Excerpt

Excerpt from Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, by Jonathan Swift

The king and queen make a progress to the frontiers. The author attends
them. The manner in which he leaves the country very particularly
related. He returns to England.

I had always a strong impulse that I should some time recover my
liberty, though it was impossible to conjecture by what means, or to
form any project with the least hope of succeeding. The ship in which I
sailed, was the first ever known to be driven within sight of that
coast, and the king had given strict orders, that if at any time
another appeared, it should be taken ashore, and with all its crew and
passengers brought in a tumbril to Lorbrulgrud. He was strongly bent to
get me a woman of my own size, by whom I might propagate the breed: but
I think I should rather have died than undergone the disgrace of
leaving a posterity to be kept in cages, like tame canary-birds, and
perhaps, in time, sold about the kingdom, to persons of quality, for
curiosities. I was indeed treated with much kindness: I was the
favourite of a great king and queen, and the delight of the whole
court; but it was upon such a foot as ill became the dignity of
humankind. I could never forget those domestic pledges I had left
behind me. I wanted to be among people, with whom I could converse upon
even terms, and walk about the streets and fields without being afraid
of being trod to death like a frog or a young puppy. But my deliverance
came sooner than I expected, and in a manner not very common; the whole
story and circumstances of which I shall faithfully relate.

I had now been two years in this country; and about the beginning of
the third, Glumdalclitch and I attended the king and queen, in a
progress to the south coast of the kingdom. I was carried, as usual, in
my travelling-box, which as I have already described, was a very
convenient closet, of twelve feet wide. And I had ordered a hammock to
be fixed, by silken ropes from the four corners at the top, to break
the jolts, when a servant carried me before him on horseback, as I
sometimes desired; and would often sleep in my hammock, while we were
upon the road. On the roof of my closet, not directly over the middle
of the hammock, I ordered the joiner to cut out a hole of a foot
square, to give me air in hot weather, as I slept; which hole I shut at
pleasure with a board that drew backward and forward through a groove.

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Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Gulliver’s Travels (Part II: A Voyage to Brobdingnag)

Context of the Passage

This excerpt comes from Part II of Gulliver’s Travels (1726), titled "A Voyage to Brobdingnag," where the protagonist, Lemuel Gulliver, finds himself in a land of giants after his ship is blown off course. Unlike the first voyage (to Lilliput, where Gulliver was a giant among tiny people), here he is diminutive and vulnerable, constantly at risk of being crushed, eaten, or treated as a curiosity.

The passage describes Gulliver’s longing for freedom and the circumstances of his eventual escape from Brobdingnag. It reflects his psychological and physical confinement, his disgust at being treated as a spectacle, and his desire to return to human society—even if that society is flawed.

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Key Themes in the Excerpt

1. Confinement vs. Freedom

   • Gulliver is physically trapped in Brobdingnag, carried around in a traveling-box (a symbol of his reduced status).
   • He is psychologically imprisoned by his dependence on the giants, particularly Glumdalclitch (his nursemaid) and the royal court.
   • His desire for liberty is not just about physical escape but also about dignity—he refuses to be bred like an animal, even if it means the king’s favor.

2. Dehumanization & Objectification

   • The king of Brobdingnag sees Gulliver as a curiosity, a pet, or a potential breeding specimen—not as an equal.
   • Gulliver resents being "the delight of the whole court" because it is "ill became the dignity of humankind"—he is reduced to a toy or a novelty.
   • The comparison to "tame canary-birds" and the fear of his descendants being "sold about the kingdom" emphasize his loss of autonomy.

3. The Absurdity of Power & Perspective

   • In Brobdingnag, size determines status—Gulliver, once a giant in Lilliput, is now powerless.
   • The king’s "kindness" is condescending; Gulliver is entertainment, not a person.
   • His traveling-box (a "convenient closet") is both a prison and a protection—it keeps him safe but also reinforces his captivity.

4. Longing for Human Connection

   • Gulliver misses "people, with whom I could converse upon even terms"—he craves equality and normalcy.
   • His fear of being "trod to death like a frog or a young puppy" highlights his fragility in this world.
   • His nostalgia for England (despite its flaws, as seen in later parts) shows his desire for belonging.

