An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1865 words)
ildendo, the metropolis of Lilliput, described, together with the
emperor’s palace. A conversation between the author and a principal
secretary, concerning the affairs of that empire. The author’s offers
to serve the emperor in his wars.
The first request I made, after I had obtained my liberty, was, that I
might have license to see Mildendo, the metropolis; which the emperor
easily granted me, but with a special charge to do no hurt either to
the inhabitants or their houses. The people had notice, by
proclamation, of my design to visit the town. The wall which
encompassed it is two feet and a half high, and at least eleven inches
broad, so that a coach and horses may be driven very safely round it;
and it is flanked with strong towers at ten feet distance. I stepped
over the great western gate, and passed very gently, and sidling,
through the two principal streets, only in my short waistcoat, for fear
of damaging the roofs and eaves of the houses with the skirts of my
coat. I walked with the utmost circumspection, to avoid treading on any
stragglers who might remain in the streets, although the orders were
very strict, that all people should keep in their houses, at their own
peril. The garret windows and tops of houses were so crowded with
spectators, that I thought in all my travels I had not seen a more
populous place. The city is an exact square, each side of the wall
being five hundred feet long. The two great streets, which run across
and divide it into four quarters, are five feet wide. The lanes and
alleys, which I could not enter, but only view them as I passed, are
from twelve to eighteen inches. The town is capable of holding five
hundred thousand souls: the houses are from three to five stories: the
shops and markets well provided.
The emperor’s palace is in the centre of the city where the two great
streets meet. It is enclosed by a wall of two feet high, and twenty
feet distance from the buildings. I had his majesty’s permission to
step over this wall; and, the space being so wide between that and the
palace, I could easily view it on every side. The outward court is a
square of forty feet, and includes two other courts: in the inmost are
the royal apartments, which I was very desirous to see, but found it
extremely difficult; for the great gates, from one square into another,
were but eighteen inches high, and seven inches wide. Now the buildings
of the outer court were at least five feet high, and it was impossible
for me to stride over them without infinite damage to the pile, though
the walls were strongly built of hewn stone, and four inches thick. At
the same time the emperor had a great desire that I should see the
magnificence of his palace; but this I was not able to do till three
days after, which I spent in cutting down with my knife some of the
largest trees in the royal park, about a hundred yards distant from the
city. Of these trees I made two stools, each about three feet high, and
strong enough to bear my weight. The people having received notice a
second time, I went again through the city to the palace with my two
stools in my hands. When I came to the side of the outer court, I stood
upon one stool, and took the other in my hand; this I lifted over the
roof, and gently set it down on the space between the first and second
court, which was eight feet wide. I then stept over the building very
conveniently from one stool to the other, and drew up the first after
me with a hooked stick. By this contrivance I got into the inmost
court; and, lying down upon my side, I applied my face to the windows
of the middle stories, which were left open on purpose, and discovered
the most splendid apartments that can be imagined. There I saw the
empress and the young princes, in their several lodgings, with their
chief attendants about them. Her imperial majesty was pleased to smile
very graciously upon me, and gave me out of the window her hand to
kiss.
But I shall not anticipate the reader with further descriptions of this
kind, because I reserve them for a greater work, which is now almost
ready for the press; containing a general description of this empire,
from its first erection, through a long series of princes; with a
particular account of their wars and politics, laws, learning, and
religion; their plants and animals; their peculiar manners and customs,
with other matters very curious and useful; my chief design at present
being only to relate such events and transactions as happened to the
public or to myself during a residence of about nine months in that
empire.
