1.
Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift
• Summary: Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is a satirical narrative divided into four parts, each
describing the voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, a ship's surgeon. The novel criticizes human nature,
politics, and society through Gulliver’s encounters with bizarre civilizations.
1. Part 1: Lilliput
After being shipwrecked, Gulliver finds himself in Lilliput, a land of six-inch-tall people. The
Lilliputians are pompous and arrogant despite their small size. They engage in trivial wars with
their neighbors, the Blefuscudians, over the proper way to crack eggs (from the small end or the
large end). Lilliputian society is a thinly veiled parody of British politics, with characters like the
Emperor of Lilliput representing George I and political allegories about religious and political
conflict in England.
Gulliver assists Lilliput in a war against Blefuscu by capturing the Blefuscudian navy, but he
eventually falls out of favor due to palace intrigues and narrowly escapes execution.
2. Part 2: Brobdingnag
Gulliver next finds himself in Brobdingnag, a land of giants. Here, he is the tiny one, and his
helplessness makes him an object of fascination for the Brobdingnagians, especially the Queen
and her dwarf servant. The King of Brobdingnag listens to Gulliver’s descriptions of European
society but dismisses it as corrupt and laughable.
The Brobdingnagians are kind and practical, living simple, rational lives. Swift uses this contrast
to criticize the corruption, violence, and irrationality of European political life.
3. Part 3: Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and Japan
Gulliver’s third voyage takes him to Laputa, a floating island inhabited by people obsessed with
mathematics and music, but completely detached from reality. Laputa represents Swift's critique
of the impractical nature of scientific and philosophical pursuits when they are divorced from
real human needs.
On the ground below Laputa is Balnibarbi, where ridiculous scientific experiments ruin
agriculture and industry. Gulliver also visits Glubbdubdrib, where he speaks with historical
figures brought back to life, and Luggnagg, where he meets the Struldbrugs, immortal people
who wish for death because of the misery of eternal life.
4. Part 4: The Land of the Houyhnhnms
In his final voyage, Gulliver arrives in the land of the Houyhnhnms, a race of intelligent, rational
horses. The Yahoos, their brutish, human-like servants, are dirty, selfish, and violent. Gulliver
comes to admire the Houyhnhnms’ rationality and begins to despise humanity, seeing the
Yahoos as a reflection of human nature.
He wishes to stay with the Houyhnhnms, but they see him as a threat and exile him. When
Gulliver returns to England, he is so disgusted with humanity that he can no longer bear human
company, even that of his family.
• Characters:
o Lemuel Gulliver – The protagonist and narrator, a surgeon and traveler whose
adventures offer insights into Swift’s criticisms of humanity.
o Emperor of Lilliput – A pompous leader whose disputes with Gulliver reflect political
vanity.
o King of Brobdingnag – A rational and wise ruler who finds European society absurd and
corrupt.
o Houyhnhnms – Rational, noble horses who represent an ideal of reason and order.
o Yahoos – Savage, degenerate creatures who resemble humans, symbolizing the worst
aspects of humanity.
• Relevance to Society: Gulliver’s Travels is a biting satire of human nature, society, and politics.
Swift mocks the pettiness of human conflicts, the folly of intellectual pursuits disconnected from
reality, and the corruption inherent in political systems. The novel reflects Swift’s disillusionment
with Enlightenment ideals, particularly the belief in reason and progress.
2. Candide - Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet)
• Summary: Candide is a satirical novella that follows the misadventures of Candide, a naive
young man who believes in the optimistic philosophy of Pangloss, that "all is for the best in the
best of all possible worlds." This belief is tested as Candide witnesses and experiences an
endless series of calamities.
Candide grows up in the castle of Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh in Westphalia, where he falls in love with
Cunégonde, the baron’s daughter. After being caught kissing her, Candide is expelled from the castle.
What follows is a chaotic journey across Europe, South America, and the Ottoman Empire.
Candide and Pangloss experience the Seven Years’ War, where Candide witnesses brutal killings and
destruction. In Lisbon, they encounter the Inquisition, and Pangloss is hanged after an earthquake.
