Perpetua Onyekwelu's blog.Guilliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift.
Jonathan Swift was born in 1667, to an English parents in Dublin. He attended Trinity collage a good school that opened for him a door of opportunity to serve as secretary to England's statesman Sir William Tample. In 1692, he added more feather to his wings by receiving an M.A. from Oxford University another very respected and highly accredited learning institution then and even till date. Jonathan had the passion for helping the mental impaired. His widow's might was donated to build a mental Hospital. In 1695 he took orders and became a clergyman in the Anglican church, the call he combined with his first job as a secretary to state man. In early eighteenth century, Jonathan took a career in political journalism and published some brilliant satiric works. As a journalist and a publisher, he used the avenue to fight for the oppressed Irish people who suffered from the English Politicians "the absentee Landlord" [pg433]. In 1713 Swift became the dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. He was a great honest writer who never allowed sentiment or readers feeling to command his sense of writing. He "calls our attention to the divergences in our life between what we say we believe and how we actually behave". Gulliver's Travels' checkmates and remind us of how hypocritically we live and brings to light the effects of our bad judgment and actions. Bring it back home to our today's American in what we preach and practice "a Country's greatness should be measured by the amount of respect and regard it shows to other Countries even economically and otherwise they seem less than Lilliputians". The fact that the Lilliputians in-spite of their sizes on one hand displays "strength in number," when united and in the other hand showed how humble and law abide he can be, It did pay off. "Respect being reciprocal" The Lilliputians paid him back with a lot of honor and respect for obeying them.
From the beginning of Gulliver's travels, one can see that Gulliver is drawn to this voyage in a strong way. One might say Gulliver is adventurous and likes to explore new places, whatever the case, he is drawn to this voyage and leaves home. Gulliver says, "I left my poor wife big with child." (Swift 437). This is one indicator of how important this trip is to Gulliver. This is also an indicator of Gulliver's positive attitude towards the voyage. If he did not think something good would come of it, he most likely would not be going on it. While on his journey he comes across the Houyhnhnms, and that's when his attitude first changes. He notices that the Houyhnhnms are the superior creature of the land he is in, although it is a much different world than he is used to. He seemed to be angry at his own people, whom the Houyhnhnms called yahoos, for the way that they treated horses, or Houyhnhnms. At this point Gulliver's attitude became less positive, because he was disgusted at the way his own kind acts. When describing horses, Gulliver said, "they were the most generous and comely animal we had; that they excelled in strength and swiftness." Gulliver clearly has great respect for the horses. One might say Gulliver is weak because he let the Houyhnhnms keep him and examine him. Although this may seem true, it could also be said that Gulliver has an open mind and respect for all intelligent forms of life, be it a yahoo or houyhnhnms. Gulliver does not seem to think he is better than everyone or everything else around him, but he seems humble which can be a very honorable trait.
