Dear reader! I invite you to take your mind off the writing style of the eighteenth century and, after me, focus on the main ideas of the great novel. After reading the article, you will understand how timely Jonathan Swift “Gulliver's Travel” created for 18th-century England! The summary of the novel plunges us into the four wanderings of the British Odyssey - Lemuel Gulliver, first a land surgeon, then a brave sailing captain of the Lady of the Seas.
Consider the first part of the novel, it is deeply public. The shipwrecked Gulliver becomes a captive of the midgets. The author subtly ridiculed the far-fetchedness of the conceptual inter-party contradictions of Liliput: about the height of the heels, from which side to break the egg. A brief summary of Gulliver's Journey in artistic form shows the worthlessness of the bipartisan puppet confrontation between the bourgeois. Ironically described the "humanity" of a democratic society of the country of shorties. After captivating the enemy fleet with the help of Man-Mountain, the Lilliputians then decide to kill him. Moreover, the most humane of the dwarfs - Reldresel, secretary of secret affairs, offers “just” to gouge out Gulliver’s eyes so that his physical strength could continue to serve society. (Having discarded the bright colors of the narration of the true master, for the first part of the novel we get just such a brief summary.) “Gulliver's Journey” exposes the principle of modern Swift British society - “the state is above all.” The writer rips off masks, demonstrates that this leads to cruelty, injustice in relation to a simple person. The doctor of theology shows how a formless crowd of puny dwarfs, united by an inhuman state idea, turns into a monster. Lemuel, taking advantage of a passing British sailing ship, escapes from this state of little executioners.
In the second part of the novel, Gulliver ends up in Brobdingneg - the land of giants. It would seem that the situation has simply changed in a mirror, and even a naive reader will be able to predict its summary for the second part of the novel. Gulliver’s Journey, however, refutes this idea with a further plot. The talent of the great Irishman also finds fresh colors for his palette here. The writer shows how a huge bureaucratic state relates to the needs and requirements of a simple person experiencing urgent needs. They look at him, talk to him like a monkey, but all his aspirations are faced with the "ingenuous naivety of misunderstanding" of the giants. (What splendid words the writer found!) A thoughtful reader understands that the “good mine” of the giants is only evidence of a “bad game,” that is, the insolvency of arranging a society of thick-skinned rulers. In real life, behind such a mask of those in power is greed, hypocrisy, ambition, envy, voluptuousness. The last words were not invented by the author of the article, they are from a review of Swift himself, emphasizing that the second part "plunged the king into utter amazement."
In the third part, Lamuel gets to the island that flies, - Laputo. This is perhaps the brightest part of Jonathan Swift's novel. This is a brilliant foresight of the virtuality of a future society immersed in “news and politics”. Indeed, in the state system of Laputu, the characteristic features of the 21st century society are highlighted, it is not difficult to notice, even by reading a brief summary. A more detailed reading of Gulliver's Journey amazes with the description of the profession of “clapper” people (in our understanding of advertising agents), who draw public attention to things for sale. There is another category of people on the island that you can easily recognize. These are projectors (we call such "creators"). Having learned where it is not known, they, having arrived and seeing that somewhere something on the island is in order, is functioning, they begin to change, optimize this “something”, making it absurd. How familiar to employees of modern corporations! How often do you want to drive such pests in three necks!
The fourth, final part of Gulliver’s odyssey sends us to the country of noble horses, guignings, as they call themselves. They are served by humanoid echo creatures. Do you think, readers, that even this summary is an allegory? Gulliver's Journey in its fourth part is an appeal to people not to cripple themselves with civilization, to carefully preserve the best qualities given to man from nature: modesty, love, friendship, loyalty. It is significant that Lemuel Gulliver himself, to whom initially the guignings granted a credit of trust, having offered housing at home, does not pass the “humanity test”. He is expelled, being qualified by the court of horses as an echo.
Rector of Dublin Cathedral St. Patrick, Doctor of Theology Jonathan Swift was not a rebel, but was a citizen, sick with his big heart for the whole society. They say that they are the conscience of the nation. Swift wrote his great book at the turn of the 17th century, breaking the scope of traditional, canonical literature. A science fiction novel, a travel novel, a pamphlet romance full of satire on existing foundations - it was a real “bomb”, a sensation that had an impact on the whole of 18th-century English society. I would like to hope that the best adaptation of “Gulliver” is in the future, that she expects her Master, just as “Munchausen” waited for Oleg Yankovsky.