Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Michelle - Pride and Prejudice - Chapter 1
So Mom inspired me to pick up another classic. After Gulliver's Travels and only getting to chapter three, I am hoping Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin will hold more of my attention. If the first sentence is any indication -- I am in!
I didn't read any notes on the text at the beginning or any of the lengthy introduction by Vivien Jones or the original Penguin Classics intro by Tony Tanner because, well, I am not supposed to. I did read that Jane A. died at 37. Is that right?
The book had a reproduction of a reproduction of a reproduction of the original title page. A novel in three volumes. The date was 1813 or 1819 since the repo was hard to read. It makes a difference though. Think of the difference of 1983 to 1989 -- big difference.
The first sentence made me laugh out loud. Only because it's not true and then it is true. A single, rich man moving to the 'hood is still a hot item. He "came down on Monday in a chaise and four" and "was so delighted". More men should be delighted. I imagine him (forgot his name already) doing leprechaun kicks in front of this big manor with his starched, white cravat blowing in the breeze. Or it could have been just Mrs. Bennet's word choice but I hope not. I want him to be giddy.
Mrs. Bennet called her husband Mr. Bennet. Typical of the day? How impersonal. She wants him to visit the new rich man. Mr. Bennet compliments his wife -- nice. Then plays her. He's wry and dry. I like him already. She's annoying.
Other big wigs want a shot at this young man as well -- Sir William and Lady Lucas.
We already know the favorite daughter -- Lizzy with her "quickness". I like that word. Her sister Jane is pretty and Lydia funny but it's Lizzy who her dad (Mr. B) favors.
A great line responding to Mrs. B comment about 'her nerves'. "I have the highest respect for your nerves. They are my old friends." Yikes. Imagine that marriage.
Mr. B is smart and complicated. Mrs. B is shallow and a busybody who's sole purpose in life appears to get her daughters married.
My money is on Lizzy getting the rich dude.
I didn't read any notes on the text at the beginning or any of the lengthy introduction by Vivien Jones or the original Penguin Classics intro by Tony Tanner because, well, I am not supposed to. I did read that Jane A. died at 37. Is that right?
The book had a reproduction of a reproduction of a reproduction of the original title page. A novel in three volumes. The date was 1813 or 1819 since the repo was hard to read. It makes a difference though. Think of the difference of 1983 to 1989 -- big difference.
The first sentence made me laugh out loud. Only because it's not true and then it is true. A single, rich man moving to the 'hood is still a hot item. He "came down on Monday in a chaise and four" and "was so delighted". More men should be delighted. I imagine him (forgot his name already) doing leprechaun kicks in front of this big manor with his starched, white cravat blowing in the breeze. Or it could have been just Mrs. Bennet's word choice but I hope not. I want him to be giddy.
Mrs. Bennet called her husband Mr. Bennet. Typical of the day? How impersonal. She wants him to visit the new rich man. Mr. Bennet compliments his wife -- nice. Then plays her. He's wry and dry. I like him already. She's annoying.
Other big wigs want a shot at this young man as well -- Sir William and Lady Lucas.
We already know the favorite daughter -- Lizzy with her "quickness". I like that word. Her sister Jane is pretty and Lydia funny but it's Lizzy who her dad (Mr. B) favors.
A great line responding to Mrs. B comment about 'her nerves'. "I have the highest respect for your nerves. They are my old friends." Yikes. Imagine that marriage.
Mr. B is smart and complicated. Mrs. B is shallow and a busybody who's sole purpose in life appears to get her daughters married.
My money is on Lizzy getting the rich dude.
Monday, March 2, 2009
PART IV TRAVELS - A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOUYHNHNMS.
Chapter 1
After five months at home, Gulliver leaves his pregnant wife to captain a trading ship. Because some of his crew died of some disease he had to hire recruits in Barbados. They turned out to be rogues and eventually took over the ship and left Gulliver on an island. As Gulliver walks around the island, he sees hideous looking hairy creatures climbing trees and walking upright (prehistoric man, perhaps). He met one of these creatures on the road and out of fear, hit him with his hanger. The creature roared, bringing 40 of his friends. Gulliver backed up against a tree, waving his hanger to keep them away. Some climbed up the tress and defecated on his head. They fled as a horse came upon the scene. This horse examained Gulliver by walking around him several times and touching him with a hoof. A second horse joined the first for more examination. The two horses communicated with each other by neighing words that Gulliver tried to imitate such as "yahoo" and "houyhnhnms." Gulliver is led down the road by one of these horses.
