Question

What are the similarities and differences between two lands which Gulliver travels and compare and contrast their ideas, values, governmental systems, morals, religions, laws, etc.

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

Lemuel Gulliver is the narrator and main character in the satirical novel “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift. On one of his trips, Gulliver ends up in a land called Lilliput, populated by people who are less than 6 inches (15 cm) tall. The Lilliputians spend a great deal of their time indulging in nonsensical customs and petty debates. Politicians are divided between those who wear high-heeled shoes (representing the English Tories) and those who wear low ones (representing the English Whigs). People who are best at rope dancing are the ones who obtain court positions.

On another voyage, Gulliver arrives at Laputa, a flying island. The people of Laputa have one eye turned inward, which is most likely a physical representation of their being lost in thought all the time. They do not pay attention to the real world and, even though they all seem to be great intellectuals, their knowledge has no practical use. The scientists, instead of helping the people in the continent right below Laputa, have them try incredible yet useless things. The country is devastated, since nothing at all is accomplished by anyone.

Even though those two lands are clearly different in their ways of life – one focuses on superficial, shallow issues while the other focuses on deep, intellectual ones -, it is still possible to find similarities. The main one is the fact that, in both lands, government is ineffective. People are at the mercy of clueless rulers. Both lands are ignorant of what they might accomplish if they changed their ways and lifestyle.