Similarity between Erewhon and Gulliver's Travels
Published:
5 In what way is Erewhon similar to Gulliver's Travels?
Animated Video Solution
The first half plays free, the full solution is in the app.
Step by Step Written Solution
Hi Buse, let's explore the literary connection between Erewhon by Samuel Butler and Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.
Literary Comparison: Erewhon and Gulliver's Travels
Both of these works represent a specific genre of literature that uses fictional journeys to comment on real-world issues.
Genre: Menippean Satire and Utopian Fiction
First, consider the structure. Both stories feature a protagonist who travels to a remote, undiscovered land. In Erewhon, the narrator finds a hidden society in New Zealand, similar to how Gulliver discovers Lilliput or Brobdingnag.
1. Narrative Structure: Both utilize the 'traveler's tale' format where a protagonist discovers a isolated, strange civilization.
Crucially, both authors use these fictional lands as mirrors to critique their own contemporary societies. This is known as satire.
2. Social Satire: Use of an imaginary society to critique the laws, religion, and customs of the author's own time (Victorian England for Butler, and 18th-century Europe for Swift).
The rest of this solution is on Solvi
4 more steps are locked. Watch the full animated, narrated solution for free.
Snap a photo, solve any question like this.
Watch the Rest for FreeFree to download · First solutions are on us