Lilliput

Warm-up Questions
Answer the following questions.
1- What is the book Gulliver’s Travels about? Who is the author? When was it written?
2- Why was Gulliver’s journey to Lilliput his most adventurous journey? Where is Lilliput?

Reading Activity

Read the following text:

Tours Ltd
Old Mariners’ Home
Nottingham

Dear Sirs,

The doom and gloom merchants say tourism is running out of ideas, with holidaymakers
returning with nothing more to remember than a sunset with gin and tonic.

Your company however can be the first to develop the best kept secret in the Indian Ocean,
soon to be on everybody’s list of the 10 greatest holidays. Friends thought I was mad when I
told them about Lilliput. After all, you won’t find it in any of the guidebooks, but it was one of
the most unique 5 places I have visited.

When I landed there was not a tourist in sight. Indeed, until I put on my spectacles, there was
no one in sight! What a holiday spot! Not for everyone maybe – there is room for no more than
a dozen Europeans. The marketing plan might be to target people under five feet. Think what
they would pay to be a 10 giant for a day!

They could see Lilliput spread out like a map below, with Lilliputville a real toytown. They could
run their fingers through the narrow winding cobbled streets and marvel at the houses like
sugar cubes. (I thought they were sugar cubes and ruined the Main Street by eating three. It has
now been completely restored.) Lilliput offers wonderful experiences. As a single £1 coin equals
the 15 annual output of their metal mines, it is possible to get a 705-course meal (enough for
an adult) for a fiver, with wine.

It is somehow mystical to relax in Lilliput, one’s chin perched on the hill, one’s big toe nestling
in the valley and realise that one’s ankle is no higher than a palm tree.
There are naturally disadvantages. Nobody speaks English, a blessing in disguise as even a
whisper 20 caused considerable distress to the little folk. It helps if you learn a few of their
words as they can shout quite loud when in danger.

Given the size of the natives, anyone seeking sun, sea, sand and sex, should bring the sex with
them. Despite some early problems, I left behind a good impression. When I carried the kind
and queen from the snow-capped mountains in the interior to the beach with its talcum
powder sand, letting 25 them ski and swim in one day, there were genuine ‘transports of
delight’.

He was grateful too when I foiled an attack from his enemies, fanning the invading fleet away
from
his shores, armed only with passport and travellers’ cheques.

I’ll be going back and, without betraying any secrets, can tell you that soon we shall be able to
claim that Gulliver’s Travels was filmed there, the Legoland of the Southern Hemisphere. 30

Yours sincerely
Lemuel Gulliver

Detailed interpretation

What impression is intended by each of the phrases? Why were these words chosen, exactly?
You should consider both what they usually mean, and what they mean as used in this text
(there may be a difference).

A perched on the hill ............................................................................................

B armed with passports and travellers’
cheques .................................................................................
C transports of delight ............................................................................................
D spread like a map below ............................................................................................
E one of the most unique ............................................................................................
F no higher than a palm tree ............................................................................................
G I’ll be going back ............................................................................................
H talcum powder sand ............................................................................................
J sunset with a gin and tonic ............................................................................................
K houses like sugar cubes ............................................................................................
Analysis Questions
1- Describe the tone of the passage. What is the writer’s impression of Lilliput? Use
quotations to support your argument.

2- Do you like the writer’s style? Why/why not? Provide evidence. Use quotations to
support your argument.