Gulliver In Lilliput – I - Class 9th - English - Lesson 2

Gulliver In Lilliput – I | Prose 2 | English | Tulip Series | Class 9th |

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Lesson 2 – Gulliver In Lilliput – I (Jonathan Swift)

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), Anglo-Irish satirist is considered as one of the greatest masters, of English prose. His many pamphlets, prose, letters, and poetry are all marked by highly effective and economical language. Swift was born in Dublin and educated at Trinity. College in that city. He obtained employment in England in 1689 as secretary to the diplomat and writer Sir William Temple.

He wrote about politics, literature, and human society. Gulliver’s Travels (1726), Swift’s masterpiece, is commonly considered a children’s story but was originally intended as a satire on humankind.

Thinking About the Text

 

Q1. Why did Reldresal visit Gulliver?

Ans. Reldresal was the Chief Secretary for Private Affairs. He visited Gulliver to discuss the problems of the state, created by two political parties. The Country was in great threat from external danger, so the King need his help for defense.

Q2.  How did Gulliver receive Reldresal?

Ans. Gulliver received him with honor and offered him to lie down so that he could properly speak to him, but Reldresal preferred to be held in hand during their conversation.

Q3.  What were the two political parties in Lilliput? What was their difference?

Ans. High Heels and Low Heels were the two political parties in Lilliput. These parties were differentiated by the heels of their shoes, they wore. The party, that wore shoes of high heels was called, as High Heel party and the party with low heel shoes were called as Low Heel party.

Q4. Why was the Government in the hands of the Low Heels though they were less numerous than the High Heels?

Ans. The government was in the hands of Low Heels because the Emperor was in favor of Low heels and himself wore low heel shoes.

Q5. What was the external danger that the country had to face?

Ans. The invasion from the Blefuscu was the external danger, that the country had to face. Blefuscu was the other great empire of the universe.

Q6. What was the question of religious principle that gave rise to the war between Lilliput and Blefuscu?

Ans. The religious principle that gave rise to the war between the two countries was, whether one should break an egg at the bigger end or at the smaller end. The ancient practice of the course was to break it at the bigger end.

Q7. Why was the ancient way of breaking an egg prohibited in Lilliput?

Ans. The ancient way of breaking an egg was prohibited because the emperor’s grandfather happened to cut his finger when he was a boy while breaking an egg at the bigger end.

Q8. How did the people take a new law?

Ans. There was bitter opposition to the new law, and there were frequent rebellions on an account of it, which resulted in the death of thousands of people.

Q9. What was the Emperor of Blefuscu’s part in the internal troubles of Lilliput?

Ans. After the imposition of new law many rebels escaped to Blefuscu, the Emperor of Blefuscu gave them his sympathy and encouragement, thus interfering in the internal affairs of Lilliput. He also charged Lilliputian Emperor of making people disobey the old teaching of their religion.

Q10. What was the teaching of their ancient religion about the right way of breaking eggs?

Ans. The teaching of their ancient religion about the right way of breaking eggs was that ‘all believers should break their egg at the convenient end’. This teaching was given in the 54^th chapter of their holy book.

Q11. What, in Reldressal's opinion, was the meaning of teaching?

Ans. In Reldresal’s opinion, there was a question for each man to decide, which was the convenient end, to break an egg.

Q12. What did Gulliver promise to do for the Emperor?

Ans. Gulliver promised the Emperor to defend his honor and the honor of the country, if there was any kind of invasion from the Blefuscu.

 

Language Work

 

a) Use the following phrases in your own sentences

Wait upon: The Emperor waited upon until the reply came from the scout.

Carry out: He honestly carried out all the tasks of his lord.

Attend on: The house owner himself attended on his all guests.

Depend on: Students always depend on the dictionary to find the meaning of new words.

Discuss with: He discussed his problems with his best friends.

Engage in: While the employees were suffering a lot, the government was engaged in elections.

Engage with: His marriage was engaged with a beautiful girl.

Charge with: He charged the Emperor with causing divisions in religion among people.

Prefer to: Most of the people of Kashmir prefer to be with Pakistan.

On account of He was released on account of being an innocent.

b) Give the adjectives of the following nouns and use them in your own sentences:

Attention: Attending – The doctor is attending his patients regularly.

Basic: Basic –  The clerk needs basic knowledge of computers for office work.

