Gulliver's Travels: Book 2, Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Gulliver recounts various accidents that befall him because of his “littleness”: he is nearly struck to death by apples that the queen’s dwarf shakes off the tree at him, is nearly crushed by hail, nearly eaten by a dog, and is pecked at by birds, who steal his food. He is also treated with curiosity by maids, who undress Gulliver, cradle him like a baby, dress and urinate in front of him, and play with him on their naked bodies. He is disgusted by the magnified odors and flaws of their huge bodies. He nearly drowns in the trough the queen has had built for him to row in. His most dangerous run-in was with a pet monkey, who, thinking Gulliver was a baby monkey, stole him from the castle and climbed onto the roof to force-feed him. The monkey was soon captured and killed and Gulliver recovered from his injuries.

Still, the Brobdingnagian king, the Brobdingnagian queen, the court, and even Glumdalclitch cannot help laughing at Gulliver’s accidents, even as they genuinely feel sorry for him. Gulliver tries to preserve his dignity but reflects “how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor to do himself honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him.”