Post 3

Gulliver’s Travels and the Archives

The power dynamics between Gulliver and the people he ends up with are often complex. This dynamic clashes with the reader’s perception of Gulliver since his position as a narrator gives him a position of great power. Contrast to all of the subservience, this book is being refracted through Gulliver’s perspective. All of the voices of each character are filtered and altered to fit his needs. This makes Gulliver the most powerful character in the book. For Example, on page 112-113 Gulliver talks with the King about the British and the global society as a whole. During their conversation, Gulliver’s entire body is visible to the king whilst Gulliver can only catch a glimpse of the Kings head. Gulliver mentions on page 113 that he wishes he had the "voice of Demosthenes or Cicero." (113)

Comparing himself to other historical figures shows that Gulliver is still the one in command of his own story and although there is a huge size difference Gulliver is unable to distinguish that. The theme I see most relevant with power dynamics is Moral vs. Physical power. By having Gulliver meet people of extreme different physical attributes than those of his own there is a moral vs. physical power dynamic that lies within Gulliver as a character. Another Example is when Gulliver meets the Lilliputians, who are much smaller than him. He imagined squashing them when he first came into encounter with them. Although there is a size difference Gulliver has chosen to respect the Lilliputians