Chapter 2
Gulliver enters a long building with a straw roof and clay floor. He encounters horses, some sitting on their haunches in various rooms. He expected to meet some people and had gifts ready for them-knives, jewelry, mirrors. In back of this house, he is shown a building full of the creatures he first met. They were tied by the neck to overhead beams and were eating roots and the flesh of asses and dogs. As he observed them closely, he realized they were human in all ways except for total body hairiness and color. Gulliver was offered some of their food but refused it. Eventually he was given cow's milk to drink and from oats, he made himself some bread. On occasion, he was able to catch a rabbit or bird to eat. He was given a room away from the hideous creatures the horses called yahoos.
Chapter 3
Gulliver learns the language, sounding a bit like high Dutch or German. He wrote the words in his journal, of which the Houyhnhnms had never seen. They still considered him a yahoo but more teachable, civil and clean. With the help of many horses, he learned to converse with them in about 5 months. They were most curaious about his clothing since he was the only one dressed. He told them how he had been travelling in a boat with 50 others like him. He told them others like him were everywhere. The horses had great difficulty believing any of this could be true.
Chapter 4
Gulliver refers to one of the Houyhnhnms as his "master". They talk of how horses are treated in Gulliver's country. They are fed, combed, given shelter etc. They are strong and swift - employed in travelling, racing etc. Gulliver describes the use of bridles, saddles, spurs, whips and horseshoes. The Houyhnhnms wonder why the horses don't just shake off their riders. Gulliver tells of how they are trained and castrated to tame them. They discussed Gulliver's physical features in comparison with horses. His arms were useless for walking, his face too flat, his nose too prominant, his eyes too close together, his skin too tender. They discussed Gulliver's life and country and the general vices of men. There were no words for power, government, war, law, punishment etc. in the Houyhnhnms language so it was difficult to explain human nature to a horse. Overall, the H. thought horses to be superior in all ways.
Chapter 5
Gulliver discusses everything he knows of Europe and particularly England for over two years with his "master." He has opinions about the war with France and general motives for war such as ambition, corruption and often differences of opinion. He talked of soldiers hired to kill his own species with all sorts of weapons and cruelty. They discussed the law - created to prove that white is balck and black is white. For example, if one person wants another person's cow, he hires a lawyer to prove he should have it. The owner of the cow hires a lawyer to defend his right to keep it. The lawyers never want to know what claim each has to the cow but spend years debating the color of the cow, the size of its horns, the shape of its field, where she is milked and in 10 to 30 years come to a decision. The rules of law are written in language that only lawyers can understand. Things have not changed much.
Chapter 6
Gulliver continues his discussion about life in England under Queen Anne. He describes the importance of money - who has the most, what it is used for, how it is wasted etc. He described how England produced three times more food than it needed so sent away most of it to other countries in exchange for items that were not as healthy. Therefore, most men had to beg, borrow or steal to survive in a counry full of wealth. He discussed the foolishness of drinking wine which gives temporary diversion from melancholy but in the end, makes life worse. He talked about the hundreds of diseases usually brought on by our own doing and how doctors try to make us well, usually by purging of some sort. He described how to become a "minister of state" - by corruption, betrayal, lying, bribery etc. He learned that even among the H. it was better to be a bay, dapple gray or black since the servant class came from the white, the sorrel and the iron gray.
Chapter 7
The Master H. tells him of the many faults of yahoos - walk infirmly, claws of no use, no chin hair for shelter of the weather, unable to run fast, poor reasoning etc. He noted that from his observations yahoos are greedy and eager to fight either enemy or friend to get what they want. They eat everything from roots to flesh and never know when to stop. The ruling yahoo continues in office until a new one can be found. Yahoos like to be dirty - unlike natural cleanliness in other animals.
Chapter 8
Gulliver is allowed to mingle with the yahoos with a sorrel nag as his guard. He finds them all stinky, unteachable, treacherous, cowardly and cruel but strong and hardy. They dig up roots for food, eat herbs, carrion and small rodents. They swim like frogs. Gulliver was once naked in a stream and was embraced by a female yahoo. Then he knew that he too was really a yahoo. Gulliver talks only about the good features of the H. They are noble, rational, friendly, decent, civil. They love the whole species. They preserve the race by choosing strong and handsome males. They are known for temperance, industry, exercise and cleanliness. They train their young for strength, speed and hardiness by holding running and leaping competitions. Every four years, a council of the whole nations representatives meet to help each other by sharing food or even children.
Chapter 9
Gulliver's master tells him of the council debates - should the yahoos all be exterminated and replaced with asses as servants? Possibly the yahoos on this island are more coarrupted than others in the world since Gulliver is the ony example they have seen of an intelligent, rational, clean one. Gulliver suggests castration for the younger yahoos to eventually exterminate them. Gulliver talks more about the H. All history is oral as they do not have a written language. They use herbs as medicines, they calculate the year from the sun, their buldings are made from tree trunks woven with oat straw. They have tools made from flint. They are buried when they die. They live to age 70 or 75 - no joy or grief is expressed when death happens.
