How does the text relate to the theme of a journey?

The book “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift is about Lemuel Gulliver that went through many voyages in his life due to his addiction of traveling. The novel can be related to the theme of a journey because, as we can see, he changed his understanding of this world as the impact from the journey. At first, he was just a normal man that has a family, work as a surgeon, and has his own business. But after facing new experiences and new parts of the world, his attitudes toward human beings and community changed. For instance, when he was in Houyhnhnm, the master (horse) conveyed him that they are better as they don’t even know what is ‘lying’ and their harmonious and happy life compared to human like him that involved in wars, corruptions and many more damages. And after all, he then realized the faults in his self, of which he had no awareness before.

He also learned new languages and cultures in the places that he went which are totally different from his own country, England. Every time he was in new places, he will learn their language so that he could communicate with them easily. For examples, the language of Lilliputians, Brobdingnagians, Laputans and also Hounyhnhnms. He also learned to accept the culture or rule in the places that he had been. For instance, when he arrived in Luggnagg, he was asked to crawl toward the king on his belly, licking the floor as he advanced as the symbol of respect to the king.

What is the main issue in the text?

From this novel, the author tried to emphasize how Gulliver survived through all the challenges, differences and obstacles in the new laces that he had been. We can see that, Gulliver is such an observer or gullible throughout his journey. It is because, he never tried to get himself out of dangerous situations (although he was able to do so) and just followed what the others asked him to do. For instance, he could just escape himself from Lilliput as he was times bigger than them, but he wasn’t. Then, when he was in Brobdingnag, he was used by the farmer to make money by showing Gulliver to the people in the kingdom. He was asked to perform with his knife over and over again and he was half dead at the end of the day. But, he never makes an effort to escape from that place. As he was times smaller than the Brobdingnagians, it was easy for him to hide and run away from them, but he had no guts to do so as he is ‘Gulliver the gullible’. He didn’t know how to trick others in order to escape for the sake of his lfe.

What quality do you admire or dislike in a character?

One of the characters that I admire is Glumdalclitch. She was so nice and kind towards Gulliver although she doesn’t know him very well. She fixed up her doll’s cradle for Gulliver to sleep. Not only that, she also made him shirts and other linens. She also taught him her own language. Then, when both of them lived in the palace, Glumdalclitch became his nurse. She really took care and concern about him. The action of her that I like the most is when she agreed to let Gulliver to go to see the ocean alone although she has the feeling that this was his attempt to escape from there.

In contrast, I don’t really like Gulliver himself. At this one part, he looked as he was irresponsible and discontented with his own life. This is because, when he went to Houyhnhnm, he was amazed by the situation and the life that they lead there. In England, human lead their life in different ways unlike the Houyhnhnms did. After the master conveyed him of their happy and harmonious life that contrary with human’s life that involved in war, lies and corruptions, he then resolved never return to humankind. It shows that he was irresponsible when he didn’t even think or care about his family that waiting for him by doing such decision. Furthermore, he also never ever mentions home along his voyages that showed like he didn’t interested about it.

Not only that, I also not really like the Laputans. They are so enthusiastic and fascinate about their theories about comets and sun. They are so worried about what would happen on the next day until they don’t have the time for themselves to enjoy this life. Besides, they need a flapper to remind or to make them aware what they have to do. I think, it is so ridiculous when one depend to someone else to make them realize about the current situation.






How does the text develop your understanding of the world?

From this novel, I started to understand world better. One of the lessons is people always fight upon small things and when we misunderstood each other. For instance, when he was in Lilliput, the country fought with other country, Blefuscu just over the issue of the proper way for breaking eggs. They had been at war for nearly seven years. It can be clearly seen that, we always take harsh decision and never think about the impact that followed. We can always sit and discuss about the problem that we have, but we never take that option. We preferred to insist to people that we are right and the others always wrong.

Not only that, I also start to think the importance of travel. By traveling, we can open our eyes to the new world that we never seen before. For instance, when he went to Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa and Houyhnhnm, the people or creatures there are totally different from him. So, he had to accept the fact and try to adapt with their lives in order to live there. Besides, we also can discover the inner parts of our self when we react to new or different things. For example, when the master in Houyhnhnm conveyed Gulliver about the perfect lives they lead, he quickly realized what he had done in his life in past and try to change into a better person. He also applied what he had learned when he was in his journey in his real life in England because he took them as lessons of his life.