STAGE
4
Gulliver’s Travels
Jonathan Swift
Introduction
This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use only
and should not be given to students.
The story
In 1699, a ship’s doctor called Gulliver is shipwrecked
on an island in the Pacific Ocean. Gulliver wakes up
on a beach to find his body fastened to the ground by
tiny people who are only fifteen centimetres tall. They
are from Lilliput, a country of small, intelligent people,
ruled over by a king. At first the people are afraid of
One day Gulliver is snatched by a bird who drops
this ‘Man-Mountain’ and keep him in chains. However,
him in the sea. He is picked up by sailors and returns
Gulliver soon learns their language and promises
to England. Once again Gulliver sails off on adventures
to help them. In return, the King frees Gulliver and
and ends up on the flying island of Laputa which is
provide him with food.
inhabited by strange looking people interested only in
Gulliver observes the good and bad customs of
music and mathematics. Gulliver also visits Balnibarbi
Lilliput with interest and learns about the two factions
where he finds clever men studying inventions while
in Lilliput – the Small-Endians and the Big-Endians.
the rest of the people are poor and hungry.
The King’s faction, the Small-Endians believe that
Before
boiled eggs should be broken at the small end while
returning
to
England
Gulliver
visits
Glubbdubdrib, an island of magicians who enable
the rebel Big-Endians believe the opposite. Some of
Gulliver to question historical figures from the past.
the Big-Endians have escaped to the neighbouring
Gulliver returns to England, sets sail again and is
country of Blefuscu which is planning to defeat Lilliput
wrecked in a country ruled by intelligent horses called
in war. Gulliver helps the King and drags fifty Blefuscan
Houys. Their servants, the Yahoos, are ugly animals
warships to Lilliput. When the King asks Gulliver
with human faces. Gulliver finds the Yahoos’ behaviour
to destroy all the Blefuscan ships, Gulliver refuses.
disgusting in contrast to the peaceful and generous
From this moment the King turns against Gulliver and
conduct of their masters, the Houys. On returning to
decides to blind him. Gulliver escapes to Blefuscu and
England, Gulliver realises his fellow countrymen are all
eventually returns to England.
just Yahoos who will lie, steal and fight forever, without
Although Gulliver is pleased to see his wife, he
listening to truth or reason.
becomes restless and leaves England in a ship which
is blown off course. Gulliver is left alone in the country
Background to the story
of Brobdingnag and finds that he is now a dwarf in a
Jonathan Swift was born in 1667 in Dublin, Ireland, and
land of giants. One of these giant men finds Gulliver
died in 1745. When Gulliver’s Travels was published in
and takes him home where he is looked after by a kind
1726 it was an immediate success and continues to
girl called Glumdalclitch.
be read by everyone, from politicians to children. It can
The man exhibits Gulliver throughout Brobdingnag
be read both as a sharp attack on eighteenth-century
until he is bought by the King and Queen. Gulliver leads
ideas and customs and as a funny and amusing
a comfortable life at the palace with Glumdalclitch still
account of the fantastic adventures of its hero.
looking after him. He is, however, tormented by the
Queen’s dwarf and stolen by a monkey who nearly
kills him.
The King asks Gulliver about life in England. Gulliver
proudly explains the political and legal systems but the
King laughs at all the weaknesses of these systems.
Gulliver offers the King the secret of gunpowder which
he rejects because it is so cruel.
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© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
STAGE
4
Gulliver’s Travels
Pre-reading activity
Match the words with the pictures
1
4
7
5
8
2
6
3
a While I was talking, the King
was making notes.
b Little men climbed up with
baskets of food and drink.
c I sat on the seat, and was
pulled up to the island.
d I saw two huge rats run
towards me across the bed.
e To my horror, these ugly
animals, called Yahoos, had
human faces which looked
very similar to mine.
f My guards put chains on my
left leg.
g I was trying to find a hole in
the hedge.
h The Queen put her hand
out of the window for me to
kiss.
To the teacher
Aim: To familiarize students with the story and
When everyone has completed this task, check the
characters
answers.
Time: 15 minutes
Next ask the students to look again at the pictures
Organization: Give one copy of the worksheet to
and find the hero Gulliver. What do they notice about
each student, or each group of students. Ask them
the size of Gulliver? Can they guess any of Gulliver’s
to match the words with the appropriate picture.
adventures?
Key: 1b, 2f, 3h, 4g, 5d, 6a, 7c, 8e.
PHOTOCOPIABLE
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56
STAGE
4
Gulliver’s Travels
While reading activity
Match the events with the country
Put these events from the story next to the country where they happen.
Then order the events as they occur in the book.
COUNTRY
WHERE
ORDER
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Lilliput
1
2
Brobdingnag
a
3
4
5
6
7
i
a A large bird carries Gulliver away.
b Guards put ninety-one chains on his left leg.
c Hundreds of tiny men take him to the capital
city.
d He is exhibited all over the country.
e A giant picks him up in a field.
f He escapes to Blefuscu and returns to
England.
g He wakes up on the beach to find his body
fastened to the ground.
h The King and Queen buy him.
He is set free by the King in return for certain
promises.
j The Queen’s dwarf drops him into a bowl of
milk.
k The King decides to shoot arrows into his
eyes.
l Glumdalclitch starts to look after him.
m He pulls fifty Blefuscan warships along with
hooks.
n The King takes notes about the political
system in his country.
To the teacher
Where: At the end of Chapter 9
which events take place in Lilliput and which ones
Aim: To order, revise and remember what has been
in Brobdingnag. They should write their answers in
read
the first box. When they have done this, quickly go
Time: 25 minutes
through the answers as a class. Then ask them to
Organization: As a class ask everybody how much
order the events as they take place in the story and
they can remember about the countries of Lilliput
write their answers in the second box.
and Brobdingnag. Then give each student, or group
Key: Lilliput: 1g, 2c, 3b, 4i, 5m, 6k, 7f;
of students a copy of the chart. Ask them to identify
Brobdingnag: 1e, 2l, 3d, 4h, 5j, 6n, 7a.
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© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE
STAGE
4
Gulliver’s Travels
After reading activity
Word grid
Find the answers to the clues below and fill in the word grid. When you have finished you
will find the name of a place, which runs down through the middle of all the words. The
first has been done for you.
1 Gulliver is taken away in this by a large
bird.
2 In Lilliput government officials are
chosen by this type of dancing.
3 Gulliver meets the ........................................ of Julius
Caesar.
4 The monkey thinks that Gulliver is this.
5 Gulliver’s real job.
6 The place where Gulliver is called ‘ManMountain’.
7 Gulliver tries to give away the secret of
this powder.
8 At the end Gulliver thinks that humans
will always lie, steal and ....................................... .
because they are all Yahoos.
9 Very small.
10 Gulliver kills this animal with his sword.
11 The name of a person who breaks their
egg in a different way to the King.
1
B
O
X
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
To the teacher
Aim: To help revise vocabulary and key events
When everyone has finished, go through the answers
Time: 20 minutes
as a class and ask students to comment on the
Organization: Give each student, or pair of students a
words. For example: What happened to Gulliver after
copy of the grid and look at the first example together
he was taken away in the box by the large bird?
as a class. Ask the students to read the clues and find
Key: 1 box; 2 rope; 3 ghost; 4 baby; 5 doctor;
the other missing words. When they have done all
6 Lilliput; 7 gunpowder; 8 fight; 9 tiny; 10 rat;
the questions they will find the name of a place that
11 Big-Endian. Place name: Brobdingnag.
Gulliver visits, which runs down through the words.
PHOTOCOPIABLE
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