Chapter 10
Gulliver had shelter, food (rabbits, birds etc.), clothing (animal/yahoo skins) - everything he needed. His health was perfect and he was happy There were no bullies, no robbers, no drunkards, no cheating shop keepers, no expensive wines, no tedious talkers, no lords, no dungeons. Life was good here. Conversations consisted of topics about friendship, order, economy, virtue and reason. Gulliver was in awe of the H. and full of love and gratitude. When he thought of his family and friends, he considered them to be nothing more than the yahoos - only a little more civil. He could not tolerate to see himself as a yahoo and started to walk and talk like the H. But this happiness ended one day when his master told him the council had met and decided it was against reason and nature to have a yahoo as part of the family. Therefore, Gulliver had to either be employed as a regular yahoo or go back from where he came. He was given two months to make a boat with the help of a sorrel nag. He spotted an island off in the distance and with a heavy heart he left the island of the honorable H.
Chapter 11
Gulliver sets out on his boat hoping to find an uninhabited island to spend the rest of his life as he couldn't imagine returning to England to live with yahoos. On a small island, natives shoot him with an arrow in the leg as he escapes from them. He is eventually picked up and by force taken aboard a Portuguese ship. The crew and captain treated him well although they thought his dress and speech very strange. His speech resembled the neighing of a horse but he was able to speak Portuguese this way and be understood. He tried to jump overboard as he could hardly tolerate the smell of these yahoos. By the time the ship arrived in Lisbon, Gulliver had consented to wearing shirts from the captain and eating their food. The captain took him to his home and gradually convinced him to treturn to his family in England. The sight of his wife and children disgusted him but he forced himself to tolerate them. Five yeas later , he still was unable to let them touch his food or hold his hand. He purchased two horses and conversed with them daily.
Chapter 12
In this last chapter! Gulliver tries to convince the reader that he told only the truth. The book is to inform, not to amuse. He wrtoe it for the public good - not for fame, profit or praise. He gave no advice for invading any of them. Lilliputians are not worth the trouble to conquer, the Brobdingnagians are too large for it to be safe, the Flying Island over an English army would be scary and the Houyhnhnms have no knowledge of war. He does however, praise the English conquerors. They have built colonies with wisdom, care and justice. Gulliver is still trying to live among his fellow yahoos. It's getting easier but for the smell of them. He must stuff his nostrils with rue, lavender or tobacco leaves in order to tolerate even his own family. Is he carzy or am I for reading this ridculous travel book.
After five months at home, Gulliver leaves his pregnant wife to captain a trading ship. Because some of his crew died of some disease he had to hire recruits in Barbados. They turned out to be rogues and eventually took over the ship and left Gulliver on an island. As Gulliver walks around the island, he sees hideous looking hairy creatures climbing trees and walking upright (prehistoric man, perhaps). He met one of these creatures on the road and out of fear, hit him with his hanger. The creature roared, bringing 40 of his friends. Gulliver backed up against a tree, waving his hanger to keep them away. Some climbed up the tress and defecated on his head. They fled as a horse came upon the scene. This horse examained Gulliver by walking around him several times and touching him with a hoof. A second horse joined the first for more examination. The two horses communicated with each other by neighing words that Gulliver tried to imitate such as "yahoo" and "houyhnhnms." Gulliver is led down the road by one of these horses.
Chapter 2
Gulliver enters a long building with a straw roof and clay floor. He encounters horses, some sitting on their haunches in various rooms. He expected to meet some people and had gifts ready for them-knives, jewelry, mirrors. In back of this house, he is shown a building full of the creatures he first met. They were tied by the neck to overhead beams and were eating roots and the flesh of asses and dogs. As he observed them closely, he realized they were human in all ways except for total body hairiness and color. Gulliver was offered some of their food but refused it. Eventually he was given cow's milk to drink and from oats, he made himself some bread. On occasion, he was able to catch a rabbit or bird to eat. He was given a room away from the hideous creatures the horses called yahoos.
Chapter 3
Gulliver learns the language, sounding a bit like high Dutch or German. He wrote the words in his journal, of which the Houyhnhnms had never seen. They still considered him a yahoo but more teachable, civil and clean. With the help of many horses, he learned to converse with them in about 5 months. They were most curaious about his clothing since he was the only one dressed. He told them how he had been travelling in a boat with 50 others like him. He told them others like him were everywhere. The horses had great difficulty believing any of this could be true.
