Self & Society: British Lit @Hood College

I found it really interesting that Gulliver's main goal was to learn the language of the Houyhnhnms. He was so interested in these horse people. I'm not going to lie, I probably would be interested in them to because they aren't something that I would be used to seeing. Gulliver comes off very selfish because he leaves him pregnant wife to go on another voyage. Like, what kind of man leaves his wife, who is carrying their child, to sail across the sea? I know this book is suppose to be complete satire, but who is Jonathan Swift making fun of by making the house people 'smarter' than humans? That's kind of funny because I was once told that animals are way smarter than we might think.

The last place, the land of the Houyhnhnms is probably Gulliver’s favorite and most  ideal place to live, which possibly makes it a utopic society for him? It is surprising to me because one usually associates their home as a place of comfort and happiness. But that is not the case for Gulliver. Gulliver associates Houyhnhnms as a place that he can call his home. In my opinion the land of Houyhnhnms is not anything special . Gulliver has misperceived Houyhnhnm land.  The fact that Gulliver thinks this way demonstrates that he has a lot of issues going on. He seems selfish to me. He has a pregnant wife and child at home but does not want to return to them. And when he does, he is disgusted with his own family. He should be disgusted with himself for the way he is acting.

I found the last trip that Gulliver went on to be a little disturbing. Especially the part when he finally gets home. He hates everyone so much and no longer refers to humans as such but calls them Yahoos.  He also neighs as he speaks and since he hates everything that looks like a Yahoo he is disgusted by his own family. There’s probably some reason he ended it the way he did but I don’t know what that reason is.

What makes certain lines from a text jump off the page and fill you with interest and curiosity? Why do some passages carry more meaning and significance than others? For example, Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost tells us: Here at least We shall be free; th' Almighty hath not built Here for his envy, will not drive us hence: Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce To reign is worth ambition though in Hell: Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n. (Book I, ll. 258-263) This phrase, "better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven," has caught on - it's almost a proverb. And it's come to represent Satan's character more so than any other line from this massive and miraculous poem. Plus, it just sounds awesome. In short: there's a lot to discuss about this passage, isn't there? Book and tablet photo by Engin_Akyurt on Pixabay.com On days that we don't have paragraphs due, we'll have what I call Quotes and Questions. Yo...

A paragraph is an elusive thing: it seems like something really obvious, something we have known how to write since elementary school. But how do you define a paragraph? How can you tell a good paragraph from a lackluster one? And how do you write the kind of paragraphs that make it easier to communicate your ideas to your reader? Simply put, a paragraph is a group of sentences that develop a single idea. That’s it. The correct length for a paragraph is however many sentences are required to introduce the idea of the paragraph, explain that idea, provide any necessary examples or evidence, explain that evidence, wrap up your idea, and (sometimes) transition into your next idea. However, you have to stick to a single idea! If you can’t write a clear, well-developed paragraph, you can’t write a good paper, a clear memo, a convincing email, or an enticing cover letter. Those who master the paragraph are ready to take on the world! Home Office photo by Free-Photos on Pixabay.com...