"Gulliver's Travels": A bewildering Blend of 'fact' and ' fantasy'

NAME : Nidhi K. Kunvarani

ROLL NO. :18

M.A. Sem – I

SUB : THE NEO-CLASSICAL LITERATURE

TOPIC:"Gulliver's Travels":

As a bewildering Blend of 'fact' and ' fantasy'
 SUBMITTED TO:Department of English 
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji University        

GUIDED BY: HEENABA ZALA

“Gulliver’s Travels”: A bewildering blend of ‘fact’ and ‘fantasy’.

“Gulliver’s Travels” a fiction written by the great and well-known writer “Jonathan swift”. He was born in 1667-1745 in Dublin .And, he was educate at Trinity college, and, in 1713 became Dean of st,patrick’s cathedral. His great and prominent works are=

1.’A  Tale  of  a Tub’(1704)

2. ’The   Battle   of  the  Books’(1704

3.’A Modest Proposal’ (1720 )

4.”Gulliver’s   Travels ” (1726)

When we discussing about “Gulliver’s Travels” as a fiction before these for ourselves it ‘s must be known to that ‘what is fiction?’

*    What is fiction?

Fiction, in the inclusive sense, is any narrative which is feigned or invented rather than historically or factually true. In most present day discussion, however, the term “fiction” is applied primarily to prose narratives, and is sometimes used simply as a synonym for the novel. Literary  forms in which fiction takes off from fact are often denoted by compound names, such as “historical fiction”, ”fictional biography”,” fictional autobiography”.

-’A GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS’

( M. H. ABRAMS)

Above definition about ‘fiction’ is given by M.H .ABRAMS. The word ‘fiction’ came from the literary word ‘fictitious prose’ that means ‘Novel’ or something like that. so, Now let’s we discussing about “Gulliver’s Travels” as a fiction.

 *    Title-“Gulliver’s Travels” as a fiction

Title creates very great   influenced on any work .so, in the same  way here  the  title of the  work is very simple, attractive and very great impressive. Title of these  work through we can easily got the idea about some themes.Title  through the “Gulliver’s Travels” we can easily got the idea about the theme of ”Traveling”,but here the ‘Traveling’ is not only external but internal journey also.

*    Theme-in “Gulliver’s Travels”

Through the title we can  easily know that “Traveling” is the main  theme of the fiction .But , both of’s “Traveling” is so far away  from  the  each other .Gulliver’s journey was external while swift’s journey is internal.  So,   may  be, here  swift  used as a  one kind of  mouthpiece.  And , writer wrote this work the time was the wore period .so, may be his mind also connected with the present  issue or present  theme.

         *Structure and plot of the fiction

The   Book  is  written in  the  form  of a travelogue.  The  hero and narrator of the story is Lemuel  Gulliver, an  English physician who chose to travel as a ship’s surgeon when he is unable to take care of his family on his very low income. Gulliver is endowed with a enthuasistic, almost journalistic sense of reportage, and a desire   to  travel. The book is made up of four parts, each part dealing with the person’s   experience in a different fantasy land.

*PART   :1. A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT

The   very   first part deals with Gulliver’s  experiences in  the land of the little people where Gulliver only the  giant and other some very small creature that is the satire on the very minor  minority of the human-beings .And, the another satire of the politics of the England. In the end of the first part Gulliver escapes from Lilliput and returns to England. Before long he sets out on a second voyage which takes him to Brobdingnag. 

*PART:2.’A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG’

Here the situation is reversed.

Gulliver reached the land Brobdingnag  where he laughed at on the body of Lilliputian but the real satire of swift’s on the in away human body. 

*PART:3.’A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI, LUGGNAGG, GLUBBDUBDRIB AND JAPAN.

This part is a satire on the scientists and philosophers of the age and satire on the Royal society. Glubbdubdrib is the island of sorcerers and magicians where it is possible to summon people who are dead to make an appearance. In Luggnag, Gulliver encounters.The experiments at Laputa, Balnibarbi and Luggnag  do not yield anything. The frightening emptiness and sterility of a purely scientific society is   evident   from  this book. After a brief journey to Japan, Gulliver returns to England before setting out on his final voyage to the land of the Houyhnhnms.