Chapter 4
Gulliver refers to one of the Houyhnhnms as his "master". They talk of how horses are treated in Gulliver's country. They are fed, combed, given shelter etc. They are strong and swift - employed in travelling, racing etc. Gulliver describes the use of bridles, saddles, spurs, whips and horseshoes. The Houyhnhnms wonder why the horses don't just shake off their riders. Gulliver tells of how they are trained and castrated to tame them. They discussed Gulliver's physical features in comparison with horses. His arms were useless for walking, his face too flat, his nose too prominant, his eyes too close together, his skin too tender. They discussed Gulliver's life and country and the general vices of men. There were no words for power, government, war, law, punishment etc. in the Houyhnhnms language so it was difficult to explain human nature to a horse. Overall, the H. thought horses to be superior in all ways.
Chapter 5
Gulliver discusses everything he knows of Europe and particularly England for over two years with his "master." He has opinions about the war with France and general motives for war such as ambition, corruption and often differences of opinion. He talked of soldiers hired to kill his own species with all sorts of weapons and cruelty. They discussed the law - created to prove that white is balck and black is white. For example, if one person wants another person's cow, he hires a lawyer to prove he should have it. The owner of the cow hires a lawyer to defend his right to keep it. The lawyers never want to know what claim each has to the cow but spend years debating the color of the cow, the size of its horns, the shape of its field, where she is milked and in 10 to 30 years come to a decision. The rules of law are written in language that only lawyers can understand. Things have not changed much.
Chapter 6
Gulliver continues his discussion about life in England under Queen Anne. He describes the importance of money - who has the most, what it is used for, how it is wasted etc. He described how England produced three times more food than it needed so sent away most of it to other countries in exchange for items that were not as healthy. Therefore, most men had to beg, borrow or steal to survive in a counry full of wealth. He discussed the foolishness of drinking wine which gives temporary diversion from melancholy but in the end, makes life worse. He talked about the hundreds of diseases usually brought on by our own doing and how doctors try to make us well, usually by purging of some sort. He described how to become a "minister of state" - by corruption, betrayal, lying, bribery etc. He learned that even among the H. it was better to be a bay, dapple gray or black since the servant class came from the white, the sorrel and the iron gray.
Chapter 7
The Master H. tells him of the many faults of yahoos - walk infirmly, claws of no use, no chin hair for shelter of the weather, unable to run fast, poor reasoning etc. He noted that from his observations yahoos are greedy and eager to fight either enemy or friend to get what they want. They eat everything from roots to flesh and never know when to stop. The ruling yahoo continues in office until a new one can be found. Yahoos like to be dirty - unlike natural cleanliness in other animals.
Chapter 8
Gulliver is allowed to mingle with the yahoos with a sorrel nag as his guard. He finds them all stinky, unteachable, treacherous, cowardly and cruel but strong and hardy. They dig up roots for food, eat herbs, carrion and small rodents. They swim like frogs. Gulliver was once naked in a stream and was embraced by a female yahoo. Then he knew that he too was really a yahoo. Gulliver talks only about the good features of the H. They are noble, rational, friendly, decent, civil. They love the whole species. They preserve the race by choosing strong and handsome males. They are known for temperance, industry, exercise and cleanliness. They train their young for strength, speed and hardiness by holding running and leaping competitions. Every four years, a council of the whole nations representatives meet to help each other by sharing food or even children.
Chapter 9
Gulliver's master tells him of the council debates - should the yahoos all be exterminated and replaced with asses as servants? Possibly the yahoos on this island are more coarrupted than others in the world since Gulliver is the ony example they have seen of an intelligent, rational, clean one. Gulliver suggests castration for the younger yahoos to eventually exterminate them. Gulliver talks more about the H. All history is oral as they do not have a written language. They use herbs as medicines, they calculate the year from the sun, their buldings are made from tree trunks woven with oat straw. They have tools made from flint. They are buried when they die. They live to age 70 or 75 - no joy or grief is expressed when death happens.
Chapter 10
Gulliver had shelter, food (rabbits, birds etc.), clothing (animal/yahoo skins) - everything he needed. His health was perfect and he was happy There were no bullies, no robbers, no drunkards, no cheating shop keepers, no expensive wines, no tedious talkers, no lords, no dungeons. Life was good here. Conversations consisted of topics about friendship, order, economy, virtue and reason. Gulliver was in awe of the H. and full of love and gratitude. When he thought of his family and friends, he considered them to be nothing more than the yahoos - only a little more civil. He could not tolerate to see himself as a yahoo and started to walk and talk like the H. But this happiness ended one day when his master told him the council had met and decided it was against reason and nature to have a yahoo as part of the family. Therefore, Gulliver had to either be employed as a regular yahoo or go back from where he came. He was given two months to make a boat with the help of a sorrel nag. He spotted an island off in the distance and with a heavy heart he left the island of the honorable H.
