Sunday, May 12, 2013

Part II: A Voyage to Brobdingnag

In this Part, a sharp contrast to the last chapter has a reversal of the size roles, so now Gulliver is the tiny one compared to the giants he finds on the deserted island. It shows the perspective that the Lilliputians must have had when looking at Gulliver, and is an interesting way to switch point of view. Just as he put tiny cattle on display in England, he is displayed as a peculiar creature also. Rather than the godlike power he had in the last part, he is miniscule, insignificant, and comical to the people in their society. The theme is still satirical on European issues, and nautical journals. In the scene where the ship is caught in a storm, he overuses naval jargon in such a way as to poke fun at naval journals of the time. These are satirical strikes at those in pretentious positions of knowledge and power. Many incidents befall Gulliver which severely injure him due to his size, to emphasize his lack of control and power. The midget of the court challenges him and attacks him, to play on the fact that in politics, some people take advantage of their uniqueness in order to gain appeal, and defend this uniqueness if they are showed up. Also, the imperfections of the women that he sees can be interpreted in different ways. One could be that since the microscope was becoming more advanced at this time, he is experiencing the magnified view. Also, it could be that nothing is perfect, but some imperfect things are merely too small to detect with our limited senses. In a broader view, these two parts have shown that one's perspective on things can vary greatly due to variables in point of view. Also, the king directly denounces Europe and scolds it, showing that Gulliver's view of Europe is biased because he hasn't known anything different, and the outside view sees all of its flaws. One specific example of this is the offering of gunpowder. The king refuses it immediately, because their society wishes to minimize violence, and Gulliver thinks he is passing up on a fantastic opportunity industrially. The reader can choose which view they agree with in this situation. I like the Brobdingnagians, and I think they were a society with pure human morals.

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