*PART:4. ’A VOYAGE TO THE HOUYHNHNMS’

In the last part Gulliver met the Houyhnhnms or horses and yahoos. In this part we can feel that ‘Animity in human-being and Humanity in the behavior of the Animals.’

*    “Gulliver’s Travels”: as a bewildering blend of a fact and fantasy

So, before we going on the detailed, first of all for the ourselves it is must be known to that the definitions of the ‘fact’ and ’fantasy’. 

 What is ‘fact’? and, What is ‘fantasy’?

The word ‘fact’ is very simple and familiar. ’fact’ is no other but ‘fact’ is within perspective. ’fact ’means what is actually happens.

While, ’fantasy’ the word  is totally different than the word ‘fact’. ’fantasy’ means the imagination state of the mind. And, ‘fantasy’ arise from the sponteneously through the unconscious mind .sigmund  Freud saw ‘fantasy’ as a vehicle for the expression of repressed or some suppressed desires. Now, let’s we discussing about the mixture of ‘fact’ and ‘fantasy’.

*Blend of ‘fact’ and ‘fantasy’

“Gulliver’s Travels “mixture of the both elements ‘fact’ and ‘fantasy’. In

One side “Gulliver’s Travels” ‘fact’ because through the fiction not only ‘Gulliver’ but may be ‘swift’ also “travelling ”.but, Gulliver’s “travelling “is in the himself. while, swift’s “travelling “in within himself.”Gulliver’s Travels” in one eyes we can see and feel that it is very easy to understand but the real layer behind the ’fantasy’ is something else.  while,  on the other side “Gulliver’s Travels” is ‘fantasy’ because through the thing of ‘fantasy’ not only but all the people enjoyed a lot. For the child” Gulliver’s Travels” is the thing for only the enjoyment but ‘fantasy’ behind the truth or ‘fact’ is something b In this way we can see that ‘Gulliver’s Travels” a bewildering blend of ‘fact’ and ‘fantasy’ both.  But, with this few theories became  very helpful to became this point more clear. Behind the ’fantasy’   the real truth or bitter ‘fact’ was

 Something   else.

*    “Gulliver’s Travels” as a ‘Utopias’ and ‘Dystopias’

What is ‘utopia’ and in which way connecting   with ”Gulliver’s Travels”

The word ‘utopia’ came from the Greek word,”outopia”(no place).

And “eutopia (good place); utopian world is far away from the real world. The utopia can be distinguished from representations of imaginary places.  Which, either because they are superior to the real world. It is also used as vehicles for ‘satire’ on human life and society.

Above all characteristics proved that “Gulliver’s Travels” as a utopia. It is the very deeply ‘satire’ on the human nature. And,  The world is far and mare superior than the real world. so that we can say that “Gulliver’s Travels” as an ‘utopia’.

The word “Dystopia” means “bad place” has recently come to be applied to works of fiction which represent a very unpleasant or un idealistic imaginary world. In the Dystopian world present social, political and technological order are projected in future culmination.

Above all the characteristics related with “Dystopia” and “Gulliver’s Travels” is also full of social and political order based on fiction. so that we can also say that “Gulliver’s Travels”

What is “colonialism”? And, how it is related with the “Gulliver’s Travels”

The word “Colonialism” related with the “British Raj”. ”colonialism” means during the period of wore British country rule over the third world country means who was ruler that’s  called “colonizer” and whom on ruled that’s called ”colonized” and this concept very apt and appropriate for this “fiction”. Because, when writer wrote this book may be this period was wore so, that’s why My be writer showed some things through the characters of “Gulliver” is Giant and some Lilliputians were very tiny, so, this picture showed the “colonialism “in the “Gulliver’s Travels”

    What is “Reader Response Theory?” and, How can we applying this theory in the “”Gulliver’s Travels”

“Reader Response Theory” means what the reader’s perspective after reading the book or anything.

Above all examples through we can say that “Reader Response Theory” also we can applying here.

The reader who is child so their response for the work is something else while the gentleman reading  in that time their view point is also different and while the old man reading this book in that time all’s perspective or response for the same thing is something else.

Above all those point through  we can say that “Gulliver’s Travels” as a really bewildering blend of the ‘fact” and ”fantasy”.

Above all the topic   title, theme, plot, and different theories through we can say that “Gulliver’s Travels” mixture of the both the elements ’fact’ and ’fantasy”