Chapter 11
Gulliver sets out on his boat hoping to find an uninhabited island to spend the rest of his life as he couldn't imagine returning to England to live with yahoos. On a small island, natives shoot him with an arrow in the leg as he escapes from them. He is eventually picked up and by force taken aboard a Portuguese ship. The crew and captain treated him well although they thought his dress and speech very strange. His speech resembled the neighing of a horse but he was able to speak Portuguese this way and be understood. He tried to jump overboard as he could hardly tolerate the smell of these yahoos. By the time the ship arrived in Lisbon, Gulliver had consented to wearing shirts from the captain and eating their food. The captain took him to his home and gradually convinced him to treturn to his family in England. The sight of his wife and children disgusted him but he forced himself to tolerate them. Five yeas later , he still was unable to let them touch his food or hold his hand. He purchased two horses and conversed with them daily.
Chapter 12
In this last chapter! Gulliver tries to convince the reader that he told only the truth. The book is to inform, not to amuse. He wrtoe it for the public good - not for fame, profit or praise. He gave no advice for invading any of them. Lilliputians are not worth the trouble to conquer, the Brobdingnagians are too large for it to be safe, the Flying Island over an English army would be scary and the Houyhnhnms have no knowledge of war. He does however, praise the English conquerors. They have built colonies with wisdom, care and justice. Gulliver is still trying to live among his fellow yahoos. It's getting easier but for the smell of them. He must stuff his nostrils with rue, lavender or tobacco leaves in order to tolerate even his own family. Is he carzy or am I for reading this ridculous travel book.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Chapter 9
Gulliver returns to Maldonada and sets sail for Luggnagg. When he arrives, he is confined and questioned. He tells them he is from Holland, trying to make his way to Japan and eventually back to Holland. He hires an interpreter from the ship. Soon he is called for by the King. It is the custom to lick the floor on the approach to the throne. For him, the floor was cleaned but enemies of the court often had to lick a very dusty floor. In extreme cases, when nobles had to be executed, a poisonous dust was placed on the floor. If the floor is not washed well after executions, unforntunat deaths can occur. So Gulliver meets the king and compliments him as is the custom. by saying, "Outlive the sun." They get along so well Gullliver is given a room in the court, all of his meals and gold. But after three months of this, Gulliver starts thinking of his wife and family.
Chapter 10
Gulliver learns about the struldbruggs or immortals. It is a rare occurrence when a child is born with a red dot over his left eyebrow. This grows is size and changes color from red to green to blue to black. Gulliver thinks it would be great to live forever and talks about what he would do: become very rich , study everything, and record historical events. He would warn and instruct mankind to prevent continual corruption. Long life was discussed as the universal wish of mankind; death as the greatest evil. But eternal life comes with disadvantages because one does not have eternal youth. These struldbruggs acted like mortals until age 30 and then became melancholy. By age 80, they had all the infirmities of other old men but even worse, the dreadful prospect of never dying. They were jealous of people who could die and get some rest. Those who managed the best were those who lost their memories. By age 80, they were dead in the eyes of the law - incapable of working, unable to buy land or vote etc. At 90, they lost their teeth, their hair, their ability to taste. Diseases were prevalent. They couldn't read as their memories failed. They couldn't understand the language of most people since language always changes. They were forabidden to leave their country for fear they would take over the whole nation and with their inability to manage, ruin the world. So.....be careful what you ask for. All I really ever want is another day. I wonder if the day will come for me that this is no longer true.
Chapter 11
Gulliver leaves Luggnagg with a letter from the king and arrives in Japan after a 15 day journey. He pretends to be Dutch and pretends to be non-Christian which satisfies both the Japanese and the Dutch who take him to Holland. From Holland, he sails home to England. He had been gone 5 1/2 years. His wife and family, in good health, welcome him home. END OF PART 3!!
Gulliver returns to Maldonada and sets sail for Luggnagg. When he arrives, he is confined and questioned. He tells them he is from Holland, trying to make his way to Japan and eventually back to Holland. He hires an interpreter from the ship. Soon he is called for by the King. It is the custom to lick the floor on the approach to the throne. For him, the floor was cleaned but enemies of the court often had to lick a very dusty floor. In extreme cases, when nobles had to be executed, a poisonous dust was placed on the floor. If the floor is not washed well after executions, unforntunat deaths can occur. So Gulliver meets the king and compliments him as is the custom. by saying, "Outlive the sun." They get along so well Gullliver is given a room in the court, all of his meals and gold. But after three months of this, Gulliver starts thinking of his wife and family.
