Show:
Characters
Events
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
100
Q: Who was Gulliver’s caretaker in Brobdingnag?
A: Glumdalclitch
100
Q: After what event or happening does Gulliver tell the Dutchmen that he surprisingly “[finds] more mercy in a heathen, than in a brother christian.”?
A: Gulliver tells the Dutchmen this after the ship is attacked by pirates and the Japanese man shows mercy by telling Gulliver that they will not die.
100
Q: How did Gulliver leave Brobdingnag
A: An eagle “eagle got the ring of [Gulliver’s] box in his beak” and flew away with Gulliver in his travelling box.
100
Q: Why do the Houhynmhnms ban Gulliver?
A: Gulliver is banned by the Houhynhnms because they don’t think its right or “fair” for a Yahoo to live with them.
100
Q: What out of the list below wasn’t one of the objects taken away from Gulliver when an inventory of his belongings was made? 1.) scimitar 2.) purse 3.) spectacles 4.) silver snuff-box
3.) spectacles
200
Q: Lord Munodi was discharged for insufficiency after governing Lagado for a few years.
A: True
200
Q: How did Gulliver put out the fire in the castle during his time at Lilliput?
A: By “discharge of his urine” which was described to be an act that was “maliciously, traitorously, and devilishly” conducted.
200
Q: What is Belfaborac?
A: The name of the Lilliputian emperor’s palace.
200
Q: To what extent are the Houhynhnms hypocritical in their actions?
A:The Houhynhynms are hypocritical to the extent when regarding their treatment of the Yahoos. The Houhynhynms apparently detest the Yahoos who are “odious...[and characterised with] nastiness and greediness of [a] sordid brute” because of their voracious appetites, primitive behaviours, and unkempt way of living. The Houhynhynms characterise themselves as rational and just creatures that are the complete opposite of the Yahoos, however, their treatment of the Yahoos show otherwise. At the General Assembly of Houhynhnms, they are debating the question of “whether the Yahoos should be exterminated from the face of the earth”, that itself showing the brutality of the Houhynhnms. They’re hypocrisy is also shown since they are extremely against causing any “...casualties [and only] die of old age”.
200
Q: While Gulliver was an apprentice of a _______, his father sent him money “every now and then”, what did Gulliver do with this money?
A: Gulliver used the money sent from his father to “[learn] navigation, and other parts of the mathematics, useful to those who intend to travel”.
300
Q: What distinguishes the Tramecksans and the Slamecksans?
A: You can distinguish the two factions “from the high and low heels of their shoes”.
300
Q: What does the King’s rejection of Gulliver’s proposed gunpowder show of the king’s character?
A: The King of Brobdingnag was apparently “struck with horror” at Gulliver’s description of gunpowder, this shows the benevolence of the King and subsequently, the altruistic characteristics of the Brobdingnagians.
300
Q: Why does Gulliver still respect and revere the Houyhnhnms even after they abandon him?
A: Gulliver respects and reveres the peaceful and rational Houyhnhnms, believing that he is better fit for the society of the Houyhnhnms who live a life with “no gibers, no censurers, no pickpockets, no housebreakers, no attorneys, no gamesters, no politicians...no controvertists, no murderers, no robbers...no leaders, or followers, no conceited...companions”.
300
Q: How is Gulliver similar to the Houhynhyms?
A: Both the Houhynhyms and Gulliver wish to be peaceful beings, however, their detest for Yahoos make that goal quite impossible. The Houhynhyms treat the Yahoos like slaves and Gulliver’s criticisms about the Yahoos become rather extreme when he leaves his own wife because he cannot stand her being a “Yahoo”.
300
Q: How is “inherent evil” of the humans seen in Gulliver’s travels?
A: The Lilliputians quickly decide (and later officially) to use Gulliver to their advantage in dominating their enemies, the Blefuscians, showing the part of human nature where one constantly and seemingly always wants abosolute rule; aos, this shows the inherent evil in humans because the Lilliputians quickly concoct a plan to have Gulliver completely take over Blefuscu for the Lilliputians upon his arrival.
400
Q: Upon Gulliver’s arrival on Lilliput, he “was often tempted...to seize forty or fifty of the first [Lilliputians] that came in [his] reach, and dash them against the ground.”, what does this propose about Gulliver’s personality?
A: This shows Gulliver’s lack of appreciation for other cultures which is rather surprising considering Gulliver appears to be one who likes to travel and explore different cultures. This also shows a violent side of Gulliver that isn’t really seen in the book except when he’s fighting off the rats in Brobdingnag.
