Teaching Gulliver's Travels

1. Why doesn't Gulliver simply break free from the tiny ropes and overpower the Lilliputians when he first wakes up?

2. What advantages do the Lilliputians have over Gulliver despite being so much smaller?

3. Think about a time when you felt powerless despite having skills or advantages. What made you vulnerable in that situation?

4. If you were Gulliver, what would be your strategy for gaining the Lilliputians' trust and improving your situation?

5. What does this chapter reveal about how real power works - is it about individual strength or something else?

6. When Gulliver finds six criminals placed on his body as punishment, what does he do with them and why is this choice significant?

7. Why does Gulliver's act of mercy with the criminals completely change how the Lilliputians see him? What does this reveal about first impressions when there's a power imbalance?

8. Think about a workplace, family, or social situation where someone had clear advantages over others. How did they use that power, and what were the results?

9. If you found yourself in a position of obvious advantage—whether through experience, authority, or circumstances—how would you apply Gulliver's approach to build trust rather than fear?

10. What does this chapter suggest about the difference between having power and using power wisely? Why might restraint be more effective than force?

11. What specific performances do the Lilliputian officials have to do to keep their jobs, and why are these activities completely unrelated to their actual work?

12. Why does Swift make the treasurer risk his life rope-dancing when his job is managing money? What point is he making about how people get and keep power?

13. Where have you seen people get promoted or rewarded for putting on a good show rather than doing good work? Think about school, work, or even family dynamics.

14. If you found yourself in a workplace or organization that rewarded performance over competence, what strategies would you use to navigate it while maintaining your integrity?

15. What does this chapter suggest about why incompetent people sometimes end up in charge, and how can recognizing this pattern help you make better decisions about who to trust or follow?

16. What are the Lilliputians fighting about, and how long have these conflicts been going on?

17. Why do you think Swift chose such ridiculous things for people to fight over - shoe heels and egg-cracking methods?

18. Where do you see similar manufactured conflicts in your workplace, family, or community - fights over small differences that seem huge to the people involved?

19. How can you tell the difference between a conflict worth engaging in and one that's just a distraction from real problems?

20. What does this chapter reveal about how people in power use trivial differences to maintain control?