Chapter 10
Gulliver learns about the struldbruggs or immortals. It is a rare occurrence when a child is born with a red dot over his left eyebrow. This grows is size and changes color from red to green to blue to black. Gulliver thinks it would be great to live forever and talks about what he would do: become very rich , study everything, and record historical events. He would warn and instruct mankind to prevent continual corruption. Long life was discussed as the universal wish of mankind; death as the greatest evil. But eternal life comes with disadvantages because one does not have eternal youth. These struldbruggs acted like mortals until age 30 and then became melancholy. By age 80, they had all the infirmities of other old men but even worse, the dreadful prospect of never dying. They were jealous of people who could die and get some rest. Those who managed the best were those who lost their memories. By age 80, they were dead in the eyes of the law - incapable of working, unable to buy land or vote etc. At 90, they lost their teeth, their hair, their ability to taste. Diseases were prevalent. They couldn't read as their memories failed. They couldn't understand the language of most people since language always changes. They were forabidden to leave their country for fear they would take over the whole nation and with their inability to manage, ruin the world. So.....be careful what you ask for. All I really ever want is another day. I wonder if the day will come for me that this is no longer true.
Chapter 11
Gulliver leaves Luggnagg with a letter from the king and arrives in Japan after a 15 day journey. He pretends to be Dutch and pretends to be non-Christian which satisfies both the Japanese and the Dutch who take him to Holland. From Holland, he sails home to England. He had been gone 5 1/2 years. His wife and family, in good health, welcome him home. END OF PART 3!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Chapter 2
The Laputans have reclining heads, one inward turning eye, clothing decorated with celestial figures and musical instruments. Some have slaves with flappers (bladders containing small pebbles) that are used to rouse their memories by a light tap on the mouth, ear etc. Gulliver met the King of this floating island. He was fed (all food is cut in the shape of triangles, rhomboids etc.) He was taught their language and had tailor-made clothes (not well done). The King decided to move the island to Lagado, the capital city. Along the way, petitions from subjects of other towns were received by lowering strings down to the people who wrote notes and often sent up food and drink by a series of pulleys. Their major interest was music and mathematics as well as news and politics. Their constant fear was that the sun would be wholly consumed and the earth would be destroyed. The women were not so content to remian on this island and wanted to see the rest of the world. On occasion, a woman was allowed to go down for a visit and didn't want to return. After a months time, Gulliver could converse with the King who asked him questions only about science and math.
Chapter 3
This floating island is circular with a 4 1/2 mile diameter equalling 10,000 acres. The bottom is made of thick iron-rich soil/rock. A chasm in the center top collects rain but it can rise above the clouds if there is too much rain. A magnet is suspended in this chasm and can be turned to attact or repell the island to/from the earth as well as hover in place. The people who man the magnet are great astromoners with powerful telescopes. The King controls the people down below his floating island by hovering over them to deprive them of sun and water, pelting them with stones or even destroying the whole town by squashing them with the floating island. One city, Lindalino, rebelled and built towers, topped with magnets, hoping to attract the floating island and crack the bottom layerof soil/rock, thus destroying it. The astronomers were able to keep the island afloat but the King was forced to give the town their own conditions. The King and two eldest sons are not allowed to leave the island; the queen can leave when she is no longer of child-bearing age.
Chapter 4
After two months, Gulliver asks to leave this floating island of disagreeable companions. He was let down in Lagado on the coninnent of Balnibarbi with a letter recommendation for an ex-governor named Munodi. Munodi had been discharged as governor due to his inability to adapt to the new methods of farming, building etc. The new ideas, started about 40 years ago, promised wondrous improvements but to date, the homes were poorly built, the people were poorly clothed, the fields yielded little food. Munodi still had his old country home where everything ran smoothly, using the old-fashinied methods.
Chapter 5
Gulliver visits their Academy and finds people working on all sorts of projects: extracting sunbeams from cucumbers, changing human excrement back to food, identifying colors of paint by smell and feel, etc. Another part of the Academy was less scientific. Projects included writing books by tossing words in a frame to find groups of words that made at least broken sentences, eliminating all parts of speech except nouns, even eliminating all speech and just carrying around actual nouns (women objected to this), eating papers with math problems written on them to help solve the comptutions. Nothing was really working but they were hopeful and persistent.
