Gulliver in Brobdingnag Essay Example for Free

Gulliver in Brobdingnag Essay The setting of the passage to be analyzed here is that of Gullivers voyage to a land of giants. The speakers context here is the basic comic devices of reversal and exaggeration. When the dimensions of things are reversed there is a comic effect. When clowns at the circus ride around in a tiny car the effect is hilarious. In a famous Gary Larsen cartoon a gigantic monster is seen peering into a mans car through the wing mirror which reads: Things reflected in this mirror may appear to be larger than they are. The comic context employed by the speaker in the following passage, then, is that of a man suddenly turned tiny by circumstances beyond his control. There are, of course, classical antecedents for this type of size reversal. Odysseus in the cave of Cyclops would provide the best example. There are, no doubt, many who would argue that this incident in the Odyssey is not meant as humor. May we not at least wonder, however, if some of Homers audiences didnt chuckle when they heard about how the subtle Odysseus outwitted the giant? It will be argued in the following that Swifts intention throughout Part II as a whole is comic irony, and that the passage to be analyzed typifies the situation in which Gulliver finds himself when surrounded by giants. Starting off, a simple exaggeration introduces the passage: The Kings palace is about seven miles round suggesting the colossal size of the castle, the rooms within are two hundred and forty Foot high. Gulliver who is, as we have learned earlier, a proud and dignified man is reduced by his comparatively tiny dimensions to the role of a doll. All of his proud bearing and gentlemanly dignity disappears in a puff of smoke when his Mistress Glumdalclitch holds Gulliver up in her hand to give him a better view of the surroundings. Swifts choice of words at the beginning of this passage also provides an ironic effect. Gulliver who is, in fact, a freak in this society reports that when Glumdalclitch is taken out to see the town, I was always of the party, carried in my Box To be of the party suggests social (and physical) equality, but when Swift follows this dignified phrase with the description in my box the effect is humorous, since Gulliver is revealed as the curiosity and freak that he is by the fact that he travels in a box like a doll. Swifts imagery in this passage allowed allows the reader to see other human-like creature from the perspective of a very tiny person. It also demonstrates to the reader once again that Swift loves to engage in the humor of the disgusting and the impolite. When a group of Brobdingnagian beggars presses up against the carriage to view the strange little creature that is our speaker, Gulliver is able to observes the cancer on the breast of a beggar woman full of holes, in two or three of which I could have easily crept and body lice and their snouts with which they rooted like Swine. There is a misogynist quality to this joke. The breast of a woman is presented as disgusting rather than as an inspiration to art and poetry. The idea of crawling into a cancerous lesion on a womans breast is an ugly parody of what men usually think about when they see the naked female breast which is to adore, kiss, or suck it. This type of humor is based on a simple reversal of the usual emotions inspired by an image. The equivalent would be, for example, to provide an image of the Queen of England sitting on a chamber pot rather than her throne. The imagery in the rest of this passage is also unforgettable, especially the wooden legs of a beggar which were each about twenty Foot high. Immediately following these alarming and disgusting images is another liars trick based on the category of emphasis. This is offered in Gullivers careful description of his Box. Before analyzing this part of the passage in detail a general comment on Swifts project in Gullivers Travels is required. The speaker mentions many times throughout the tale the phenomenon of travelers tails or books of voyages. These were supposedly factual accounts of what travelers from Europe had seen on the other side of the world. They were, of course, full of lies and Swifts project throughout much of the book is to satirize the lying authors of these books. One well known liars trick is to emphasize the details of some fictional object. This is what Gulliver does with the description of his Box. Its origin is carefully described: the Queen ordered a smaller one to be made for me Its design and dimensions are carefully recorded: This traveling Closet was an exact Square with a Window in the Middle of three of the Squares , etc. The important detail of the boxs construction which will eventually allow for Gullivers salvation by sailors is also carefully noted: On the fourth side, which had no windows, two strong staples were fixed , and so on. There is a dual purpose to what we might call the liars emphasis lavished on this passage. The first is to satirize the books of travelers tales so popular in Swifts days in which exact descriptions of fantastic creatures were given to fool the credulous. The second is to prepare the reader for Gullivers eventual escape. This happens in his traveling box which is then conveniently destroyed by the sailors who rescue him so that no substantial evidence of his adventure remains, and the gullible can easily believe the whole story of Gulliver among the Brobdingnags. The comic irony is an effective device in satirizing human folly. The absurdity in the relationship between these two elements is essentially targeted at England (Gulliver), the Wigs, specifically, whereby Swift is attacking his opposition. In the spirit of Swifts famous word play about his good Master Bates, we can rename his fable Gullibles Travels.

