confer any benefit on the children by doing so. They are brought up by professionals in public nurseries, and their parents are only permitted to see them twice a year. Girls are returned to their families at the age of twelve, by which time they are deemed ready to marry.

Gulliver also tells the reader something of his domestic arrangements in Lilliput, where he stayed for nine months and thirteen days. Two hundred seamstresses were employed to make his shirts and other linen, while he had three hundred cooks to prepare his food, including beef and mutton, as well as geese and turkeys which he could consume with a single bite.

Chapter 7

As Gulliver is preparing for his visit to Blefuscu, one of the courtiers comes to him late at night to warn him that there is a plot to impeach him for high treason. The court has debated various ways of killing him, and even his supposed friend, Reldresal, arguing for clemency, has suggested that he should be blinded. This will be done in three days, though the emperor also intends to starve Gulliver to death after he has been blinded.

On the basis of this intelligence, Gulliver decides to pay his visit to Blefuscu immediately. He goes to the island by the same route as before, swimming and wading across the channel, walks to the capital city, and waits outside for the emperor to receive him. When he does so, Gulliver makes a speech about coming to visit Blefuscu and its emperor according to his promise, without mentioning the disgrace and danger from which he has just escaped in Lilliput.

Chapter 8

Three days after his arrival in Blefuscu, Gulliver sees a boat out at sea. With the assistance of the Blefuscudian navy, he brings it to shore and begins to repair it. While he is doing so, an envoy arrives from Lilliput with the articles of impeachment against Gulliver, demanding that the Blefuscudians return him to Lilliput, bound hand and foot. The emperor of Blefuscu returns a civil but evasive answer, including the news that Gulliver has found a boat and intends to return to his native land.

In about a month, Gulliver departs, with his boat well-repaired and provisioned. He leaves Blefuscu with great ceremony and, after sailing for twelve hours, stops for the night on a small island. He continues on the same course until he is picked up by an English merchant ship, with an old comrade of his on board. After a voyage of more than six months, he reaches England, where he makes a handsome profit by exhibiting, and later selling, some miniature cows he brought with him from Blefuscu as provisions. However, he still wants to travel and, having made arrangements for the financial comfort of his wife and children, sets sail again after a mere two months on a merchant ship aptly named the Adventure.

Expert Q&A

What are two humorous situations from Part 1 of Gulliver's Travels?

Two humorous situations in Part 1 of Gulliver's Travels involve the size contrast between Gulliver and the Lilliputians. One instance is when Gulliver stands with his legs apart, allowing the Lilliputian army to march through, exposing his torn pants and private parts, causing laughter. Another is when Gulliver urinates on the Empress's chambers to extinguish a fire, horrifying her and prompting her to vow revenge.

How does Gulliver assist the Lilliputians?

Gulliver assists the Lilliputians by capturing the Blefuscudian invasion fleet using a cable with hooks, wading into the channel to seize their warships and bringing them back to Lilliput. Despite this, he falls out of favor after refusing to help conquer Blefuscu and later offending the Empress by urinating on her chambers to extinguish a fire.

What experiences does Gulliver have in Lilliput in Gulliver's Travels?

In Lilliput, Gulliver is captured by six-inch-high residents who bind him and shoot tiny arrows at him. They transport him to their city, where he becomes a sensation and is given a palace. He learns their language and customs, participates in political satire, and helps in a war against Blefuscu. Eventually, he escapes to Blefuscu after being sentenced to blinding for refusing further military aid.

How does Gulliver escape from Lilliput in Gulliver's Travels?

In "Gulliver's Travels," Gulliver escapes from Lilliput by walking across the channel to Blefuscu after falling out of favor with the Lilliputian Emperor. There, he finds a boat, sails away, and is eventually rescued by an English ship. This escape satirizes the volatile nature of European court politics, highlighting how quickly courtiers could fall from grace and face severe punishments, reflecting Jonathan Swift's critique of political instability and the dangers of court life.

What punishment did the king of Lilliput give to Gulliver?