400
Q: What does Gulliver realise about Beauty upon his arrival at Brobdingnag?
A: Gulliver is repulsed by the ugliness and coarse skin of the women in Brobdingnag, he realises that when he was at Lilliput, the complexion of the Lilliputians appeared to be extremely fair only because they were so small. Gulliver is forced to “reflect upon the fair skins of our English ladies, who appear so beautiful to us, only because they are of our own size...their defects not to be seen but through a magnifying glass”.
400
Q: Is Swift’s portray of immortality accurate? Why or why not?
There is no way for one to determine whether Swift’s portrayal of immortality is accurate since immortality as of now, has only been the figment of many’s imaginations. Swift says that the immortals, Struldbrugs, grow “melancholy and dejected” upon reaching the age of thirty and even grow jealous of mortals. This is a possible way an immortal may react because one may lose any ambitions and dreams when he/she realises he/she has forever to “accomplish” those goals.
400
Q: What is Swift trying to satirise by going in-depth about the Yahoos’ large appetite?
A: Swift tries to show the element of greed in humans by talking about how if food is thrown among “five Yahoos as much food as would be sufficient for fifty, they will, instead of eating peaceably, fall together by the ears, each single one impatient to have all to itself”.
400
Q: What is the significance of size in Lilliput and Brobdingnag?
A: Size reflects the moral of those in Lilliput and Brobdingnag. The Lilliputians are seemingly vain and emphasize on self-importance. They bring out their whole army so that Gulliver gets a taste of the “power” of Lilliput. The giants of Brobdingnag seem to be the complete opposite--they have the power to completely destroy other nations with their size, but they would never even dream of doing so. The Brobdingnagian’s self-lessness can be further seen when the King refuses Gulliver’s proposed usage of creating gunpowder.
500
Q: Why is it so difficult to identify with Gulliver now that he strives to be a “Houyhnmhnm”?
It is rather difficult to identify with Gulliver now that he strives to be a Houyhnmhnm because he starts criticising the humans due to him viewing them as Yahoos. The readers become disgusted by Gulliver’s dive into pride and his resulting judgmental shift in nature. He also hypocritically insults his own species while claiming or aiming to be an all accepting and peaceful Houyhnmhnm.
500
Q: What is Swift satirising when he describes the way Lilliputians seek way to work in the government and what does this show?
A: Swift is seemingly satirising the arbitrariness of the British government through the depiction of Lilliputians performing circus-like acts in hopes of working for the government. Gulliver regards these act as entertaining yet a ridiculous way to determine different government positions which shows Swift’s detest towards the way the British government handles its assigning of positions.
500
Q: With reference to Swift’s story, to what extent do you think Swift supports the possibility of a utopian society?
A: With reference to every “society” that Gulliver visited in his travels, it can be inferred that Swift does not support the possibility of a utopian society. Swift uses Gulliver’s failed attempt to stay in each place to covertly show that none of the societies, despite their claims of utopia, are as perfect as they appear; moreover, showing that Swift believes that a society must have its quirks in-order to function. All of the “weirdness” seen in Gulliver’s Travels, from the circus acts of government hopefuls to the switch in roles between humans and horses, it can be guessed that Swift wants to further give the readers a sense of impossibility. The impossibility in this case is for England to be “utopian” like any of the societies, namingly the Houyhnmhnms, because all of the “weirdness” would be far too ridiculous and different for the English to emulate.
500
Q: Why is it so difficult to identify with Gulliver now that he strives to be a “Houyhnmhnm”?
It is rather difficult to identify with Gulliver now that he strives to be a Houyhnmhnm because he starts criticising the humans due to him viewing them as Yahoos. The readers become disgusted by Gulliver’s dive into pride and his resulting judgmental shift in nature. He also hypocritically insults his own species while claiming or aiming to be an all accepting and peaceful Houyhnmhnm.
500
Q: What is the significance of size in Lilliput and Brobdingnag?
A: Size reflects the moral of those in Lilliput and Brobdingnag. The Lilliputians are seemingly vain and emphasize on self-importance. They bring out their whole army so that Gulliver gets a taste of the “power” of Lilliput. The giants of Brobdingnag seem to be the complete opposite--they have the power to completely destroy other nations with their size, but they would never even dream of doing so. The Brobdingnagian’s self-lessness can be further seen when the King refuses Gulliver’s proposed usage of creating gunpowder.