In Jonathan Swift/Gulliver's Travels the story was not very interesting. The Yahoo's was humanlike creatures that acted like animals.They were very uncivilized and they were ruled by emotions.The Houyhnhnms was more of an horse like creature that acted as if they were humans. They were rational,honsty,civilized and they ruled their land. When Gulliver was thrown off his ship into the land of the unknown he was afraid. When he was brougth to his masters house he was amaized of how such horse like creatures could possible be ruling to such degree. Gulliver didn't understand that because where he was from horses was used for riding and pulling carriges. As Gulliver and his new master started to communicate and the began to understand each other they found out that they really are just alike it's just vice versa. In Gulliver's country the Houyhnhnms would be the animal and in the Houyhnhnms country Gulliver is the animal. Gulliver's master would always ask him questions and wanted him to answer them but when Gulliver would answer them and if he thought he was not telling the truth he would say, "I cannot but think that you have said the thing which is not."(453)Gulliver stated,"I could not forebear shaking my head and smiling a little at his ignorance."(453)When Gulliver was finished explaining his life and how his country does things, his master relized that they were just alike and Gulliver did also they just had different features.The Norton Anthology of World Literature volumn D pages 433-483
Upon Gulliver’s arrival to this new land, he takes a moment to rest, and to contemplate his best course of action. He decides that he will surrender to the first savages he meets, and purchase his life with toys and trinkets, which he is sure they will be amazed by. He sees several sets of human tracks, as well as horses and cows, but after he begins to describe the creatures, I forget altogether the mention of human tracks. He describes their bodies as singular and deformed, and the areas on their bodies which was covered by hair, and those not covered. He states “They climbed high trees as nimbly as a squirrel, for they had strong extended claws before and behind, terminating in sharp points, and hooded” (Swift 439). As I continue to read, I am visualizing Gulliver lying behind a thicket observing some ugly species of clawed apes. It is not until chapter two that it finally dawns on me that these creatures are indeed humans. The master horse orders that Gulliver be compared to the largest of the Yahoos. “My horror and astonishment are not to be described, when I observed in this abominable animal, a perfect human figure” (Swift 442). Gulliver expresses his disgust toward the Yahoos early on, and as the story progresses, he begins to associate these same feelings toward his fellow countrymen. “When I thought of my family, my friends, my countrymen, or the human race in general, I considered them, as they really were, Yahoos in shape and disposition, perhaps a little more civilized, and qualified with the gift of speech; but making no other use of reason, than to improve and multiply those vices whereof their brethren in this country had only the share that nature allotted them” (Swift 472). He confesses that all the knowledge he has come to posses that is of any value has been acquired by the lectures he’s received from his master. After Gulliver returns home to his wife and children, he is greeted by them and passes out when his wife kisses him. He says that during the first year after his arrival, he could not stand for his family to be in his presence, much less eat in the same room with him. He has two horses, which were the first purchases he made, with whom he talks to for at least four hours each day. I do not however think they speak the same language as the Houynhnms, because Gulliver says they understand him “tolerably well”, but he doesn’t mention them talking back.
In Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels," Gulliver's was dropped off of his ship on the coast of an unknown land. While on this land, he encounters two different groups of beings, the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms. While the creatures looked similar to what he was familiar with, the behaved the exact opposite. The Yahoos were described as a human-like being. Gulliver's described them as having a little hair in some places but said, "the rest of their bodies were bare, so that I might see their skins" (Swift 438). He also said that they "often stood on their hind feet" (Swift 439). Based on this description given by Gulliver's, one would assume the creature to look very similar to a human being. Although they may have had the physical appearance of a human, they were very uncivilized and everything the did was based off of emotions. The Houyhnhnms, however, were physically more horse-like but were very smart and governing, and lead by reason. Gulliver seemed to recognize a language between them. He stated, "The two creatures stood silent while I spoke, seeming to listen with great attention; and when I had ended, they neighed frequently towards each other, as if they were engaged in serious conversation" (Swift 440). Gulliver found it very interesting that they were so different from those back home and later told his master about the people in his country.
Like Ms. Collins stated I found the story of Gulliver's Travel by Jonathan Swift to be very uninteresting. I tried to read the story over and over and unintersting was still my opinion. I thought the worst was ahead of me when I first started reading. It seemed difficult to understand which started the repeated readings. I then found it easier to read the text. The story began when Gulliver decided to leave his pregnant wife and is children and "accepted an advantageous offer made him to be Captain of the Adventure, a stout merchantman of 350 tons," (Swift 437.) On board fifty of his cruisemen passed due to "calentures," ( Swift 437.) He was then forced to hire a new staff, which he soon regretted when they decided to take advantage of him and capture him. They soon set his ashore which he found himself in an unfamiliar situation. He was greeted by the Yahoo's. The Yahoo's were humanlike creatures but were described as " their heads and breasts were covered with a thick hair, some frizzled and others lank; they had beards like goats, and a long ridge of hair down thier backs........they had no tails, nor hair at all except on their buttocks, excpet about the anus," ( Swift 438.) In the heat of distress Gulliver was then approaced by The Houyhnhnm's. Whom were the horses described to have humanlike tendecies. Gulliver first percieved the horses to be magicians who " metamorphosed themselves upon some design; and seeing a stranger in the what, were resolved to divert themselves with him," (Swift 440.) Gulliver deemed himself more comfortable, and had more of a connection with the Houyhnhnm's than with the Yahoo's. He related to their sense of civilization, postures, and communication. His respect grew more with thier master, so much so that he related stories of his culture and society.