Chapter 6
Gulliver discusses more Academy schemes. Ways to reward merit, remedies for diseases, voting for the good of all by being exactly opposite, transplanting 1/2 of another's brain into another to equal moderation, taxing either vices or best qualities. For example, women would be taxed according to their beauty and style of dress as determined by their own judgment. Excrements would be examined to determine a person's thoughts. Gulliver told them of his suggestions: Suspected political meanings would be determined by scrambling the letters to form new sentences.
Chapter 7
Gulliver decides to leave Lagado for Maldonado. As he waits for a ship to take him there, he travels to a small island, Glubbdubdrib. It is an island of magicians where all the servants are ghosts. The governor is always the eldest person on the island. Gulliver was allowed to call up any persons from the dead and ask them questions. He chose people such as Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Caesar and Brutus. Who would you ask for?
Chapter 8
Gulliver describes Homer as handsome and erect as compared to a thin Aristotle needing a cane. He presented them to others philosophers such as Descartes. Gulliver discovered that the ancestors of kings were often only fiddlers and barbers. He became disgusted when learning how the world had been misled by leaders without wisdom or integrity. He learned the truth about many great events - often lucky accidents. Mostly there has been fraud, betrayals, degenerate vices and corruption throughout history.
The Laputans have reclining heads, one inward turning eye, clothing decorated with celestial figures and musical instruments. Some have slaves with flappers (bladders containing small pebbles) that are used to rouse their memories by a light tap on the mouth, ear etc. Gulliver met the King of this floating island. He was fed (all food is cut in the shape of triangles, rhomboids etc.) He was taught their language and had tailor-made clothes (not well done). The King decided to move the island to Lagado, the capital city. Along the way, petitions from subjects of other towns were received by lowering strings down to the people who wrote notes and often sent up food and drink by a series of pulleys. Their major interest was music and mathematics as well as news and politics. Their constant fear was that the sun would be wholly consumed and the earth would be destroyed. The women were not so content to remian on this island and wanted to see the rest of the world. On occasion, a woman was allowed to go down for a visit and didn't want to return. After a months time, Gulliver could converse with the King who asked him questions only about science and math.
Chapter 3
This floating island is circular with a 4 1/2 mile diameter equalling 10,000 acres. The bottom is made of thick iron-rich soil/rock. A chasm in the center top collects rain but it can rise above the clouds if there is too much rain. A magnet is suspended in this chasm and can be turned to attact or repell the island to/from the earth as well as hover in place. The people who man the magnet are great astromoners with powerful telescopes. The King controls the people down below his floating island by hovering over them to deprive them of sun and water, pelting them with stones or even destroying the whole town by squashing them with the floating island. One city, Lindalino, rebelled and built towers, topped with magnets, hoping to attract the floating island and crack the bottom layerof soil/rock, thus destroying it. The astronomers were able to keep the island afloat but the King was forced to give the town their own conditions. The King and two eldest sons are not allowed to leave the island; the queen can leave when she is no longer of child-bearing age.
Chapter 4
After two months, Gulliver asks to leave this floating island of disagreeable companions. He was let down in Lagado on the coninnent of Balnibarbi with a letter recommendation for an ex-governor named Munodi. Munodi had been discharged as governor due to his inability to adapt to the new methods of farming, building etc. The new ideas, started about 40 years ago, promised wondrous improvements but to date, the homes were poorly built, the people were poorly clothed, the fields yielded little food. Munodi still had his old country home where everything ran smoothly, using the old-fashinied methods.
Chapter 5
Gulliver visits their Academy and finds people working on all sorts of projects: extracting sunbeams from cucumbers, changing human excrement back to food, identifying colors of paint by smell and feel, etc. Another part of the Academy was less scientific. Projects included writing books by tossing words in a frame to find groups of words that made at least broken sentences, eliminating all parts of speech except nouns, even eliminating all speech and just carrying around actual nouns (women objected to this), eating papers with math problems written on them to help solve the comptutions. Nothing was really working but they were hopeful and persistent.
Chapter 6
Gulliver discusses more Academy schemes. Ways to reward merit, remedies for diseases, voting for the good of all by being exactly opposite, transplanting 1/2 of another's brain into another to equal moderation, taxing either vices or best qualities. For example, women would be taxed according to their beauty and style of dress as determined by their own judgment. Excrements would be examined to determine a person's thoughts. Gulliver told them of his suggestions: Suspected political meanings would be determined by scrambling the letters to form new sentences.
Chapter 7
Gulliver decides to leave Lagado for Maldonado. As he waits for a ship to take him there, he travels to a small island, Glubbdubdrib. It is an island of magicians where all the servants are ghosts. The governor is always the eldest person on the island. Gulliver was allowed to call up any persons from the dead and ask them questions. He chose people such as Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Caesar and Brutus. Who would you ask for?
