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Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels as a Fantasy

Gulliver's Travels is a breathtaking, thrilling, and exhilarating tale of the adventures of

Lemuel Gulliver, a practical-minded surgeon from England who sails across the seas after his

business fails. The story is told from a blank first-person perspective, detailing Gulliver's

otherworldly adventures before settling back home. For many readers, this story qualifies as a

fictional narrative. However, a deeper look and analysis of the tale reveals that it fits within the

fantasy fiction genre. Fantasy refers to a genre of writing where the plot of the story cannot occur

in real life as it is known. Often, as depicted in the narrative, a fantasy fiction plot occurs in other

undiscovered dimensions with mythical creatures and people, locations, and events that cannot

occur in the real world. The plot in Gulliver's Travels fits well within this description despite

several depictions of the real world and real people in England. Therefore, this essay examines

Gulliver's Travels as a fantasy, exploring the various plot elements, including the otherworldly

dimensions, a cast of mythical creatures and complex characters, a magic system, and

medievalist settings that show how the genre works.

The first element of the plot in Gulliver's Travels that makes it a fantasy is the setting

featuring otherworldly and supernatural realms and dimensions beyond the real world.

According to Stephan, "A fantasy story need not have a plausible scientific rationale but does

still have a novum, features that allow one [the reader] to feel the sense of estrangement from the

'zero worlds'" (7). Gulliver's adventures occur in different otherworldly realms that are beyond
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human cognition. His first adventure occurs in a world called Lilliput, where he finds himself

after a shipwreck. Gulliver describes Lilliput as the land of tiny men. After waking up from a

deep sleep, he says, "Then I saw a very small creature walking along my body. I looked again,

and I was very surprised to see that this creature was really a tiny man" (3). It is almost

impossible to imagine a man so tine that he could be walking on another man. As it shall be

described later, the tiny men are mythical creatures in the plot, affirming that the narrative is a

fantasy. Regardless, Gulliver's description of Lilliput implies that it is an entirely different realm

from the ordinary world. The creatures were too tiny that children would play hide-and-seek in

his hair while others enjoyed dancing on his palms. This imaginary dimension in the plot makes

the narrative a fantasy.

Besides, Gulliver's second sail takes him to Brobdingnag, the land of giants, the absolute

opposite of Lilliput. Unlike Lilliput, where the creatures are extra tiny, Brobdingnag is a land of

giant creatures. After arriving at the beach, Gulliver explains, "I ran to the top of a hill, and then I

had a surprise…Everything was very big. Then I saw a man —but he was as tall as a church!"

(2). Stephan argues that "Fantasy…posits a world that can contain features sparked by pure

imagination." Hence, the sheer size of everything in Brobdingnag implies that the land is

otherworldly beyond the real world and can only be imagined. Rats, corn, people, monkeys,

dogs, apples, and hailstones, among others, are all huge. The giants in Brobdingnag all confused

Gulliver for an animal. They were even surprised that "it" could speak. The strangeness and

peculiarity of this land qualify the story as fantasy fiction because it can only be imagined.

However, this Brobdingnag is nothing compared to Gulliver's next destination.

Notably, after Gulliver's adventures in Brobdingnag, he sets sails again only to arrive in

Laputa, the flying island of theorists and academicians. At first, a reader could easily recognize
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Laputa as an abnormal island. As described by Gulliver, everything there seemed foolish and

impractical. When he saw the island, he notes, "I was very surprised to see a flying island with

people on it, and I did not know what to do" (32). A flying island can only exist in fantasy

fiction. This mysterious island is imaginary is another twist in the plot that makes Gulliver's

Travels a fantasy. From Gulliver's descriptions, a reader can easily picture a floating island

falling from the skies with a rope hanging down for him to climb on. The people on this island,

as described later, seem to have lost touch with reality. Furthermore, several side trips on the

island reveal historical figures such as Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and General Hannibal,

who seem not well-represented as in the books. The floating island opens the door to yet another

otherworldly realm with fictional characters that can fit well in fantasy.

This otherworldly realm is an unknown foreign world occupied by Houyhnhnms, who

Gulliver describes as rational-thinking and talking horses. The land had odd-looking animals and

talking horses. According to Gulliver, "'This is a wonderful country,' I thought. 'The horses talk

to each other! I want to see the people, to find out if they are as wonderful as the horses" (40).

This statement proves that the land was beyond imagination as normal horses on earth do not

speak. Gulliver tells the King horse that 'In my country….'everything is different. The animals

you call Yahoos are intelligent, like me. Horses in my country are not intelligent" (41).

Therefore, this plot element affirms that the narrative is a fantasy because the setting presented

here can only be imagined as it is unreal. However, at this juncture is crucial to mention that the

plot in the narrative constantly switches between the real world and the otherworldly realms.

