Gulliver's Travels Blog Post

In Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver tries to impress the King of Brobdingnag by showing him gunpowder. This display by Gulliver is done in an attempt to impress the King. The fact that the gunpowder does not do much to impress Brobdingnag is a very telling story. In this tale, Swift is taking a shot at militarism. The fact that the gunpowder is so readily dismissed shows that the people of Brobdingnag, who have been shown by Swift to be a very kind and caring people, shows that the weaponry of Gulliver's society is unneeded for a successful society. Gulliver is a product of a society that worships materials, especially weapons. In the "real" world that Gulliver resides in, the most powerful people in society are the ones with the most, and biggest weapons. Gulliver is shown by the people of Brobdingnag that weapons and power are not the most important thing.