Chapter 3, 4, & 5: Apart of Lilliput

Gulliver has been a good captive for the Lilliputians and has gotten favor from most of the people. They put on a show for him, which was like tightrope walking. There had been some fatal accidents from their participation in this activity, but Gulliver fixed by using his handkerchief as a net for them.

Image from http://www.entkent.com/Cawthorne-Cooksey.html.

By being such a easy-going captive they decide to give him his freedom as long as he signs the Lilliputians agreement. The agreement pretty much states that he shouldn't kill Lilliputians or destroy their things. He must also be on their side in the the war against Blefuscu. He agrees to this but doesn't think he should be involved in a foreign war which started over what side to crack and egg. No joke! Thats what these two peoples are fighting over. But since he has agreed he must fight against them. So, he takes the Blefuscusians ships that were about to attack Lilliput and bring them to the Emperor of Lilliput. Which pretty much seems to end the war between them. Gulliver finds that the Blefuscusians aren't really that bed as the Lilliputians say, which isn't any surprise. 

Chapter 1 & 2: Arriving in Lilliput

Lemuel Gulliver makes his living through traveling, but during one voyage he becomes shipwrecked and is washed to an island where he falls asleep. He awakes to tiny people all around him, speaking a language he does not know. He tries to get up but is tied down and shot at with tiny arrows that sting. He is brought to the tiny people's Emperor who is kind to him by giving as much food and water they can allow. Though, he still isn't let go.

He is then taken closer to the small village/city and is given his own space, still tied up. People are assigned to him to teach him their language, make him clothes, and check his pockets. He's making quite a spectacle for his large size compared to the normal citizen of Lilliput.

Images from http://www.bookdrum.com/books/gullivers-travels/9780141439495/bookmarks.html

Thoughts of Starting Gulliver's Travels

I have heard much about Gulliver's Travels in that there is a big man in a small world, but I'm sure that's not all the the book, and I'm interested in seeing what this whole things about. I think he goes to a few other worlds in which he is very small, very wise and very ignorant. After looking up a little of the book I found that each place represents something and shows significance to government. This book is also found as a satire. Here is a website I look at to get a basic understanding of what I'm about to read. I think this will be a great book to read and a little challenging since it was published in 1726.

Image from http://northshorekid.com/event/gullivers-travels-1939

This is what most imagine when they hear Gulliver's Travels.

Final Look at Brave New World

So, I figured out that I'm totally done with the last book, Brave New World, so this will be the last thing I say about it.

The ending was sad with John's death, but with so many disappointments throughout the book I was indifferent. Also, this way it was more realistic. Brave New World was about achieving happiness through ignorance and pleasure, it kind of reminded me of Substance, a figure in a piece of Chinese literature we read in class last week. Substance believed that since we will die we should, "drink wine" when we have it. Which is sort of like the BNW's theory that when you want someone you can have he/she, no huge waiting involved. Well, patience is a virtue.

I would probably recommend this book to people who want an interesting concept to think about and has an opened mind. I didn't find it difficult to read either, so if you're up for a book, consider Brave New World.

Image from http://www.american-buddha.com/brave.world.htm

Chapter 12-18: Actions and Causes of BNW

I kicked my butt into gear this past week and read seven chapters which pretty much ending the story portion of the book. The next is part is the revisiting of BNW.

There is a lot to sum up in the book so I'm going to put it in bullet/sentence form.

-John wouldn't come out of his room to meet some important people who had been nice to Bernard just so  they could see "Mr. Savage."
-This caused Bernard to be lowered back into his normal social ranking like he was before John.
-Lenina got it into her head that she was going to have John no matter what.
-But, when she try to do this John became very angry and started calling her a whore because she was causing him so temptation.
-He almost killed her.
-Quickly following, he got a call that his mother, Linda, was dying.
-He went to the hospital to see her where she died.
-John was so full of grief and misery that he tried to show the people of the BNW that they did not see the truth.
-He ended up throwing soma out the window which caused a lot of fighting.
-This is where Bernard and Helmholtz found him, Helmholtz then joined in the fight.
-The police came and drug them all with soma.
- The three man were taking to the Controller where they discussed the meaning of the BNW and consequences for their actions.
-Bernard will go to Iceland and Helmholtz will go to another island with lots of storms.
-These islands are meant for the people who can't adapt to BNW, so it's more like a gift than a punishment.
-John is not given this option because the Controller wants to see how he does here for awhile longer.
-After their long discussion of philosophy, God, and purpose; John leaves and goes to find a place where he can live alone with his sorrow.
-John has chosen the path of truth instead of happiness.
-He lives there for a time, punishing himself with a whip when he sings or thinks of Lenina.
-He is seen whipping himself by other people and that causes a lot of attention for him.
-One moment he is alone, the next, tons of people are around him saying "Whip! Whip! Whip!"
-He does and then he sees Lenina.
-He's so full of temptation and rage that he runs at her and whips her and then himself over and over.
-Everyone begins in this fighting charade and it turns into what John never wanted full of sex and soma.
-In the morning after everyone is gone and he wakes up he cries "Oh my God, my God!"
-I don't think John killed Lenina.
-But the final part is finding that he hung himself.

Image from http://stallsandwalls.com/

Anyway, that's the sum up of the book. I thought that maybe it would turn out all good in the end, but that was naive and this is ending is more realistic for a futuristic novel. I feel very little connection with this book and its characters but I enjoyed reading it anyways. I believe that the Controller keep him in the BNW world because he wanted to see the truth and what it does. And for that he did find out and it costed John's life.

More on what I think of this book and the revisiting of it in the next couple blogs.

Chapter 11: Reaction to the "Savage"

In the next chapter it deals with the Director quitting his job, which saves Bernard from moving to Iceland. Bernard is quickly surrounded with fame for bringing this "savage" (John) to the NW and he feels much more powerful for it. He is becoming very arrogant and his closes friend Helmholtz is finding him hard to be around.

Lenina is also receiving her fame, yet all she wants is to just be with John. They go to a Feely, which is a pretty much a movie that has scents and feelings for the audience. She hopes that after that she will "experience" John in the BNW way. Only, she is simply dropped off and left by herself and her soma.

Image from http://midlifebatmitzvah.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/best-rejection-ever/

(Though in BNW it's visa versa)

John does like Lenina but with the way he was raised in the "Savage Reservation" he finds it wrong to do the thing Lenina wants. He's giving the impression to Lenina that he doesn't like her and it's making her very depressed.

I find Bernard is a very annoying character who I was hoping would become a hero. As the book continues I don't think that will happen and I predict John will make the changes to the NW. I hope that Lenina will understand John's ways and except them, but that would be a very hard decision for her. We will find out. Also, John is being referred to as a savage but in all respects he's more like you or me.

Chapter 8, 9, & 10: Outcast

The story continues with hearing the life of the son of Linda, the lady from BNW. (They split everyone into groups in BNW, Alpha, Beta, ect.) The son's name is John, and he's about as old as Bernard and Lenina. He explains his life and how he has been an outcast from the people of his village because of his color. He also is much different from his mother who has had all the NW's brainwashing soaked into her thoughts. He's alone. This is something Bernard can relate to and so he agrees to try and bring Linda and John to their society. This is to benefit all because Bernard also knows who John's father is. It's the Director, who was about to move Bernard to Iceland for his behavior in not conforming to the norm social life. With presenting Linda and John to the Director, Bernard might be able to save himself from Iceland.

Image from http://walkwitheu.blogspot.com/2010/12/different-outcast-normal.html