Regardless, the otherworldly and supernatural settings are proof enough that Gulliver's Travels is

fantasy fiction.
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Another plot aspect that makes Gulliver's Travels a fantasy is the cast of mythical

creatures and complex characters. From the first to the last adventure, the reader is introduced to

mythical creatures that can only be imagined. Gulliver describes every encounter with these

unworldly creatures, sometimes expressing his fear and worry that they could cause harm. In the

very first instance in Lilliput. Gulliver describes the tiny people he met on the island. For

example, in Lilliput, Gulliver says,

"It is important to remember that the people of Lilliput are very small. They are

about six inches tall, and all the animals and trees are in proportion. The tallest

horse is about five inches high, and a sheep about one inch. Some of the animals

are so small that I could not see them easily. Birds, for example, are about the

same size as flies in England. The tallest trees in Lilliput are seven feet high" (15).

These tiny creatures are mythical and only appear in fantasy literature. Fantasy fiction mainly

presents the mythical creatures as imagined human beings that are entirely different from the

creatures of the real world. Moreover, the giants of Brobdingnag are also mythical creatures.

Most fantasy literature features giants, who are huge people not proportional to the average

human being. All creatures in Brobdingnag are huge gigantic. For example, when describing the

size of rats. Gulliver says, "I looked up, and there were two enormous rats on the bed — they

were as big as dogs" (22). Fantasy fiction features mythical creatures that are way too abnormal.

Gulliver's interactions with these complex characters also affirm that the story is meant to be

fantasy. A reader can only imagine these interactions as they occur in a world that cannot be real.

Remarkably, even at Laputa, the flying island of theorists and academicians, people

expected to be ordinary end up being mythical and senile immortals. On arrival at the island,

Gulliver describes how bizarre and extraordinary the people seemed. He says, "They were
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strange people. Their heads were very flat, and one eye looked up to the sky, and the other eye

looked in the opposite direction" (32). Such creatures can only be imagined as they do not exist

in the ordinary world. Even though these people are interested in music and mathematics,

appearing to be normal, they are mythical as their appearance makes them odd and otherworldly.

The conjuring of historical figures who appear as ghosts at Glubbdubdrib also qualifies the

narrative as a fantasy. In fantasy fiction, ghosts are brought back to life, sometimes to haunt the

living and sometimes help them. In this respect, the conjured ghosts are only meant to be seen by

Gulliver. Above all, another mythical creature presented in the narrative is the Houyhnhnm – the

rational thinking and talking horse. Gulliver comes across horses that can talk and even think

intelligently. He even acknowledges that that would not be possible in the real world. In the

fantasy world, horses rule over humans and even refer to them as Yahoos. Gulliver's interactions

with the Houyhnhnms prove that the narrative is fantasy fiction.

More importantly, a fantasy is never complete without a magic system embedded within

the plot. In fact, for any reader who understands Gulliver's Narrative to be a fantasy, they cannot

wait for the point where Gulliver encounters magic or some form of witchcraft in his adventures.

According to Stephan, in fantasy fiction,

"Magic produces, or pretends to produce, an alteration in the Primary World. It

does not matter by whom it is said to be practiced, fay or mortal, it remains

distinct from the other two; it is not an art but a technique; its desire is power in

this world, domination of things and wills" (7).

In the story, Gulliver encounters magic at the island of Glubbdubdrib, a name meaning

"magician." On the island, the first person Gulliver encounters is the governor, who is also a

magician. Gulliver notes that the servants at the governor's palace are not real people. Instead,
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from the governor's words, "They're not real people…they're ghosts. I'm a magician, and I can

make dead people appear and disappear" (36). For instance, the governor could clap his hands

appear and disappear. Moreover, the governor could make dead people reappear. Gulliver even

requests to see famous historical figures such as Aristotle, Homer, Caesar, Brutus, Pompey the

Great, General Hannibal, and Alexander the Great. However, after talking to them, Gulliver

realized that they were not as brave as depicted, as most were dishonest and cruel during their

time. The encounter with magic indicates that the narrative is a fantasy because magic only

happens in fantastical and otherworldly realms. The governor exhibits power to influence events

through mysterious and supernatural powers or forces. Although the magic system happens only

once throughout the adventure, it is a strong indicator that Gulliver's Travels is qualified as a

fantasy.