Candide is flogged, but he escapes. Cunégonde is found alive, but she has been enslaved by two men.
Candide kills both her captors and flees with her.
On their travels, Candide encounters Martin, a pessimist who provides a counterpoint to Pangloss'
optimism. The horrors Candide witnesses include war, slavery, religious hypocrisy, and natural disasters,
all of which challenge Pangloss’ philosophy.
Eventually, Candide meets a Turkish farmer who advises him to focus on work instead of idle
philosophical speculation. Candide concludes that the best course of action is to "cultivate his garden,"
symbolizing a turn toward practicality and self-sufficiency.
• Characters:
o Candide – The naive protagonist who clings to optimism despite overwhelming evidence
of the world's cruelty.
o Pangloss – Candide’s mentor who adheres to a misguided philosophy of optimism.
o Cunégonde – Candide’s love, whose misfortunes highlight the destructiveness of human
greed and violence.
o Martin – A pessimist who balances Candide’s optimism.
o The Baron – Cunégonde’s brother, who opposes Candide's marriage to Cunégonde
despite his own repeated near-death experiences.
• Deaths: There are numerous deaths, resurrections, and calamities throughout the novel, often
exaggerated to the point of absurdity. For instance, Cunégonde’s brother is "killed" twice, yet
survives both times.
• Relevance to Society: Candide is Voltaire’s critique of blind optimism, especially the philosophy
of Leibniz, who claimed that we live in the "best of all possible worlds." The novella also satirizes
war, religion, and society’s hypocrisy. Through Candide’s journey, Voltaire advocates for reason,
skepticism, and active engagement in improving the world, rather than accepting suffering as
fate.
3. Ode to Autumn - John Keats
• Summary: Ode to Autumn is a lyrical poem in three stanzas that celebrates the autumn season
as a time of abundance, ripeness, and transformation. The speaker reflects on the beauty of
nature as summer transitions into autumn, and how life matures before the coming of winter.
In the first stanza, Keats describes autumn as a time of mists and fruitfulness, with apples ripening and
flowers blooming. The second stanza personifies autumn as a harvester, sitting beside a granary or
sleeping in the fields after the harvest, symbolizing contentment and rest after labor. In the third stanza,
Keats shifts from the visual to the auditory, as the sounds of autumn—like bleating lambs, singing
crickets, and the chirping of swallows—replace the springtime songs of birds.
• Structure: The poem is composed of three eleven-line stanzas with a regular rhyme scheme.
• Relevance to Society: Keats uses the cycle of seasons to meditate on life, death, and the passage
of time. The poem reflects the idea that change, while inevitable, brings its own form of beauty
and fulfillment. It celebrates the richness of nature and life’s fleeting moments, suggesting that
we should find contentment in the present rather than mourning what is lost.
4. To a Skylark - Percy Bysshe Shelley
• Summary: Shelley’s To a Skylark addresses a skylark flying high in the sky, singing with pure joy.
The poet marvels at the bird's unbridled happiness and contrasts it with human life, which is full
of sorrow and suffering. The skylark becomes a symbol of artistic and spiritual freedom,
unconstrained by the limitations of human existence.
Shelley admires the bird’s song, which seems to come from heaven, and notes that the bird is invisible
but omnipresent, filling the air with its music. He reflects on the skylark's eternal bliss and contrasts it
with human life, which is marked by sorrow, yearning, and unfulfilled desires. Shelley concludes that the
skylark is a source of inspiration for poets, a reminder of the unattainable beauty and joy that art seeks
to capture.
• Structure: The poem consists of 21 stanzas with five lines each (a quatrain followed by a shorter
fifth line).
• Relevance to Society: The skylark represents the ideal of creative and spiritual freedom,
untainted by the limitations of human existence. Shelley uses the bird to explore the tension
between human suffering and the desire for transcendence, making the poem a reflection on
the power and limitations of art and creativity.
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
• Summary: Oliver Twist is a novel about a young orphan, Oliver Twist, who endures a harsh
upbringing in a workhouse. The story follows Oliver’s journey as he escapes from the workhouse
and becomes entangled in London’s criminal underworld.
