1-The first edition of "Gulliver's Travels"
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Click on the link below to view images of the first edition of Gulliver's Travels. Does seeing the book in this form add to (or change) your understanding of it? If so, in what way?
Looking at the cover of the first edition of Gulliver’s travels make it seem as if it were a travel brochure back in that time. It explains all about the fact that what you are about to read is about 4 voyages. I do not think seeing the book in this form has changed my understanding at all. However, I have a deeper appreciation for the fact that this book is so historical. Many people over many generations have read it and I think it is important in the history of literature. Bottom of Form
2-"We're not in Kansas any more"
How do the opening chapters of Gulliver's Travels imitate (and parody) traditional travel narratives?
If you've never seen The Wizard of Oz, here's a video :-)
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N77NaxlGlU#action=share
A word of clarification: the allusion to The Wizard of Oz is meant to be light-hearted, a way of saying we (and Gulliver) are somewhere strange; I don't mean that the film is a traditional travel narrative or that you should compare Gulliver's Travels to it.
Traditional travel narratives start out by the main character being hopeful about his or her upcoming adventure. This is exactly how the beginning chapter of “Gulliver’s Travels” begins. Also, usually it is explained in traditional travel narratives that the main character loves to travel. Usually sometimes, characters love of travel is what leads them to misfortune.
3- Lawyers, Guns, and Money
Why does Swift (in Chapters Five and Six) put an account of lawyers’ misuse of language next to a description of the effects of money? How are money and language similar?
The allusion in the title to this thread may be a little dated, so here's a video:
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1BxGded604#action=share
Money like language can be misused. For example, one can hurt someone deeply with their words while money can have quite a negative effect on a lot of people. I think that Swift might have put this in his novel because of the fact that money can change people. Words can change people because if you hurt someone Language and/or money probably changed a character in the novel as it is expected that characters will change in stories.
Monkey Business?
Can we compare Gulliver's Travels to a narrative like Planet of the Apes*? If so, in what ways specifically?
For those of you who might not know, Planet of the Apes was originally a novel-- 1963. For the purposes of discussion, you may refer to any of the films; just be clear which one(s) you're discussing.
I think we can definitely compare a narrative like Gulliver’s travels to a film like “Planet of the Apes”. We know that sometimes humans do not act like normal. They act like animals sometimes. I think that this is what the author tries to explain in “Gulliver’s Travels” that perhaps we should not be so quick to judge and realize that sometimes humans do not act correctly. Humans hurt each other often but animals seem to work together more. This is what this comparison makes me think about. I think that as a society we need to work more for the common goals than for our own individual goals.
*Reply for this discussion that my friend wrote it on discussion board on Monkey Business? Topic since I need to reply at least one for my classmate his name : Dukgyun Kang
Dukgyun Kang
RE: Monkey Business?
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Dukgyn,
I completely agree with you in your explanation. I think sometimes humans do not act civilized and therefore we affect a lot of people in our behavior. I think that your comparison was great. I think as society we need to learn to work better together and to understand each other more. This will make society more civilized. Bottom of Form
