Gulliver's Travels II

The next part of Gulliver’s travels is about Gulliver coming to a land full of giant people. Of course, these people are civilized, and he learns their language with ease. I was still stymied by the complexity of the language, but it did seem that most of the satire in this section had to do with how the protagonists life was almost constantly in danger, and yet it was remarked how brutish and savage his race was. I have noticed several constants in the writings. First, the author, though at first he must communicate in a basic manner, is soon able to communicate fully, and is also very quickly capable of exploring the society very completely. The author always is in favor at some point with the royalty, and is able to discuss politics. The author uses all this to very quickly delve into the social satire, which, though I know it exists, I struggle to find. I am certain that if I ever revisit this book in later years, I will pick up plenty that I currently am missing. In my reading, Gulliver has just recently joined the Laputans, who should not be confused with the Liliputians. The Laputans are so obviously a satirical prod at intellectuals that I could not miss it. These people are described as constantly contemplating things of great importance that they seldom pay attention to their surroundings or even remember to speak in conversation. Of course, with their great intellect, they have a complete inability to complete seemingly mundane tasks. They can think, but cannot act.