Gulliver's Travels Summary

Gulliver goes on four separate voyages in Gulliver's Travels. Each journey is preceded by a
storm. All four voyages bring new perspectives to Gulliver's life and new opportunities for
satirizing the ways of England.

The first voyage is to Lilliput, where Gulliver is huge and the Lilliputians are small. At first the
Lilliputians seem amiable, but the reader soon sees them for the ridiculous and petty creatures
they are. Gulliver is convicted of treason for "making water" in the capital (even though he was
putting out a fire and saving countless lives)--among other "crimes."

The second voyage is to Brobdingnag, a land of Giants where Gulliver seems as small as the
Lilliputians were to him. Gulliver is afraid, but his keepers are surprisingly gentle. He is
humiliated by the King when he is made to see the difference between how England is and how
it ought to be. Gulliver realizes how revolting he must have seemed to the Lilliputians.

Gulliver's third voyage is to Laputa (and neighboring Luggnagg and Glubdugdribb). In a visit to
the island of Glubdugdribb, Gulliver is able to call up the dead and discovers the deceptions of
history. In Laputa, the people are over-thinkers and are ridiculous in other ways. Also, he meets
the Stuldbrugs, a race endowed with immortality. Gulliver discovers that they are miserable.

His fourth voyage is to the land of the Houyhnhnms, who are horses endowed with reason.
Their rational, clean, and simple society is contrasted with the filthiness and brutality of the
Yahoos, beasts in human shape. Gulliver reluctantly comes to recognize their human vices.
Gulliver stays with the Houyhnhnms for several years, becoming completely enamored with
them to the point that he never wants to leave. When he is told that the time has come for him
to leave the island, Gulliver faints from grief. Upon returning to England, Gulliver feels disgusted
about other humans, including his own family.

Robinson Crusoe Summary

Robinson Crusoe is a youth of about eighteen years old who resides in Hull, England. Although
his father wishes him to become a lawyer, Crusoe dreams of going on sea voyages. He
disregards the fact that his two older brothers are gone because of their need for adventure.
His father cautions that a middle-class existence is the most stable. Robinson ignores him.
When his parents refuse to let him take at least one journey, he runs away with a friend and
secures free passage to London. Misfortune begins immediately, in the form of rough weather.
The ship is forced to land at Yarmouth. When Crusoe's friend learns the circumstances under
which he left his family, he becomes angry and tells him that he should have never come to the
sea. They part, and Crusoe makes his way to London via land. He thinks briefly about going
home, but cannot stand to be humiliated. He manages to find another voyage headed to
Guiana. Once there, he wants to become a trader. On the way, the ship is attacked by Turkish
pirates, who bring the crew and passengers into the Moorish port of Sallee. Robinson is made a
slave. For two years he plans an escape. An opportunity is presented when he is sent out with
two Moorish youths to go fishing. Crusoe throws one overboard, and tells the other one, called
Xury, that he may stay if he is faithful. They anchor on what appears to be uninhabited land.
Soon they see that black people live there. These natives are very friendly to Crusoe and Xury.
At one point, the two see a Portuguese ship in the distance. They manage to paddle after it and
get the attention of those on board. The captain is kind and says he will take them aboard for
free and bring them to Brazil.

Robinson goes to Brazil and leaves Xury with the captain. The captain and a widow in England
are Crusoe's financial guardians. In the new country, Robinson observes that much wealth
comes from plantations. He resolves to buy one for himself. After a few years, he has some
partners, and they are all doing very well financially. Crusoe is presented with a new
proposition: to begin a trading business. These men want to trade slaves, and they want
Robinson to be the master of the tradepost. Although he knows he has enough money, Crusoe
decides to make the voyage. A terrible shipwreck occurs and Robinson is the only survivor. He
manages to make it to the shore of an island.

Robinson remains on the island for twenty-seven years. He is able to take many provisions from
the ship. In that time, he recreates his English life, building homes, necessities, learning how to
cook, raise goats and crops. He is at first very miserable, but embraces religion as a balm for his
unhappiness. He is able to convince himself that he lives a much better life here than he did in
Europe--much more simple, much less wicked. He comes to appreciate his sovereignty over the
entire island. One time he tries to use a boat to explore the rest of the island, but he is almost
swept away, and does not make the attempt again. He has pets whom he treats as subjects.
There is no appearance of man until about 15 years into his stay. He sees a footprint, and later
observes cannibalistic savages eating prisoners. They don't live on the island; they come in
canoes from a mainland not too far away. Robinson is filled with outrage, and resolves to save
the prisoners the next time these savages appear. Some years later they return. Using his guns,
Crusoe scares them away and saves a young savage whom he names Friday.

Friday is extremely grateful and becomes Robinson's devoted servant. He learns some English
and takes on the Christian religion. For some years the two live happily. Then, another ship of
savages arrives with three prisoners. Together Crusoe and Friday are able to save two of them.
One is a Spaniard; the other is Friday's father. Their reunion is very joyous. Both have come
from the mainland close by. After a few months, they leave to bring back the rest of the
Spaniard's men. Crusoe is happy that his island is being peopled. Before the Spaniard and
Friday's father can return, a boat of European men comes ashore. There are three prisoners.
While most of the men are exploring the island, Crusoe learns from one that he is the captain of
a ship whose crew mutinied. Robinson says he will help them as long as they leave the authority
of the island in his hands, and as long as they promise to take Friday and himself to England for
free. The agreement is made. Together this little army manages to capture the rest of the crew
and retake the captain's ship. Friday and Robinson are taken to England. Even though Crusoe
has been gone thirty-five years, he finds that his plantations have done well and he is very
wealthy. He gives money to the Portuguese captain and the widow who were so kind to him.
He returns to the English countryside and settles there, marrying and having three children.
When his wife dies, he once more goes to the sea.