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.....
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Chapters 2 to 6 by M.J.
CH. 2
The farmer's nine year old daughter takes care of Gulliver, making him a cradle, sewing him clothes. The farmer decides to show him off on market day so carries him in a box to a nearby town. He performs 12 times that first day - 30 people viewing each time. He answered questions, flourished his sword, drank liquor to their health etc. He was almost killed by a hazel nut thrown by a school boy. Neighbors heard about him and came to the farmer's house. The farmer decided to take the show on the road - to all the major cities in the kingdom. After two months, the travelling show starts. The daughter comes along to care for him but he is kept fast by leading strings like a puppet when he is out of his box. He was shown ten times a day to the "wonder and satisfaction of all people."
CH. 3
Gulliver is losing weight and feeling ill from all the travelling and acting. The Queen buys him for 1000 pieces of gold. the farmer's daughter stays with him at court. He was examined by scholars who determined he was carnivorous, a grown man with a beard; others thought he might be an embryo or an aborted birth. He was given a box for an apartment as well as furniture and clothes. He dines with the queen and two princesses. The king makes fun of his country and their ways and Gulliver had to agree with some of it. The queen's dwarf was hpppy to have someone smaller to kick around. He tormented Gulliver by tossing him in a bowl of cream , almost drowning him. He also stuck him into a marrow bone. Gulliver was mostly afraid and disgusted with the flies that left excrement on his food. They also stung him. He fought them off with his knife. Wasps also entered his apartment to steal his cake and sting him. He killed some and saved their stingers (later donated to Gresham College).
CH. 4
Gulliver travelled around about 2000 of the 6000 miles country and discoverd a great mistake in the English maps. This country is situated between Japan and Califonria and attached to the northern part of America. It is a peninsula with 30 mile high volcanic mountains in the north east and ocean on the other 3 sides. No seaports - rough water and jagged rocks so they are excluded from travelling to other countries. The fish are too small to make it worth their while to catch but occasionally feast on a whale that gets beached. Fortunately, the country produces vast quantities of large plants and animals for food. The country has about 600,000 people with 51 cities, 100 walled towns and many villages. The king's palace is 7 miles round with rooms 140 feet high. Gulliver describes beggars he meets- cancers, wooden legs and lice with snouts like pigs. He travels in a small box complete with furniture and windows for viewing . It can be strapped onto a rider's waist if the travellers go by horseback. Otherwise, it is held in the farmer's daughter's lap. He describes the magnificent chief temple and tower with the marble statues. He describes the king's kitchen with it's great oven and the king's stables with over 600 horses. All in all, this is a rich land.
CH. 5
Gulliver talks about his misadventures - knocked down by apples falling from a tree, bombarded by hailstones, picked up by a small dog, food snatached from his hand by a bird. The farmer's daughter's friends play with him as a doll, stripping him naked and letting him see them naked too. He was not fond of their smells or their skin which appeared coarse to his eyes. The queen had a rowing boat and trough of water made for him so he could get exercise. Once a frog jumped in his boat and almost capsized it. Once a monkey reached in his box and took him to the roof top, squeezing him, feeding him and eventually leaving him up there. He was rescued; the monkey was killed. He once landed in the middle of a frsh cow pattie while trying to jump over it. All these stories kept the court entertained.
CH. 6
Gulliver makes himself a comb from the king's whiskers and chair cushions and a purse from the queen's hair. He can only enjoy music concerts from a great distance becasue they are too loud. He plays a tune on the spinet for the king by running up and down the keys while hitting them with skicks covered in mouse skin. It was vigorous exercise. for him. He told the king all about England's parliament, courts, armies, climate, soil, sports, pastimes. The king took notes, asked many questions and concluded that Gulliver was lucky to be travelling a lot and escaping the vices of his country. The king thought the English must be the worst vermin that ever crawled upon the earth.
The farmer's nine year old daughter takes care of Gulliver, making him a cradle, sewing him clothes. The farmer decides to show him off on market day so carries him in a box to a nearby town. He performs 12 times that first day - 30 people viewing each time. He answered questions, flourished his sword, drank liquor to their health etc. He was almost killed by a hazel nut thrown by a school boy. Neighbors heard about him and came to the farmer's house. The farmer decided to take the show on the road - to all the major cities in the kingdom. After two months, the travelling show starts. The daughter comes along to care for him but he is kept fast by leading strings like a puppet when he is out of his box. He was shown ten times a day to the "wonder and satisfaction of all people."
CH. 3
Gulliver is losing weight and feeling ill from all the travelling and acting. The Queen buys him for 1000 pieces of gold. the farmer's daughter stays with him at court. He was examined by scholars who determined he was carnivorous, a grown man with a beard; others thought he might be an embryo or an aborted birth. He was given a box for an apartment as well as furniture and clothes. He dines with the queen and two princesses. The king makes fun of his country and their ways and Gulliver had to agree with some of it. The queen's dwarf was hpppy to have someone smaller to kick around. He tormented Gulliver by tossing him in a bowl of cream , almost drowning him. He also stuck him into a marrow bone. Gulliver was mostly afraid and disgusted with the flies that left excrement on his food. They also stung him. He fought them off with his knife. Wasps also entered his apartment to steal his cake and sting him. He killed some and saved their stingers (later donated to Gresham College).
CH. 4
Gulliver travelled around about 2000 of the 6000 miles country and discoverd a great mistake in the English maps. This country is situated between Japan and Califonria and attached to the northern part of America. It is a peninsula with 30 mile high volcanic mountains in the north east and ocean on the other 3 sides. No seaports - rough water and jagged rocks so they are excluded from travelling to other countries. The fish are too small to make it worth their while to catch but occasionally feast on a whale that gets beached. Fortunately, the country produces vast quantities of large plants and animals for food. The country has about 600,000 people with 51 cities, 100 walled towns and many villages. The king's palace is 7 miles round with rooms 140 feet high. Gulliver describes beggars he meets- cancers, wooden legs and lice with snouts like pigs. He travels in a small box complete with furniture and windows for viewing . It can be strapped onto a rider's waist if the travellers go by horseback. Otherwise, it is held in the farmer's daughter's lap. He describes the magnificent chief temple and tower with the marble statues. He describes the king's kitchen with it's great oven and the king's stables with over 600 horses. All in all, this is a rich land.
CH. 5
Gulliver talks about his misadventures - knocked down by apples falling from a tree, bombarded by hailstones, picked up by a small dog, food snatached from his hand by a bird. The farmer's daughter's friends play with him as a doll, stripping him naked and letting him see them naked too. He was not fond of their smells or their skin which appeared coarse to his eyes. The queen had a rowing boat and trough of water made for him so he could get exercise. Once a frog jumped in his boat and almost capsized it. Once a monkey reached in his box and took him to the roof top, squeezing him, feeding him and eventually leaving him up there. He was rescued; the monkey was killed. He once landed in the middle of a frsh cow pattie while trying to jump over it. All these stories kept the court entertained.
CH. 6
Gulliver makes himself a comb from the king's whiskers and chair cushions and a purse from the queen's hair. He can only enjoy music concerts from a great distance becasue they are too loud. He plays a tune on the spinet for the king by running up and down the keys while hitting them with skicks covered in mouse skin. It was vigorous exercise. for him. He told the king all about England's parliament, courts, armies, climate, soil, sports, pastimes. The king took notes, asked many questions and concluded that Gulliver was lucky to be travelling a lot and escaping the vices of his country. The king thought the English must be the worst vermin that ever crawled upon the earth.
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