Gulliver’s Travels - Book Summary

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Gulliver's Travels is a fictionalized travel narrative written by Jonathan Swift in the 18th century. The story satirizes British culture and politics, as English Captain Lemuel Gulliver narrates his extraordinary experiences voyaging to foreign lands. Throughout Gulliver's four distinct trips, he gains new perspectives by comparing the cultures he encounters with his own.

The story begins with an account of Gulliver’s earlier life, including his marriage to Mrs. Mary Burton and his work as a medical doctor. When Gulliver’s business begins to fail, he embarks on a series of sailing trips.

On his first voyage, Gulliver’s challenges begin when a violent storm sinks his ship. As the only survivor, he swims to an island called Lilliput where he passes out from exhaustion. He awakens to find his arms and legs fastened to the ground by small creatures called Lilliputians—who are only six inches high. They begin attacking him with bows and arrows when he tries to break free.

When Gulliver promises not to harm the Lilliputians, they bring him food and drink and take him to their capital. There, the emperor consults with his wisest men about their giant prisoner. They worry Gulliver could escape or cause a famine because of how much food it takes to satisfy him. After he agrees to assist them with civil duties and war efforts, the Lilliputians set him free and give him plenty to eat.

Then, Reldresal, a friend and government official, tells Gulliver about the threat of invasion from those living on the Island of Blefuscu. Years earlier, the Lilliputians disagreed with them over which end of an egg should be cracked; the dispute led to six rebellions and thousands of deaths.

When the Lilliputians and Blefuscudians go to war again, Gulliver proves to be very useful: he drags the entire Blefuscudian fleet of ships to the shore off Lilliput. The emperor then grants Gulliver the title of "Nardac,” the highest honor. Gulliver rejects the emperor’s insistence on destroying the Blefuscudians and making Blefuscu into a province of Lilliput. Instead, Gulliver welcomes an embassy from Blefuscu offering peace, which the emperor has no choice but to accept.

A few days later, when a fire starts in the empress's chamber of the palace, Gulliver extinguishes the flames by urinating on them. Though he saves the palace, he is charged with treason for a variety of offences—including urinating on the royal palace, refusing to reduce Blefuscu to a province, aiding the ambassadors of Blefuscu when they came to ask for peace, and planning to visit Blefuscu.

Although Gulliver respects the Lilliputians laws, which severely punish dishonesty, he soon sees the tiny people for the ridiculous and petty creatures they are. He flees to Blefuscu to avoid having his eyes put out. There he sets sail and is picked up by a merchant ship. Upon his return home, Gulliver shows off the Lilliputian-sized livestock he has smuggled home in his pockets and makes a solid profit.

On his second perilous voyage, a storm forces Gulliver’s ship off course and he lands on a strange island called Brobdingnag that is filled with giants. Gulliver’s crew abandons him out of fear after he wanders away looking for water.

A farmer carries Gulliver to his home after almost stepping on him. Gulliver then falls asleep but is startled by two large rats. He fights them with his hanger, a short sword, killing one and scaring the other away.

The farmer then takes Gulliver to the marketplace to perform for patrons. His reputation impresses the queen who then introduces Gulliver to life at court. There he finds an enemy in a dwarf, who seems to be jealous of all the attention he is getting. The king discusses politics with Gulliver, criticizing England’s government and violent past, then humiliating him by concluding that the English are beneath the Brobdingnagians.

Gulliver experiences a series of dangers due to his small size. The ladies at court treat him like a toy by dressing and undressing him. Gulliver reflects on how overwhelmed and repulsed the Lilliputians must have felt by his enormous presence. After two years at Brobdingnag, Gulliver is seized by a giant eagle who drops him into the sea where he is rescued by a passing ship.