Gulliver's Travels - (Expert and Famous Teacher Interpretation Edition)

Author: Swift
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: The satire in Gulliver's Travels is a multi-edged sword. The primary targets of criticism and ridicule are contemporary Britain, also known as 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 at a single meal, consume a large number of chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep, along with many barrels of wine. 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 so on. In such a miniature nation, all ambitions, sycophancy, political struggles, and wars inevitably appear petty and insignificant. Party disputes are divided based on the height of shoe heels, with the "High-Heel Party" and the "Low-Heel Party" warring fiercely. Neighboring countries not only seek to defeat and enslave each other but also debate trivial "principles," such as which end of an egg should be cracked first. The king selects officials through rope-walking competitions, so all court officials, hoping for promotion, risk breaking their necks practicing this circus skill. To earn a few colorful silk ribbons awarded by the king, officials perform various ridiculous acts. This court reminds readers of Britain in every way. Even the (finance minister) who betrays Gulliver, Flimnap, is considered to be based on the prototype of the then-British cabinet leader, Wal.