The king of Lilliput decided to punish Gulliver by blinding him and gradually starving him to death for committing treason and other capital crimes. Gulliver was accused of urinating within the royal palace, not destroying the Blefuscuan fleet, and aiding Blefuscu. Fortunately, Gulliver escaped before the punishment could be carried out.

How does Gulliver escape from Lilliput in Gulliver's Travels?

Gulliver escapes from Lilliput by crossing the channel to Blefuscu after learning of a plot to impeach and execute him for treason. His offenses include urinating in the palace and refusing to destroy Blefuscu's fleet. In Blefuscu, he receives asylum and resources to repair a boat, which he uses to return to England.

What is the physical appearance of characters in part 1 of Gulliver's Travels?

In Part 1 of Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver appears disheveled and wet after being shipwrecked in Lilliput. He is described as a giant relative to the tiny Lilliputians, with his longish hair pinned down. He retains his tan jacket and spectacles. Swift uses Gulliver's size to satirize the trivial disputes among the Lilliputians, such as conflicts over heels and eggs, reflecting the triviality of political and religious disagreements in Swift's England.

In Gulliver's Travels, what war preparations have the Blefuscans completed?

The Blefuscans have prepared for war by assembling a large navy to invade Lilliput. In response, Gulliver offers his assistance to the Lilliputians. His plan involves wading into the sea to intercept the Blefuscan fleet. Using cables with iron hooks, he approaches the Blefuscan ships, causing panic among the sailors due to his enormous size. Gulliver then secures the ships and tows them back to Lilliput, effectively thwarting the invasion.

What is ironic about Gulliver using his glasses as a shield in a military operation?

The irony in Gulliver using his glasses as a shield during a military operation lies in their usual purpose. Glasses are typically meant to enhance vision, acting as "open portals" to better see the world. However, in this scenario, Gulliver uses them to block out the world, protecting his eyes from tiny arrows. Thus, they serve as protective barriers rather than tools for improved visibility.

How do the Lilliputians in Gulliver's Travels bury their dead?

In Gulliver's Travels, the people of Lilliput bury their dead with their heads pointing downwards. They do this because they traditionally believe that the Earth, which they think is flat, will turn upside down one day, and all the dead will rise again.

How does the first section of Gulliver's Travels parody contemporary travel books by exaggerating strange places and trivial details?

Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels presents a parody of the fantastic travel narratives of Swift's day in such elements as the shipwreck, the arrival in a strange land filled with strange people, the traveler's captivity, the traveler earning the Natives' trust, the detailed description of the Natives' daily lives, the misunderstanding between the traveler and the Natives, and the traveler's escape.

What are the noble children taught in Gulliver's Travels?

In "Gulliver's Travels," noble children in Lilliput are educated in public nurseries, learning skills appropriate to their social rank. Boys and girls are taught honor, justice, modesty, clemency, religion, and patriotism. Girls also learn family life skills to prepare as future wives and mothers. Boys remain in the nursery until fifteen, while girls leave at twelve. They have limited contact with parents and strict rules govern their interactions with servants.

How did Gulliver financially benefit from his adventure to Lilliput?

In Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver profits financially from Lilliput by exhibiting small animals, including six cows, two bulls, six ewes, and two rams, taken from the kingdom.

Why is the first section of Gulliver's Travels considered more suitable for children?

The first part of Gulliver's Travels is typically seen as most suitable for children because of its comical subject matter dealing with the minuscule Lilliputians. In this section of the story, Gulliver is much larger than the loveably tiny creatures, and so he is never in any apparent danger, which also makes the Lilliputians' treatment of Gulliver humorous. The story's other parts often involve unsettling imagery or complicated subjects children would have trouble understanding.

Gulliver's Escape and Experience in Blefuscu

In Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver flees to Blefuscu after being charged with treason in Lilliput for offenses like extinguishing a fire with urine and refusing to conquer Blefuscu. In Blefuscu, Gulliver is welcomed by the emperor and receives assistance to repair a boat he finds offshore. Despite demands from Lilliput for his return, the Blefuscudian emperor offers protection. Gulliver prepares the boat with local help and departs, receiving gifts and a fond farewell.

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Part 1, Chapters 1–4

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Part 2, Chapters 1–4

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