One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty,
Reldresal, principal secretary (as they style him) for private affairs,
came to my house attended only by one servant. He ordered his coach to
wait at a distance, and desired I would give him an hour’s audience;
which I readily consented to, on account of his quality and personal
merits, as well as of the many good offices he had done me during my
solicitations at court. I offered to lie down that he might the more
conveniently reach my ear, but he chose rather to let me hold him in my
hand during our conversation. He began with compliments on my liberty;
said “he might pretend to some merit in it;” but, however, added, “that
if it had not been for the present situation of things at court,
perhaps I might not have obtained it so soon. For,” said he, “as
flourishing a condition as we may appear to be in to foreigners, we
labour under two mighty evils: a violent faction at home, and the
danger of an invasion, by a most potent enemy, from abroad. As to the
first, you are to understand, that for about seventy moons past there
have been two struggling parties in this empire, under the names of
Tramecksan and Slamecksan, from the high and low heels of their
shoes, by which they distinguish themselves. It is alleged, indeed,
that the high heels are most agreeable to our ancient constitution;
but, however this be, his majesty has determined to make use only of
low heels in the administration of the government, and all offices in
the gift of the crown, as you cannot but observe; and particularly that
his majesty’s imperial heels are lower at least by a drurr than any
of his court (drurr is a measure about the fourteenth part of an
inch). The animosities between these two parties run so high, that they
will neither eat, nor drink, nor talk with each other. We compute the
Tramecksan, or high heels, to exceed us in number; but the power is
wholly on our side. We apprehend his imperial highness, the heir to the
crown, to have some tendency towards the high heels; at least we can
plainly discover that one of his heels is higher than the other, which
gives him a hobble in his gait. Now, in the midst of these intestine
disquiets, we are threatened with an invasion from the island of
Blefuscu, which is the other great empire of the universe, almost as
large and powerful as this of his majesty. For as to what we have heard
you affirm, that there are other kingdoms and states in the world
inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our philosophers are
in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that you dropped from the
moon, or one of the stars; because it is certain, that a hundred
mortals of your bulk would in a short time destroy all the fruits and
cattle of his majesty’s dominions: besides, our histories of six
thousand moons make no mention of any other regions than the two great
empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers have, as I
was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate war for
six-and-thirty moons past. It began upon the following occasion. It is
allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before
we eat them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty’s
grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it
according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers.
Whereupon the emperor his father published an edict, commanding all his
subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs.
The people so highly resented this law, that our histories tell us,
there have been six rebellions raised on that account; wherein one
emperor lost his life, and another his crown. These civil commotions
were constantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they
were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire. It is
computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered
death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many
hundred large volumes have been published upon this controversy: but
the books of the Big-endians have been long forbidden, and the whole
party rendered incapable by law of holding employments. During the
course of these troubles, the emperors of Blefuscu did frequently
expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing us of making a schism in
religion, by offending against a fundamental doctrine of our great
prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Blundecral (which
is their Alcoran). This, however, is thought to be a mere strain upon
the text; for the words are these: ‘that all true believers break their
eggs at the convenient end.’ And which is the convenient end, seems, in
my humble opinion to be left to every man’s conscience, or at least in
the power of the chief magistrate to determine. Now, the Big-endian
exiles have found so much credit in the emperor of Blefuscu’s court,
and so much private assistance and encouragement from their party here
at home, that a bloody war has been carried on between the two empires
for six-and-thirty moons, with various success; during which time we
have lost forty capital ships, and a much greater number of smaller
vessels, together with thirty thousand of our best seamen and soldiers;
and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be somewhat greater
than ours. However, they have now equipped a numerous fleet, and are
just preparing to make a descent upon us; and his imperial majesty,
placing great confidence in your valour and strength, has commanded me
to lay this account of his affairs before you.”
I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the emperor; and
to let him know, “that I thought it would not become me, who was a
foreigner, to interfere with parties; but I was ready, with the hazard
of my life, to defend his person and state against all invaders.”
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
Minor differences get artificially escalated into existential conflicts to distract from real issues or maintain power structures.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when trivial differences are being weaponized to distract from real problems.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when workplace or family arguments seem to escalate beyond what the actual issue warrants—ask what bigger problem might be getting ignored.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I walked with the utmost circumspection, to avoid treading on any stragglers who might remain in the streets"
Context: Gulliver describes his careful movement through the Lilliputian capital
This shows Gulliver's awareness of his power and his responsibility to use it carefully. It's a metaphor for how those with advantages - size, wealth, influence - should be mindful of how their actions affect others.
