Gulliver's Travels Summary

Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" is a satirical novel that follows the voyages of Lemuel Gulliver to four fantastical lands. The story begins with Gulliver's journey to Lilliput, where he encounters tiny people who are only six inches tall. Their petty politics and absurd customs satirize European government and society. In his next voyage, Gulliver travels to Brobdingnag, a land of giants, where he becomes a curiosity and learns about the flaws of human nature from a different perspective. His third voyage takes him to Laputa, a floating island inhabited by intellectuals who are detached from practical concerns, and to Balnibarbi, where he encounters various absurd projects. Finally, Gulliver visits the land of the Houyhnhnms, rational horses who live in a utopian society, and the Yahoos, brutish humans who represent the worst aspects of humanity. Disillusioned by his experiences, Gulliver becomes misanthropic and withdraws from human society. "Gulliver's Travels" is celebrated for its biting satire, imaginative settings, and its critique of human follies and vices.