Computers: Past, Present and Future :: Technology

Computers: Past, Present and Future Since the time when man first learned to express how they felt in written form, by drawing or writing, we have tried to communicate with other people. First, it was the prehistoric man with their conceptual cave drawings showing what animals to hunt, how to hunt them, and how to cook them. Soon that form took to hieroglyphics, in which the Egyptians would tell stories about battles they had won and about new pharaohs that had been born. This picture form soon turned in to words in which the Romans would communicate with one another. So it went, each generation progressed more and more, until it was the 20th century. In 1937 the electronic computer was born. Computers were in 1943 to break â€Å"the unbreakable† German Enigma codes. 1951 introduced the computer commercially. However, it wasn’t until around 1976 when the Apple II was introduced and it was immediately adopted by high schools, colleges, and homes. This was the first time that people from all over really had an opportunity to use a computer. Since that time micro processing chips have been made, the World Wide Web has been invented and in 1996 more than one out of every three people have a computer in their home, and two out of every three have one at the office. Today, computers influence all lifestyles, and all different types of businesses. They have become an essential part of everyday life, from chatting, to e-mail, to commerce, to gaming. Almost every person in the United States has had some use on the computer. Since the technology age began, computers have become a mainstay in American and world society as much as the telephone, the automobile, and the television. Almost every device has some type of computer in it. Whether it is a cell phone, a calculator, or a vending machine. Even things that we take for granted most cars since the 1980’s have a computer in it or a pacemaker. All of the advancements in computers and technology have led up to the 21st century in which â€Å"the greatest advances in computer technology will occur†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mainly in areas such as â€Å"hardware, software, communications and networks, mobile and wireless connectivity, and robotics.† All lifestyles benefit from the use of computers.

Learning from the Past

Learning about the past Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the present. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. There are several views from the people, whether important or not for us keep memorizing the thing that had happened in the past and then try to put on ours life now. For this topic, I would like to discuss about the positive and negative impacts that we can get from that. First of all, there are some proverbs said, the bad experiences are the best teacher that can bring us to live more better in the present or future. For instance, when the first time we learned how to drive a car, probably we might have gotten accident because of lack experiences, but by the time we had already used to it, we will able to drive with easily and pretty sure we know how to handle the car even though the road is treacherous. In addition, learning about the past can make us more efficient either in time or money. Moreover, we can give a good impacts to other people too. In general, the child will always follow in his/her parents behavior during the process of maturity. However, there are also some adverse results that we can get if we still stick with something in the past. People who had ever committed with drugs, they should try to forget it. Otherwise, they will never move on. In my opinion, I agree that learning about something in the past can bring us some value, success will not come without failure, especially old history, that can make our next generation become appreciate about their ancestors and interest to know the history of the world.

