Gulliver's Travels
by Jonathan Swift
Table of Contents
Cast of Characters
Gulliver
Lemuel Gulliver is the protagonist and narrator of Gulliver’s Travels. Despite his command of language and education, Gulliver has little emotional connection to the world around him. Gulliver is also extremely naïve; although he reports many facts, he never connects the actions of those he encounters at sea to the state of government and existence in his homeland of England.
Practically obsessed with facts, many of Gulliver’s descriptions of navigation and travel are edited out by Richard Sympson, who is Gulliver’s editor. Especially because of his disregard for emotion, many have considered Gulliver a protagonist but not a hero. Although he endures many difficulties, Gulliver’s naivety and inability to connect events to larger motifs make him both relatable and asinine to readers. Even his name suggests that his gullible nature is the true flaw in his character.
The Emperor
The Emperor is the leader of Lilliput. Although he is smaller than six inches tall, the Emperor has the ability to rule his subjects (and Gulliver) with ease. Despite the frightening aspects of his personality, the Emperor is proud of Lilliput and spends a great deal of money feeding Gulliver.
The Farmer
The farmer serves as Gulliver’s initial master while he is in Brobdingnag. Although he is sometimes kind to Gulliver, the farmer takes advantage of Gulliver and barely gives him enough food to survive. He also displays Gulliver as if he were an object.
Glumdalclitch
Glumdalclitch is the nine-year-old daughter of the farmer. Although she is young, Glumdalclitch stands at 40 feet tall. She helps Gulliver learn the Brobdingnagian language. Later, she becomes Gulliver’s caretaker in the queen’s court.
The Queen
The queen of Brobdingnag is entranced by Gulliver’s appearance. She buys him from the farmer...
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