Chapter 8
Gulliver describes Homer as handsome and erect as compared to a thin Aristotle needing a cane. He presented them to others philosophers such as Descartes. Gulliver discovered that the ancestors of kings were often only fiddlers and barbers. He became disgusted when learning how the world had been misled by leaders without wisdom or integrity. He learned the truth about many great events - often lucky accidents. Mostly there has been fraud, betrayals, degenerate vices and corruption throughout history.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Part III A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and Japan
Chapter One:
Gulliver decides to hire on as a surgeon on a ship going to the East Indies. While the captain was waiting for supplies in Tonguin, Gulliver captained a small sloop with a crew of 14. Of course, there was a storm and then two pirate ships captured his sloop, took his crew and put him adrift in a canoe. He sailed to several islands and met up with people who sounded as if they spoke Italian (is this a coincidence?) and lived on a flying island that could be moved and raised.
Gulliver decides to hire on as a surgeon on a ship going to the East Indies. While the captain was waiting for supplies in Tonguin, Gulliver captained a small sloop with a crew of 14. Of course, there was a storm and then two pirate ships captured his sloop, took his crew and put him adrift in a canoe. He sailed to several islands and met up with people who sounded as if they spoke Italian (is this a coincidence?) and lived on a flying island that could be moved and raised.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
CHAPTER 7 - 8 by MJ
CH. 7 Gulliver was not always truthful in describing his country. He hid the frailities and glorified the virtues (Isn't he just like the rest of us?). He offered to show the king how to make gun powder that could destroy all enemies but the king thought this was an inhuman idea. The king ruled by common sense and reason. Farmers were more important than politicians (Vote for Farmer Fred!). Gulliver was able to read some of their books by walking across the pages. One book was about the weaknesses of man - other creatures are stronger, faster, have more foresight, more industry. The king's army is composed of tradesmen and farmers led by nobility for no money or reward. The nobility want power; the people want liberty and the king wants absolute dominion. Occasional civil wars were bound to happen.
CH. 8 The king was hoping for another ship to land cotaining a wife for Gulliver. Gullliver worried they would be kept in cages as curiosities. He was getting tired of constant fear of being accidentally stepped on and killed. It was time to think of leaving after two years in this country. On a trip;with the king and queen, the farmer's daughter was ill so a page took Gulliver to the coast for fresh air and left him sleeping in his carrying box as he looked for bird's eggs on the shore. Gulliver's box was picked up by (most likely) an eagle and then dropped into the ocean. Gulliver could not lift the roof of this box but was able to stick a handkerchief on a stick outside a ceiling window as he yelled for help. An English ship picked him up. He was somehow at least a hundred leagues from shore. Gulliver convinced them of his adventures by showing them the comb made from the king's whiskers, a gold ring the queen had given him, his pants made out of mouse's skin and a footman's tooth. Gulliver was talking very loudly and was so astonished at the tiny sizes of dishes, foods, people etc. After 9 months at sea, Gulliver was back in England with his family. His wife thought by should never go to sea again.
What kind of people will he meet on his next adventure? What I'll remember most about this section: We all see our flaws in comparison to others. There really is no "normal" because we are all unique and we are all the same. There will always be someone smarter, duller, prettier, uglier, bigger, smaller, kinder, meaner etc. So just be yourself. It's enough to just be.....
CH. 8 The king was hoping for another ship to land cotaining a wife for Gulliver. Gullliver worried they would be kept in cages as curiosities. He was getting tired of constant fear of being accidentally stepped on and killed. It was time to think of leaving after two years in this country. On a trip;with the king and queen, the farmer's daughter was ill so a page took Gulliver to the coast for fresh air and left him sleeping in his carrying box as he looked for bird's eggs on the shore. Gulliver's box was picked up by (most likely) an eagle and then dropped into the ocean. Gulliver could not lift the roof of this box but was able to stick a handkerchief on a stick outside a ceiling window as he yelled for help. An English ship picked him up. He was somehow at least a hundred leagues from shore. Gulliver convinced them of his adventures by showing them the comb made from the king's whiskers, a gold ring the queen had given him, his pants made out of mouse's skin and a footman's tooth. Gulliver was talking very loudly and was so astonished at the tiny sizes of dishes, foods, people etc. After 9 months at sea, Gulliver was back in England with his family. His wife thought by should never go to sea again.
What kind of people will he meet on his next adventure? What I'll remember most about this section: We all see our flaws in comparison to others. There really is no "normal" because we are all unique and we are all the same. There will always be someone smarter, duller, prettier, uglier, bigger, smaller, kinder, meaner etc. So just be yourself. It's enough to just be.....
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