5. The Unpredictability of Fate

   • Gulliver’s escape comes "sooner than I expected, and in a manner not very common"—Swift foreshadows an unusual and abrupt departure, reinforcing the randomness of Gulliver’s misfortunes.

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Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

1. First-Person Narration & Irony

   • Gulliver’s subjective perspective makes the reader sympathize with his plight, but Swift also undermines Gulliver’s reliability (e.g., his vanity, his shifting moral judgments).
   • Dramatic irony: Gulliver thinks he is superior to the Brobdingnagians, yet he is completely at their mercy.

2. Symbolism

   • The traveling-box: Represents confinement, protection, and Gulliver’s reduced status. It is both a prison and a womb-like space (he sleeps in a hammock inside it).
   • The hole in the roof: A small opening to the outside world, symbolizing hope for escape but also vulnerability (it could let in dangers).
   • "Tame canary-birds": Gulliver fears his descendants will be caged curiosities, reinforcing the dehumanizing effects of power.

3. Satire & Social Critique

   • Swift mocks human pretensions—Gulliver, who once saw himself as superior in Lilliput, is now humiliated.
   • The king’s desire to breed Gulliver satirizes colonial exploitation (treating people as livestock) and scientific curiosity gone too far (a jab at the Royal Society’s experiments).
   • The absurdity of Gulliver’s situation critiques how power structures reduce individuals to objects.

4. Foreshadowing

   • The mention of "a manner not very common" hints at the bizarre way Gulliver will escape (later revealed: an eagle carries off his box and drops it into the sea, where he is rescued by a ship).
   • The hole in the box’s roof becomes crucial in his escape—it allows the eagle to grab the box by the ring.

5. Contrast & Juxtaposition

   • Gulliver’s treatment in Brobdingnag vs. Lilliput:
     • In Lilliput, he was a giant with power.
     • In Brobdingnag, he is a helpless miniature.
   • "The favourite of a great king and queen" vs. "ill became the dignity of humankind"—his privilege is also his degradation.

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Significance of the Passage

1. Psychological Depth of Gulliver’s Character

   • This passage reveals Gulliver’s pride, vulnerability, and desperation.
   • His refusal to breed shows a moral limit—he would rather die than be reduced to an animal.
   • His longing for home is not just about England but about human dignity.

2. Swift’s Critique of Human Nature & Society

   • The giants of Brobdingnag represent raw power and indifference—they are not cruel, but they do not see Gulliver as an equal.
   • Swift questions what it means to be human—is it size, reason, or dignity?
   • The king’s "kindness" is patronizing, showing how even benevolence can be dehumanizing.

3. The Arbitrariness of Fate & Power

   • Gulliver’s escape is random (an eagle’s attack), reinforcing Swift’s view that life is governed by chance, not merit.
   • The traveling-box is both a protection and a trap, symbolizing how institutions (like government or society) can both shelter and confine.

4. Connection to Swift’s Broader Satire

   • In Part IV (A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms), Gulliver will reject humanity entirely, preferring the rational horses.
   • Here, his disgust at being treated as a pet foreshadows his later misanthropy.
   • The Brobdingnagians’ physical superiority contrasts with their moral indifference, while the Lilliputians’ small size masks their political corruption.

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Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is pivotal in Gulliver’s Travels because it:

• Deepens Gulliver’s character—showing his pride, fear, and desire for freedom.
• Reinforces Swift’s satire—on power, human dignity, and the absurdity of societal norms.
• Sets up the next phase of Gulliver’s journey—his escape is as absurd as his capture, emphasizing the randomness of existence.
• Challenges the reader to consider what it means to be human—is it reason, size, or the ability to assert one’s dignity?

Swift uses humor, irony, and grotesque imagery to make us question our own world—where people are often reduced to objects by those in power, whether through colonialism, class systems, or scientific exploitation. Gulliver’s struggle for freedom is both personal and universal, making this passage one of the most thematically rich in the novel.