1. Early Life: Oliver is born in a workhouse and suffers from neglect and abuse. He is
eventually sent to an apprenticeship with an undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry, but escapes
due to mistreatment.
2. Journey to London: Oliver travels to London, where he falls in with a gang of child
thieves led by the elderly Fagin. This gang is involved in petty crimes, including
pickpocketing. Oliver is introduced to the gang by The Artful Dodger, a skilled young
thief.
3. Encounters and Betrayals: Oliver’s involvement with Fagin’s gang leads to various
troubles. He is arrested for pickpocketing, but Mr. Brownlow, a wealthy gentleman,
takes him in after Oliver is wrongly accused of theft.
4. Uncovering the Truth: Oliver’s true parentage is gradually revealed. Monks, a villainous
character, plots to ruin Oliver’s life to inherit a fortune. It is discovered that Oliver’s
mother was of high social standing, and Oliver is eventually reunited with his family.
5. Resolution: With the help of Mr. Brownlow and others, Oliver’s life is set right. Fagin is
arrested, Bill Sikes is killed while trying to escape, and Monks is exposed. Oliver finds a
loving home and a stable life.
• Characters:
o Oliver Twist – The innocent and virtuous protagonist who suffers from social injustice.
o Fagin – The old thief who trains children to steal.
o Bill Sikes – A violent criminal associated with Fagin’s gang.
o Nancy – A sympathetic member of Fagin’s gang who helps Oliver.
o Mr. Brownlow – A benevolent and wealthy man who saves Oliver and becomes his
guardian.
o Monks – Oliver’s half-brother who conspires against him to secure an inheritance.
• Deaths: Notable deaths include Nancy, murdered by Sikes for helping Oliver, and Sikes himself,
who is hunted down by the police and dies while attempting to flee.
• Relevance to Society: Dickens uses Oliver Twist to critique the Victorian workhouse system, child
labor, and the social injustices of his time. The novel highlights the harsh realities faced by
orphans and the poor, advocating for social reform and empathy.
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
• Summary: The Picture of Dorian Gray explores themes of vanity, moral corruption, and the
duality of human nature through the story of Dorian Gray, a young man who remains physically
youthful while his portrait ages and reflects his moral decay.
1. Initial Transformation: Dorian Gray is a young and handsome man who has his portrait
painted by Basil Hallward. Influenced by Lord Henry Wotton, who espouses a hedonistic
philosophy, Dorian wishes that he could remain youthful while the portrait bears the
effects of his actions.
2. Moral Decline: As Dorian indulges in a life of vice and corruption, his portrait becomes
increasingly monstrous, reflecting his inner depravity. His actions include manipulations,
betrayals, and moral transgressions. Sibyl Vane, an actress whom Dorian loves, commits
suicide after Dorian’s cruel rejection, symbolizing his moral decline.
3. Growing Guilt: Dorian becomes increasingly obsessed with the portrait and his own
morality. He hides the portrait in a locked room, where it serves as a reminder of his
sins. Dorian murders Basil Hallward in a fit of rage when Basil confronts him about his
corruption.
4. Climax and Resolution: As Dorian attempts to destroy the portrait, he is ultimately killed
in the process. The portrait reverts to its original, unblemished state, showing the true,
innocent face of Dorian, while his own body is found disfigured and corrupted.
• Characters:
o Dorian Gray – The protagonist who remains young and beautiful while his portrait
reflects his moral corruption.
o Basil Hallward – The artist who paints Dorian’s portrait and is later murdered by Dorian.
o Lord Henry Wotton – A hedonistic figure who influences Dorian’s philosophy of life.
o Sibyl Vane – An actress whose tragic fate signifies Dorian’s impact on others and his
moral decline.
• Relevance to Society: Wilde’s novel explores the consequences of living a life of superficial
pleasure and the impact of a lack of moral responsibility. It critiques the superficial values of
society and reflects Wilde’s concerns about aesthetics, morality, and the nature of human
existence.