Moreover, in fantasy fiction, Medievalism is a common feature in the plot, where the

setting or place features historical aspects allied to the European Middle Ages between antiquity

and Renaissance. The most common medieval feature incorporated in fantasy plots is a class

system's strict hierarchy of power. Typically, a royal king and/or king is followed by a class of

wealthy men and the disadvantaged at the bottom of the class structure. In all his adventures,

Gulliver encounters the strict hierarchy of power in the otherworldly realms. First, at Lilliput,

Gulliver described how an emperor led the society with a government and even an army of tiny

men. Furthermore, the government had a system of laws and regulations that everyone was

supposed to adhere to. Gulliver even notes that "The laws of Lilliput are also very different to

English laws" (15). The class structure was present in Lilliput, with only elite members of the

society respected and acknowledged publicly. These aspects of Medievalism in Lilliput affirm

that the narrative is a fantasy.

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Besides, at Brobdingnag, Gulliver encounters another aspect of Medievalism in the form

of a monarchy led by a royal family. The society of giants is led by a Queen and a King who

exert their authority and rule over the land. Gulliver says, "The Queen introduced me to the

King, and he and I became friends very quickly. The King asked me a lot of questions about

England. He was very surprised that everybody in England was small like me" (26). However, to

affirm the historical setup of this setting, Gulliver acknowledges that the king knew nothing

about politics. Gulliver says, "He was a friendly man, but he did not understand anything about

science" (27). This Medieval setting is devoid of all the modern ideas of politics and all aspects

of civilization. A fantasy involves such a setting that is unimaginable and beyond acceptance as

part of the real world. Most fantasy fictions immerse readers in a historical or futuristic world

where nothing compares to the modern world. As exhibited in Gulliver's narratives, the system

of government is mainly made up of a monarchy led by a queen, king, or emperor. Even in the

land of Houyhnhnms, there is a system of government and power structure. The master horse is

in charge of all the other horses. Additionally, the element of class also implies that there are

servants who serve the elite in society. Besides, in most of these otherworldly settings, horses

and ships as the primary mode of transport. Therefore, the Medievalist settings depicted in the

narrative render Gulliver's Travels a fantasy.

Above all, to sum all the fantasy genre elements, Gulliver's Travels features treacherous

quests that Gulliver must accomplish in his adventures. In all, if not most fantasies, authors

immerse the reader in an assemblage of dangerous endeavors the protagonist must maneuver

through to give the story a sense of purpose. A treacherous quest is the adrenaline of adventure

through which a character must create some change for the better. In all of his voyages, Gulliver

faces extremely perilous quests. From being hit by storms to being attacked constantly by pirates,
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Gulliver suffers major atrocities that he must survive to accomplish his mission. Most of the

sailors either drown, are killed, or die from diseases. Moreover, in each otherworldly realm he

travels to, he must overcome some form of struggle to accomplish his goals or go back home.

Adding the treacherous quest to a fantasy gives it a dynamic that every reader likes to enjoy. In

most fantasies, like Gulliver's Travels, the protagonist must begin from a clean slate, explaining

why Gulliver has to develop new tactics each time to overcome his challenges. In this story, a

reader travels with Gulliver to exploit unchartered and unfamiliar territory each time the risk of

unforeseen obstacles increases. Throughout the story, there are unpredictable characters that the

protagonist must also overcome. For instance, while in Brobdingnag, Gulliver notes that the

Queen's dwarf felt so jealous that he attempted all kinds of dangerous tricks to harm him. At

Lilliput, Gulliver had to fight with the army against the Blefuscu and later on forced to flee for

his life after being convicted for treason. The treacherous quests Gulliver embarks on are the

final plot element indicating that the story is a fantasy.

In summary, this essay comprehensively details how Gulliver's Travels fits within the

fantasy genre by explaining the various plot elements, including the otherworldly dimensions, a

cast of mythical creatures and complex characters, a magic system, and medievalist settings that

show how the genre works. Although the story of Gulliver's adventures mentions real-world

countries such as England and Japan, it is primarily set in otherworldly and supernatural reals

such as Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, Glubbdubdrib, and the unknown land of Houyhnhnms,

which are typical in the fantasy genre. The reader also encounters mythical creatures and a cast

of complex characters, including extremely tiny men, giants, flat-headed theorists and

academicians, ghosts, and Houyhnhnms. Another plot element characteristic of the fantasy genre

is a magic system where Gulliver interacts with a magician capable of conjuring historical
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figures. Besides, like most fantasies featuring Medievalist settings, Gulliver's Travels features a

historical way of life when kingdoms existed, and the transport was mainly through horses and

boats. Above all, Gulliver's Travels involves several perilous quests that the protagonist must

overcome, like most fantasy literature. Therefore, from this perspective, Gulliver's Travels fits

perfectly within the fantasy genre.

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Works Cited

Stephan, Matthias. Do You Believe in Magic? The Potency of the Fantasy Genre. Coolabah, No.

18. Observatori: Centre d’Estudis Australians / Australian Studies Centre, Universitat de

Barcelona, 2016.

Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. New York: Harper, 1950.