# IV explained — Gulliver’s Travels

> Chapter companion for Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.

## What happens

Gulliver describes the metropolis of Mildendo and the emperor's palace, which he visits after obtaining his liberty. He then has a conversation with Reldresal, the principal secretary, who explains the two great evils facing Lilliput: a violent faction at home between the Tramecksan (high heels) and Slamecksan (low heels), and the threat of invasion from Blefuscu. The war originated from a dispute over which end of an egg to break, leading to rebellions and bloodshed. Gulliver offers to defend the emperor against invaders.

## Themes in this chapter

### Satire of Politics and Government

The absurdity of Lilliputian politics is highlighted through the factions based on heel height and the war over egg-breaking, mocking real-world political and religious conflicts.

### Folly of War and Violence

The war between Lilliput and Blefuscu, caused by a trivial egg-breaking dispute, results in massive casualties and destruction, illustrating the irrationality of war.

### Human Pride and Vanity

The Lilliputians' pride in their petty political and religious distinctions, and their belief that their empire is the entire universe, reflects human vanity and self-importance.

## Character check-ins

### Lemuel Gulliver

Visits Mildendo and the emperor's palace; converses with Reldresal about Lilliput's internal and external threats; offers to serve the emperor in war.

### Reldresal

Principal secretary for private affairs; visits Gulliver to explain the factional strife between high and low heels and the war with Blefuscu over egg-breaking.

## Key lines

> I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the emperor; and to let him know, "that I thought it would not become me, who was a foreigner, to interfere with parties; but I was ready, with the hazard of my life, to defend his person and state against all invaders."

Gulliver asks Reldresal to tell the emperor that, as a foreigner, he won't take sides in internal disputes, but he is willing to risk his life to protect the emperor and his kingdom from external attack.

_Gulliver's offer to serve the emperor in war, despite his reluctance to engage in domestic politics._

> It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty's grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Whereupon the emperor his father published an edict, commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs.

Originally, everyone broke eggs at the larger end, but the current emperor's grandfather cut his finger doing so, leading his father to decree that all subjects must break eggs at the smaller end, under threat of severe punishment.

_The origin of the absurd conflict between Lilliput and Blefuscu, satirizing religious schisms over trivial matters._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gulliver_s_travels_se/chapters/iv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gulliver_s_travels_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gulliver_s_travels_se/chapters