I agree with Perpetua's statement, "Gulliver's Travels' checkmates and remind us of how hypocritically we live and brings to light the effects of our bad judgment and actions." Gulliver seems to lose his positive attitude during the story. This may be because he is away from his own world and he gets to see what other life is like. The answer to Gulliver's attitude change could be in the statement above. The statement talks how people are hypocritical and how people do not realize how the bad decisions they make effect the things or people around them. Being away from home allowed Gulliver to see how wrong some things were back in his home land. He seemed somewhat disgusted and uncomfortable when talking to his master about how horses are treated where he is from. This is apparent when Gulliver asks his master to excuse him from proceeding any farther, when talking about how the horse lived and how they were treated. However his master urged him to continue, and Gulliver went on to say, "It put me to the pains of many circumlocutions to give my master a right idea of what I spoke," which clearly shows he was uncomfortable and almost ashamed with the topic.
Jonathan Swift "Gullivers travels" to me was interesting. Once he found the Yahoo's and the Houyhnhnm's he quickly realized that he saw himself as a Houyhnhnm and not a Yahoo. The Houyhnhnm's thought of him as a Yahoo but only by his physical appearance and not by which he presented himself and his urgency to learn the launguage and their life stlye. He didnt like being addressed as a Yahoo for they were nasty savages with terrible hygeine and no brain compasity to speak of. My favorite part of this story is when Gulliver's trying to explain the way of how his world works in england to his Honour. He explains to him about the low life ways of human kind that he employed on his ship (murder, theft, rape, poisoning, robery,ect.). Then he tried to explain war and why or what people fight over and the statement he said about war is so on key that it can be used to define any war ever fought and any war to come. Gulliver summed everything up by saying, "Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance,whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh: whether the juice of a certain berry be blodd or wine; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue;whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire; what is the best colour for a coat, whether black, white, red, or grey; and whether it should be long or short, narrow or wide, dirty or clean, with many more. Neither are any wars so furious and bloody, or of so long continuance, as those occasioned by difference in opinion, especially if it be in the things indifferent." I think that after Gulliver was able to break down and help his Honour understand the way of his world, Gulliver himself also realized how inhumane somethings were, whether it be the treating of animals, to the queens and princes fighting another battle. And i think that, that new found understanding and dislike of his world came off as all high mighty or stand off ish once he got home and almost resented his civilization.
The Barrelmaker Brimful Of Love was not very interesting to me because I did not like the fact that Osen was sent away to pay off her parents debt."One New Year's Eve of her thirteenth year her parents were short the sum of silver required as a village tax, which amounted to one-third of their income, and was sent to serve as a lady's maidin an imposing city-house near Temma."(Saukaku 591) Then Osen betrays her husband by trying to make love to Chozaemon."Then began what was to be their first and last attempt at love-making."(Saikaku 603) because she wanted to "teach that woman a lesson."(Saikaku 603)for accusing her of having sex because her hair was messed up.I would say that it is just like that today when someone accusing you of something for so long if your mind isn't strong or its too much peer peressure you tend to act out the things that your are being accused of doing. And sometimes you can feel so guilty like Osen did and kill yourself also.
yes i just created my account and i was trying to see if i was in the right place!!!
