Gulliver's Travels - (Junior High Part) (Revised Edition)

Author: (English) Swift
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1979-12-01
Features: The satire in Gulliver's Travels is a multi-edged sword. The primary targets of criticism and ridicule are contemporary England, also the world's then-emerging "modern society." Gulliver's adventures take place in Lilliput. There, he can drag an entire fleet of ships with one hand, and consume a large number of chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep, along with many barrels of wine in a single meal. To transport this giant creature to the capital, the Lilliputians mobilize five hundred craftsmen, countless ropes, nine hundred "giants" tasked with lifting and carrying, fifteen thousand "tall" imperial horses, and more. In such a miniature nation, all ambitions, sycophancy, political struggles, and wars inevitably appear petty and insignificant. Party conflicts are divided based on the height of shoe heels, with the "High-Heel Party" and the "Low-Heel Party" locked in fierce rivalry. Neighboring countries not only seek to conquer and enslave each other but also debate trivial "principles," such as which end of an egg to crack first. The king selects officials through rope-dancing competitions, so all court officials, hoping for promotion, risk breaking their necks practicing this circus skill. To earn a few colored silk ribbons awarded by the king, officials perform various ridiculous acts. This court reminds readers of England in every way. Even the (finance minister) who betrays Gulliver, Flimnap, is considered to be based on the prototype of the then-Chancellor of the Exchequer of England, Walpole.