Essay on Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - 2121 Words

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens In Great Expectations, Dickens wants to explore what it means to be a gentleman in the rapidly changing Victorian England. He suggests that money is not everything, but you need some to get yourself started in the world. Being a gentleman means that you have to be moral, kind, courteous, hard working, financially independent and educated. Pip’s experiences of social class, in some ways mirror those of Dickens’ childhood. Dickens’ parents were middle class but moved down the class ladder when they moved house, (they moved from quite a nice house into a slightly smaller house in a slightly less desirable area, over and over again, due to financial problems, hence moving down the class†¦show more content†¦He overspends and abuses his fortune. Dickens paints a picture of Victorian rural working class life. The Kent village where Pip lived as a child with Joe and Mrs. Joe is a bleak area near the river marshes. It is overgrown with nettles and is dark. This would have been very daunting for a little boy who is out on his own. Pip’s family would not have been able to afford anywhere nicer to live because they were lower working class and therefore would not have had much money. However, Joe and Mrs. Joe have a best room, or parlour, which is only used on special occasions, such as Christmas. They all also have Sunday best clothes to go to church in, which they do every week. Mrs. Joe believes that ‘cleanliness is next to godliness,’ and is therefore always cleaning around the house, making it spotless. This is significant because poor people often take a great deal of pride in looking after what little they have. Also, there is a high infant mortality rate because Pip is one of only six children to survive in his family. Both of his parents are dead as well, but we do not know how they died. Right at the beginning of the novel, Pip meets an escaped convict in the Churchyard, where he is visiting his parents’ and siblings’ gravestones. He suddenly hears from behind him: ‘Hold your noise.’ It is said in an aggressive manner, such to scare Pip out of his thick boots. The man who said itShow MoreRelatedGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1113 Words   |  5 Pagesadventures that the male characters go on. This seems to be relevant in a lot of movies and books like the story Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. In Great Expectations there are multiple female characters like Estella, Biddy, and Miss Havisham who all play a large part in the main character, Pip’s life. One of the first that we meet the character Estella in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is when Pip goes to Miss Havisham’s to play with her. The two kids play the game beggar my neighbor when EstellaRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1347 Words   |  6 Pagespoor status of the economy, social mobility does not seem to be occurring at high rates, with the poor getting poorer and rich getting richer. Despite this, social mobility is alive and well, and has been for centuries. In his novel, Great Expectations, Charles Dickens voices the concerns of many that lived in Victorian England during the 19th century by promoting such a desire to live life in a more prosperous social class. One of the most fundamental and reoccurring themes in the novel is that ofRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1426 Words   |  6 Pages Twelve-year-old Charles dickens gets ready for bed after a long day at the blacking house. These Victorian-aged memories will provide him with many ideas for his highly acclaimed novel Great Expectations. Set in 1830 England, Great Expectations is a coming-of-age story about a common innocent boy named Pip and his road to becoming a gentleman through the influence of others. Pip is influenced both positively and negatively by Estella, Herbert, and Magwitch. Estella left a huge impression on PipRead MoreGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens984 Words   |  4 PagesCharles Dickens utilizes his life for inspiration for the protagonist Pip in his novel Great Expectations. They both struggle with their social standing. Dickens loved plays and theatre and therefore incorporated them into Pip’s life. Dickens died happy in the middle class and Pip died happy in the middle class. The connection Dickens makes with his life to Pip’s life is undeniable. If readers understand Dickens and his upbringing then readers can understand how and why he created Pip’s upbringingRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations943 Words   |  4 Pages This is true in many cases but none as much as in Great Expectations. In many ways the narrator/protagonist Pip is Charles Dickens in body and mind. While there are many differences between the story and Charles Dickens life there remains one constant. This constant is the way Pip as the narra tor feels, because these feelings are Dickens s own feelings about the life he lead. Since Great Expectations was written towards end of Charles Dickens life, he was wiser and able to make out the mistakesRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1375 Words   |  6 PagesGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens and The Talented Mr Ripley by Anthony Minghella present similar criticisms of society to a large extent. Both of these texts consider the criticisms of rich social contexts (wealth and status), societal morality (whether a society is good or not. Status [can lead to the wrong people being in a high position i.e. making bad decisions affecting the community/society] Appearance [society appears to be moral/good (if you’re from a higher status) {dickens criticisesRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1223 Words   |  5 PagesBeloved author Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England. Growing up in a life of poverty, his childhood hardshi ps provided the inspiration to write a myriad of classic novels including his 1861 seminole masterpiece, Great Expectations (â€Å"BBC History - Charles Dickens†). Great Expectations follows the life of an orphan named Pip, who’s perspective of the world is altered when he is attacked by an escaped convict in his parents’ graveyard in the town of Kent. Throughout hisRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens924 Words   |  4 Pagesa character driven novel, or a mix of the two. In order for a novel to be character driven, it must revolve more around the characters’ individual thoughts, feelings, and inner struggles, rather than around the quest of the story. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, is a character driven novel. While the story does have a plot, it is not contingent upon that plot, but rather is reliant upon its characters and their natures. This is evident from the beginning of the novel. From the opening ofRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1669 Words   |  7 PagesCharles Dickens He was one of England s greatest authors of the 1800 s, better known as the Victorian era. The various themes and ideas of that time are perfectly showcased in his many novels and short stories, such as Nicholas Nickelby, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and A Christmas Carol. Much of the inspiration for these works came from the trials and conflicts that he dealt with in his own life. His volumes of fictional writing show the greatRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1017 Words   |  5 Pagesexperiencer is somewhere else absorbing knowledge of a different setting.This abstract adventure is seized by author Charles Dickens in Great Expectations. Great Expectations is historical fiction giving readers comprehension of the Victorian Era.Upon the reading, readers begin to catch on the intended purpose and its significance. A person who lived during the Victorian Era was Charles Dickens himself.He grew up during a time where differences in social class were to an extreme degree.Dickens went through