ReplyDeleteHow do u post to the blog though I cant the link to submitt anything.....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hulu.com/watch/197317/gullivers-travels
ReplyDeleteThis was quite funny to me...its kinda long but i enjoyed it.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehow /do /you Post
ReplyDeletePerpetua Onyekwelu's blog.Guilliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Swift was born in 1667, to an English parents in Dublin. He attended Trinity collage a good school that opened for him a door of opportunity to serve as secretary to England's statesman Sir William Tample. In 1692, he added more feather to his wings by receiving an M.A. from Oxford University another very respected and highly accredited learning institution then and even till date. Jonathan had the passion for helping the mental impaired. His widow's might was donated to build a mental Hospital.
In 1695 he took orders and became a clergyman in the Anglican church, the call he combined with his first job as a secretary to state man. In early eighteenth century, Jonathan took a career in political journalism and published some brilliant satiric works. As a journalist and a publisher, he used the avenue to fight for the oppressed Irish people who suffered from the English Politicians "the absentee Landlord" [pg433]. In 1713 Swift became the dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. He was a great honest writer who never allowed sentiment or readers feeling to command his sense of writing. He "calls our attention to the divergences in our life between what we say we believe and how we actually behave".
Gulliver's Travels' checkmates and remind us of how hypocritically we live and brings to light the effects of our bad judgment and actions. Bring it back home to our today's American in what we preach and practice "a Country's greatness should be measured by the amount of respect and regard it shows to other Countries even economically and otherwise they seem less than Lilliputians". The fact that the Lilliputians in-spite of their sizes on one hand displays "strength in number," when united and in the other hand showed how humble and law abide he can be, It did pay off. "Respect being reciprocal" The Lilliputians paid him back with a lot of honor and respect for obeying them.
fAlex Carson
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning of Gulliver's travels, one can see that Gulliver is drawn to this voyage in a strong way. One might say Gulliver is adventurous and likes to explore new places, whatever the case, he is drawn to this voyage and leaves home. Gulliver says, "I left my poor wife big with child." (Swift 437). This is one indicator of how important this trip is to Gulliver. This is also an indicator of Gulliver's positive attitude towards the voyage. If he did not think something good would come of it, he most likely would not be going on it. While on his journey he comes across the Houyhnhnms, and that's when his attitude first changes. He notices that the Houyhnhnms are the superior creature of the land he is in, although it is a much different world than he is used to. He seemed to be angry at his own people, whom the Houyhnhnms called yahoos, for the way that they treated horses, or Houyhnhnms. At this point Gulliver's attitude became less positive, because he was disgusted at the way his own kind acts. When describing horses, Gulliver said, "they were the most generous and comely animal we had; that they excelled in strength and swiftness." Gulliver clearly has great respect for the horses. One might say Gulliver is weak because he let the Houyhnhnms keep him and examine him. Although this may seem true, it could also be said that Gulliver has an open mind and respect for all intelligent forms of life, be it a yahoo or houyhnhnms. Gulliver does not seem to think he is better than everyone or everything else around him, but he seems humble which can be a very honorable trait.
In Jonathan Swift/Gulliver's Travels the story was not very interesting. The Yahoo's was humanlike creatures that acted like animals.They were very uncivilized and they were ruled by emotions.The Houyhnhnms was more of an horse like creature that acted as if they were humans. They were rational,honsty,civilized
ReplyDeleteand they ruled their land. When Gulliver was thrown off his ship into the land of the unknown he was afraid. When he was brougth to his masters house he was amaized of how such horse like creatures could possible be ruling to such degree. Gulliver didn't understand that because where he was from horses was used for riding and pulling carriges. As Gulliver and his new master started to communicate and the began to understand each other they found out that they really are just alike it's just vice versa. In Gulliver's country the Houyhnhnms would be the animal and in the Houyhnhnms country Gulliver is the animal. Gulliver's master would always ask him questions and wanted him to answer them but when Gulliver would answer them and if he thought he was not telling the truth he would say, "I cannot but think that you have said the thing which is not."(453)Gulliver stated,"I could not forebear shaking my head and smiling a little at his ignorance."(453)When Gulliver was finished explaining his life and how his country does things, his master relized that they were just alike and Gulliver did also they just had different features.The Norton Anthology of World Literature volumn D pages 433-483
Upon Gulliver’s arrival to this new land, he takes a moment to rest, and to contemplate his best course of action. He decides that he will surrender to the first savages he meets, and purchase his life with toys and trinkets, which he is sure they will be amazed by.
