Product Overview
Gulliver's Travels: Satire At Its Best
Gulliver's Travels serves not just as a work of literature to be dissected for language and narrative technique; it also provides a fertile ground for exploring sociopolitical ideas and multiple, timeless, universal themes.
Ordering Books for Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
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Notes About The Literary Touchstone Classics Edition of Gulliver's Travels
We think the Literary Touchstone Classic edition of Gulliver's Travels is the best for classroom use. These affordable editions of beloved works are designed by former educators with the needs of both teachers and students in mind.
To help students fully understand the classic work they're studying, every Literary Touchstone Classic includes pre-reading notes that cite important aspects of the text that students should examine and question while reading. Each book also contains an extensive vocabulary list and a glossary that explains unfamiliar allusions and challenging passages.
If you're looking for books that will last for years, Literary Touchstone Classics fit the bill. Sturdy bindings and high-quality paper ensure they'll hold up to repeated use, and they're made in the U.S.A.
Other Editions
If you need to add onto a class set of a different edition or simply prefer another edition, contact us with the ISBN, and we'll check the availability for you.
If you are reading Gulliver's Travels with younger students or students who need a simplified version, contact us, and we'll help you find one that is appropriate for your situation.
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About the Book Gulliver's Travels |
Gulliver’s Travels recounts the story of Lemuel Gulliver, a ship’s surgeon who encounters a series of bizarre and diverse cultures through his four voyages. Beginning with his shipwreck on Lilliput—a land inhabited by tiny people—the book explores human behaviors and societal structures in miniature. From Lilliput, Gulliver then finds himself amid the giants of Brobdingnag, providing a stark contrast and bringing new perspectives on morality and human dignity. The book continues with Gulliver’s escapades to the floating island of Laputa and the neighboring lands below, where intellectual pursuits reign but practical common sense is lacking. Finally, his last voyage brings him to the land of the Houyhnhnms, a society of intelligent horses, and the brutish Yahoos, which reflect the duality of reason and savagery within humanity. With every return to England, Gulliver becomes increasingly disconnected from his own kind, developing a misanthropic outlook shaped by his extraordinary experiences.
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Themes in the book Gulliver's Travels |
Society and Government: Throughout the narrative, Swift critiques the pettiness of political squabbles (as seen in Lilliput) and the disconnect between rulers and the common people (as represented by Laputa). He pokes fun at the short-sightedness and triviality of societal institutions and their so-called leaders. Human Nature: The juxtaposition of the Houyhnhnms' reason and the Yahoos' primitive behavior highlights Swift’s observation of the savage undercurrents in mankind. By contrasting humans with these creatures, he engages with themes of morality, rationalism, and the inherent flaws within human beings. The Role of the Individual: Gulliver himself evolves through his voyages, showcasing an individual’s potential for change and enlightenment, albeit in a somewhat ironic and negative way by the end of the novel. The Folly of Human Conceits: Swift satirizes the arrogance of Enlightenment beliefs in progress and reason by showing how easily Gulliver's 'civilized' manners are met with absurdity or contempt. The Nature of Power: In Lilliput and Brobdingnag, power dynamics are tied to physical size, reflecting how arbitrary and corrupt power can be. The Limits of Human Understanding: Each society Gulliver visits has its own myopic worldview. Laputa shows the follies of valuing theoretical knowledge over practical wisdom, whereas the Yahoos represent human beings' basest instincts. Identity and Otherness: Gulliver's shifting identity, as either a giant or a dwarf among different peoples, offers commentary on relativism and the fear of the 'other.'
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Activity Ideas for the book Gulliver's Travels |
Lilliputian Diplomacy: Create a role-play exercise where students must negotiate a treaty between Lilliput and Blefuscu, considering the politics and conflicts Swift presents. Build Brobdingnag: Challenge your students to recreate objects from Brobdingnagian perspective. This could be a hands-on math activity by scaling items up. Debate Society: Host a classroom debate on the merits and pitfalls of Laputan society versus Houyhnhnm society to explore contrasts in philosophy and governance. Satirical News Report: Students can create satirical news reports on an issue from Gulliver’s Travels, highlighting the mockery of societal norms and the purpose of satire. Creative Writing Extension: Encourage students to write a fifth voyage for Gulliver, incorporating new lands that satirize modern society.
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