In what ways does Gulliver show himself to be a practical man?

Gulliver
Author
Institution

Gulliver’s Travel is a short story about Gulliver, who is a very practical and who knows how to bid for time. When Gulliver is captured by the Lilliputian, he chose not to fight them even when it was obvious that he could win the battle. The main reason was that Gulliver realizes that he has already done more harm and getting into another fight would damage him. “I confess I was often tempted while they were passing backward and forwards on my body to seize forty or fifty that came in my reach, and dash them against the ground” (Swift, 1995, p.638). Again, when approached with the idea to help the king with the invaders both internal and external, Gulliver
was wise enough to know the battles to fight and those not to. He wisely told the king he should not interfere with internal affairs.
Gulliver’s practicality is well seen in his demeanor that seemed to disarm his captors. He knew how to put people at ease: “He then placed me gently on the ground upon the four, but I got immediately up and walked backward and forward to let those people know I had an intent to runaway”(Swift, 1995, p.650). Gulliver was also very interested in the culture of the people he met along the way. As a result, he always seemed to win favor with the officials everywhere he went. He can pick up their language that seemed to help him to adapt to his situation. When Gulliver met with the Houyhnhnms who are referred to as horses, he was so interested in learning the language that in ten days he understood them well enough to tell the king who he was.

His way with people also won him a lot of favors which made his stay more tolerant. He knew how to align himself with the high ranking people everywhere he went. When taken to the king he won the
queen’s heart who even though made fun of him, took it all in good spirits.
As the main character, Gulliver is not your typical hero, but he is a practical man who is
Intelligent in his doings. Gulliver, throughout his journey, can be seen as a man who took the
time to learn the people around him and use that to his advantage. “I swore and subscribed to these articles with great cheerfulness and content where upon my chains were immediately unlocked” (Swift, 1995, p.644)
References.
Swift, J. (1995). Gulliver’s travels. In Gulliver’s Travels (pp. 27-266). Palgrave Macmillan, New York.