In Today's Words:
I was super careful not to accidentally hurt anyone because I knew how much damage I could do.
"It began upon the following occasion. It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger end"
Context: The secretary explains the origin of the war between Lilliput and Blefuscu
This reveals how the most destructive conflicts often start over the smallest differences. Swift is mocking how religious and political disputes escalate from minor disagreements into life-and-death struggles.
In Today's Words:
This whole war started because we couldn't agree on the 'right' way to crack an egg.
"His majesty desires you would take some other opportunity of bringing all the rest of his enemy's ships into his ports"
Context: The Emperor wants Gulliver to capture the entire Blefuscu fleet
This shows how leaders often want to use available power to completely dominate opponents rather than seek reasonable solutions. The Emperor sees Gulliver as a weapon rather than a mediator.
In Today's Words:
The boss wants you to use your advantage to completely crush the competition, not just solve the immediate problem.
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
The emperor uses trivial conflicts to maintain control and justify his authority over life-and-death decisions
Development
Evolved from earlier shows of imperial pageantry to reveal how power manufactures its own necessity
In Your Life:
You might see this when managers create unnecessary drama to appear essential, or when family members escalate small disputes to maintain their position as decision-makers.
Perspective
In This Chapter
Gulliver's outsider view reveals how absurd the Lilliputians' deadly serious conflicts actually are
Development
Building from his physical outsider status to his role as cultural observer
In Your Life:
You gain this clarity when you step back from heated workplace conflicts or family arguments and realize how trivial the actual stakes are.
Identity
In This Chapter
Lilliputians define themselves entirely by arbitrary markers like shoe heels and egg-cracking preferences
Development
Introduced here as Swift explores how societies create artificial identity markers
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself defining your worth by brand preferences, political labels, or other surface-level choices that don't reflect your actual values.
Class
In This Chapter
Political parties form around high heels versus low heels, turning fashion into class warfare
Development
Evolved from individual class markers to systemic class conflict
In Your Life:
You see this when workplace hierarchies get reinforced through dress codes, car choices, or neighborhood preferences that have nothing to do with job performance.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Citizens are expected to die for causes they didn't choose, following leaders' manufactured principles
Development
Developed from earlier emphasis on ceremony to show how expectations can become deadly serious
In Your Life:
You might feel this pressure to defend positions publicly that you privately question, or to maintain loyalty to groups whose actual goals you don't understand.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What are the Lilliputians fighting about, and how long have these conflicts been going on?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think Swift chose such ridiculous things for people to fight over - shoe heels and egg-cracking methods?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see similar manufactured conflicts in your workplace, family, or community - fights over small differences that seem huge to the people involved?
application • medium - 4
How can you tell the difference between a conflict worth engaging in and one that's just a distraction from real problems?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about how people in power use trivial differences to maintain control?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Spot the Manufactured Conflict
Think of a recent argument or conflict in your life - at work, in your family, or online. Write down what people were supposedly fighting about, then dig deeper: what were the real underlying issues? What actual problems might this conflict be distracting from? Finally, identify who benefits from keeping people focused on this surface-level disagreement instead of addressing root causes.
Consider:
- •The most passionate arguments often involve the smallest actual stakes
- •Ask who has power to gain or lose if people stopped fighting over this issue
- •Consider what resources, attention, or energy this conflict is consuming
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you got pulled into a fight that seemed important at the moment but later realized was pointless. What would you do differently now to avoid manufactured conflicts?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 5: The Hero's Dangerous Success
Gulliver's about to put his giant size to work in ways the tiny Lilliputians never imagined. His solution to their naval crisis will be both ingenious and controversial, setting up conflicts that will change everything.
