Gulliver's Travels, Book I

Quiz Alternate Question

In 1516, Sir Thomas More published his famous work Utopia, in which he presented an imaginary country whose social and political practices were a blend of the admirable and silly. English writers since More often invented further such societies, of similarly mixed characteristics. The interpretive problem with any of these utopias is to tease out which practices the writer is suggesting England should adopt, and which are knowingly absurd and intended (perhaps) to satirize something present in English culture.

In Book I of Gulliver's Travels (especially Chapter VI), Swift presents one of these wise/foolish utopias. Describe various aspects of Lilliput as a utopian society and assess what Swift is seriously recommending and what he is making up either purely for amusement or to make a satirical point.

Due: Wednesday, November 19.