The
18th century was one of massive changes worldwide, where borders were
moved, countries established, and discoveries in sciences abounded. In
that period, social boundaries, particularly in England, also became
strongly established, dividing rich from poor and poorer.
Gulliver's Travels
is long, with several sections, and requires a strong attention span to
retain Swift's views. His view of society effectively slashes and
burns, being a master of satire, to the point where he had to write
under pseudonyms.
"His skill is comparable to that
of putting a pin through two termites on an entomology display board and
examining them with a magnifying glass."
Part
one is the only one with which I was familiar.
Gulliver is a normal
sized Englishman, but appears to be a giant, having been washed up on
the island of Lilliput, where Lilliputians are six inches high. This
arrival disrupts the nation in so many ways.
Gulliver is amused the Emperor and his court, amazed and amused. How members of the court chosen was a source of delight for Gulliver.
One way
is to watch "rope dancers" compete by jumping on silk threads. The one
who jumps the highest wins, which granting him a high position of
solving problems for the Emperor.
Another
is in appointing a treasurer by requiring competitors to juggle items.
Winner is one who can keep the most items juggling in the air, without
any falling.
Rules
and laws of Lilliput are long, its disputes longer. But perhaps most
interesting of all is a war between Lilliput and Blefuscu, which readers
accurately interpreted as the King of England and King of France. One
is the "big-endians" and the other "small-endians".
The Big. E. believe that one should eat a soft-boiled egg from the big end. The Small E. believe that one should eat the egg from the small end.
Thousands of people of both
islands had been killed in these wars. This senseless slaughter over
eggs is also a veiled comparison to Catholics to Protestants.
Read
it instead of watching a movie about Gulliver, I provided students with the children's version
is easier and I shared it with my students.
The Principal was volunteered to be part of the Gulliver experience. He was about 6 ft. tall and students measured him as he lay on the floor on a strip of butcher paper. To be accurate the students made their own 6" tall character. They used those in the measuring.
This might put any election, and indeed any government, in perspective.
Jonathon Swift.
Perhaps the best movie about Gulliver's Travels is a TV version with Ted Danson.
I provided the work stations for different things done in the book.
I don't know if you can tell how much I loved teaching, reading and creative writing. At back-to-school night, parents walked around with their children and listening to their telling of the book.
Have you ever read the book or seen a movie of it?
Please excuse the length of my post. It is too good to cut the factors that make Gulliver's Travels memorable. So I hope you can pick and choose.... .
