Gulliver’s Travels · Chapter
Part II: A Voyage to Brobdingnag explained
Gulliver embarks on a voyage to Brobdingnag, where he is abandoned and discovered by a giant farmer.
What happens
Gulliver embarks on a voyage to Brobdingnag, where he is abandoned and discovered by a giant farmer. He is presented to the queen and becomes a court curiosity, eventually escaping the land of giants.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because Gulliver reaches the emotional and psychological peak of his mi…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Relativity of Perspective
Gulliver's tiny size in Brobdingnag reverses his previous experience in Lilliput, highlighting how scale changes perception.
- Satire of Politics and Government
The Brobdingnagian king's disdain for European politics satirizes the pettiness of human governance.
Characters to notice
- Lemuel Gulliver
Protagonist and narrator, stranded in Brobdingnag.
- Glumdalclitch
The farmer's daughter who cares for Gulliver.
Key passages
“I lay down on the grass, which was very short and soft, where I slept sounder than ever I remember to have done in my life.”
Gulliver rests on the grass and falls into a deep sleep.
Describes his initial exhaustion upon landing in Brobdingnag.
“The king, who was a prince of excellent understanding, would frequently order that I should be brought in my box, and set upon the table in his closet.”
The wise king often had Gulliver brought to his private room for conversation.
Highlights the king's curiosity and Gulliver's role as a novelty.