ReplyDeleteHe sees several sets of human tracks, as well as horses and cows, but after he begins to describe the creatures, I forget altogether the mention of human tracks. He describes their bodies as singular and deformed, and the areas on their bodies which was covered by hair, and those not covered. He states “They climbed high trees as nimbly as a squirrel, for they had strong extended claws before and behind, terminating in sharp points, and hooded” (Swift 439). As I continue to read, I am visualizing Gulliver lying behind a thicket observing some ugly species of clawed apes. It is not until chapter two that it finally dawns on me that these creatures are indeed humans. The master horse orders that Gulliver be compared to the largest of the Yahoos. “My horror and astonishment are not to be described, when I observed in this abominable animal, a perfect human figure” (Swift 442).
Gulliver expresses his disgust toward the Yahoos early on, and as the story progresses, he begins to associate these same feelings toward his fellow countrymen. “When I thought of my family, my friends, my countrymen, or the human race in general, I considered them, as they really were, Yahoos in shape and disposition, perhaps a little more civilized, and qualified with the gift of speech; but making no other use of reason, than to improve and multiply those vices whereof their brethren in this country had only the share that nature allotted them” (Swift 472). He confesses that all the knowledge he has come to posses that is of any value has been acquired by the lectures he’s received from his master.
After Gulliver returns home to his wife and children, he is greeted by them and passes out when his wife kisses him. He says that during the first year after his arrival, he could not stand for his family to be in his presence, much less eat in the same room with him. He has two horses, which were the first purchases he made, with whom he talks to for at least four hours each day. I do not however think they speak the same language as the Houynhnms, because Gulliver says they understand him “tolerably well”, but he doesn’t mention them talking back.
Is there where we post? When is it due?
ReplyDeleteIn Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels," Gulliver's was dropped off of his ship on the coast of an unknown land. While on this land, he encounters two different groups of beings, the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms. While the creatures looked similar to what he was familiar with, the behaved the exact opposite. The Yahoos were described as a human-like being. Gulliver's described them as having a little hair in some places but said, "the rest of their bodies were bare, so that I might see their skins" (Swift 438). He also said that they "often stood on their hind feet" (Swift 439). Based on this description given by Gulliver's, one would assume the creature to look very similar to a human being. Although they may have had the physical appearance of a human, they were very uncivilized and everything the did was based off of emotions. The Houyhnhnms, however, were physically more horse-like but were very smart and governing, and lead by reason. Gulliver seemed to recognize a language between them. He stated, "The
ReplyDeletetwo creatures stood silent while I spoke, seeming to listen with great attention; and when I had ended, they neighed frequently towards each other, as if they were engaged in serious conversation" (Swift 440). Gulliver found it very interesting that they were so different from those back home and later told his master about the people in his country.
Like Ms. Collins stated I found the story of Gulliver's Travel by Jonathan Swift to be very uninteresting. I tried to read the story over and over and unintersting was still my opinion. I thought the worst was ahead of me when I first started reading. It seemed difficult to understand which started the repeated readings. I then found it easier to read the text.
ReplyDeleteThe story began when Gulliver decided to leave his pregnant wife and is children and "accepted an advantageous offer made him to be Captain of the Adventure, a stout merchantman of 350 tons," (Swift 437.)
On board fifty of his cruisemen passed due to "calentures," ( Swift 437.)
