Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift was first published in 1726. It is a celebrated satirical work in which Swift adopts the techniques of a standard travelogue to critique his own culture and its assumptions. The novel exaggerates the absurdity of the people and places the narrator describes, and in so doing mocks society.

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in Gulliver’s Travels and in-depth analyses of Lemuel Gulliver, Richard Sympson, the King and Queen of Brobdingnag, Lord Munodi, Don Pedro de Mendez, Mary Burton Gulliver, and more.

Literary Devices

Here's where you will find analysis of the main themes, symbols, and motifs in Gulliver’s Travels.

Essays

Learn more about Gulliver’s Travels by reading these mini-essays, a sample A+ student essay, and suggested essay topics.

Further Study

Go further in your study of Gulliver’s Travels with background information about Jonathan Swift and the work's publication, as well as suggestions for further reading.