Gulliver’s Travels Questions Book Four: the Land of the Houyhnhnms
What sort of society is that of the Houyhnhnms?
What is the guiding power in Houyhnhnm life? Are these horses flawed or incomplete in any way, or are they perfect?
What view of humanity emerges from the comparison Gulliver is forced to make between himself and the Yahoos? How are the Yahoos to be differentiated from Europeans like Gulliver, if indeed they are different at all?
What has happened to Gulliver’s self-image and self-respect by the time he returns to England? How does he feel about his fellow human beings?
At the beginning and end of each of the four Parts of Gulliver’s Travels, Swift locates Gulliver’s travels in a familiar world with exact geographical references, etc.
What is the effect of this realistic style? How does the realistic style establish the narrator’s persona? What are Gulliver’s qualities as a narrator? Are you inclined to believe him?