He was then forced to hire a new staff, which he soon regretted when they decided to take advantage of him and capture him. They soon set his ashore which he found himself in an unfamiliar situation. He was greeted by the Yahoo's. The Yahoo's were humanlike creatures but were described as " their heads and breasts were covered with a thick hair, some frizzled and others lank; they had beards like goats, and a long ridge of hair down thier backs........they had no tails, nor hair at all except on their buttocks, excpet about the anus," ( Swift 438.)
In the heat of distress Gulliver was then approaced by The Houyhnhnm's. Whom were the horses described to have humanlike tendecies. Gulliver first percieved the horses to be magicians who " metamorphosed themselves upon some design; and seeing a stranger in the what, were resolved to divert themselves with him," (Swift 440.) Gulliver deemed himself more comfortable, and had more of a connection with the Houyhnhnm's than with the Yahoo's. He related to their sense of civilization, postures, and communication. His respect grew more with thier master, so much so that he related stories of his culture and society.
I agree with Perpetua's statement, "Gulliver's Travels' checkmates and remind us of how hypocritically we live and brings to light the effects of our bad judgment and actions."
ReplyDeleteGulliver seems to lose his positive attitude during the story. This may be because he is away from his own world and he gets to see what other life is like. The answer to Gulliver's attitude change could be in the statement above. The statement talks how people are hypocritical and how people do not realize how the bad decisions they make effect the things or people around them.
Being away from home allowed Gulliver to see how wrong some things were back in his home land. He seemed somewhat disgusted and uncomfortable when talking to his master about how horses are treated where he is from. This is apparent when Gulliver asks his master to excuse him from proceeding any farther, when talking about how the horse lived and how they were treated. However his master urged him to continue, and Gulliver went on to say, "It put me to the pains of many circumlocutions to give my master a right idea of what I spoke," which clearly shows he was uncomfortable and almost ashamed with the topic.
Jonathan Swift "Gullivers travels" to me was interesting. Once he found the Yahoo's and the Houyhnhnm's he quickly realized that he saw himself as a Houyhnhnm and not a Yahoo. The Houyhnhnm's thought of him as a Yahoo but only by his physical appearance and not by which he presented himself and his urgency to learn the launguage and their life stlye. He didnt like being addressed as a Yahoo for they were nasty savages with terrible hygeine and no brain compasity to speak of.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of this story is when Gulliver's trying to explain the way of how his world works in england to his Honour. He explains to him about the low life ways of human kind that he employed on his ship (murder, theft, rape, poisoning, robery,ect.). Then he tried to explain war and why or what people fight over and the statement he said about war is so on key that it can be used to define any war ever fought and any war to come. Gulliver summed everything up by saying, "Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance,whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh: whether the juice of a certain berry be blodd or wine; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue;whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire; what is the best colour for a coat, whether black, white, red, or grey; and whether it should be long or short, narrow or wide, dirty or clean, with many more. Neither are any wars so furious and bloody, or of so long continuance, as those occasioned by difference in opinion, especially if it be in the things indifferent."
I think that after Gulliver was able to break down and help his Honour understand the way of his world, Gulliver himself also realized how inhumane somethings were, whether it be the treating of animals, to the queens and princes fighting another battle. And i think that, that new found understanding and dislike of his world came off as all high mighty or stand off ish once he got home and almost resented his civilization.
The Barrelmaker Brimful Of Love was not very interesting to me because I did not like the fact that Osen was sent away to pay off her parents debt."One New Year's Eve of her thirteenth year her parents were short the sum of silver required as a village tax, which amounted to one-third of their income, and was sent to serve as a lady's maidin an imposing city-house near Temma."(Saukaku 591)
ReplyDeleteThen Osen betrays her husband by trying to make love to Chozaemon."Then began what was to be their first and last attempt at love-making."(Saikaku 603) because she wanted to "teach that woman a lesson."(Saikaku 603)for accusing her of having sex because her hair was messed up.I would say that it is just like that today when someone accusing you of something for so long if your mind isn't strong or its too much peer peressure you tend to act out the things that your are being accused of doing. And sometimes you can feel so guilty like Osen did and kill yourself also.