Convenience: Convenient – The college in the middle of the area is convenient to all the students for higher studies.

Empire: Empirical – He made an empirical statement of, teaching only the children of high-class families.

Majesty: Majestic – Taj Mahal is a majestic building in the world.

Honor: Honourable – PM is considered as an honorable person in the country. His honorable statements are praised by all.

Opposition: Opposite – He always has an opposite attitude towards other religions.

Religion: Religious – One cannot play with the religious sentiments of the other.

Sympathy: Sympathetic – He is more sympathetic towards poor people.

Invasion: Invasive – Influenza is more invasive than any other communicable disease.

c) Use the following words as nouns and verbs in your own sentences

Charge:

Noun: He tried to charge the batteries but they were dead.

Verb: He was charged for being taking bribe from his own employee.

Converse:

Noun: He had a private conversation with his friend.

Verb: Reldresal conversed with Gulliver about their private affairs in the country.

Divide:

Noun: They tried a lot to divide people in the name of religion but people cannot accept this division.

Verb: British divided people by applying divide and rule policy.

Honor:

Noun: We should love and honor each other. He is a man of honor, as never breaks his promises.

Verb: Mr. Naik was honored with the noble prize in his great work towards students.

Principle:

Noun: A man of principles avoids politics.

Verb: He was respected by his office on his principled behavior.

Rebel:

Noun: Many rebels escaped to other countries during the war.

Verb: They rebelled against the new law imposed by the government.

Report:

Noun: This kind of report is suspicious to us, so we cannot take any action on this report.

Verb: The informers reported that the enemies are ready for the invasion.

d) Find from the lesson words or phrases which mean the following.

(Section I, para 1)

1. (wait upon a person (and carry out his orders): Servant

2. to talk together about something; consider (a question or problem) carefully: Conversation

3. a difficult question; a matter that needs a solution: Problem

4. like (something) better: Important

(Section I, para 2)

1. say something more: Added

2. because of: On account of

3. coming from the outside, having to do with the outside: External

(Section I, para 3)

1. separate into groups or parties; cut into parts: Divided

2. the back part of one’s foot; (in the lesson) the part of one’s shoe that touches the back part of one’s foot.: Heel

3. (a phrase meaning) depending on According to

4. be a mark of difference; help to tell one thing from another: Distinguish

5. stand or fight against; be against.: Oppose

6. one who belongs to a group or party: Member

7. (a phrase meaning) on the side of, giving support to: In favor of

(Section II, para 1)

1. an area; a part (of the world): Region

2. a custom; the way a thing is generally done: Practice

3. make known to the public.: Publish

4. command (people) not to do something: Order

5. take part (in other people’s affairs and cause them difficulty): Interfere

6. say that a person has done wrong; accuse: Charge

7. give courage or help: Encourage

8. bring news; come and say: Report

(Section II, para 2)

1. keep away from Avoid

2. a truth or rule (for example, of religion): Principle

Writing Work 

Explain how the war broke out between the empires of Blefuscu and Lilliput.

            “Gulliver and Lilliput”, is a satire on humankind and a story for children, written by Jonathan Swift.

The war between Blefuscu and Lilliput is a part of the story that begins, when Gulliver gets ship-wrecked and is thrown up on the island of Lilliput, inhabited by six-inch people. Gulliver is imprisoned and later set to free so that he could help them in crucial times.

The story of a war between Blefuscu and the Lilliput is told by Reldresal to Gulliver when he visits Gulliver for a private conversation to seek help from him about problems faced by the state. The country had also the threat of external invasion from Blefuscu. These two countries had been engaged in a bloody war for thirty-six moons. The war began about a question of religious principle, namely, whether one should break an egg at the bigger end or at the smaller end. There was an ancient practice of breaking an egg at the bigger end, but this practice was prohibited by the then Emperor, as he happened to had cut his finger when he was a boy while breaking an egg at the bigger end. So, he published an order, of prohibiting to break an egg at the bigger end. The new law was opposed by many people, and there were frequent rebellions. Thousands of people lost their lives and many of them escaped to Blefuscu. The Emperor of Blefuscu gave them sympathy and encouragement, thus interfering in the internal affairs of Lilliput.

          This caused a great war between Blefuscu and Lilliput which lasted for more than thirty-six moons.

Discussion:

Discuss with your group mates a fairy tale that you have read or a movie you have seen.

Do It Yourself at School