- By means of this loadstone, the island is made to rise and fall, and move from one place to another. For, with respect to that part of the earth over which the monarch presides, the stone is endued at one of its sides with an attractive power, and at the other with a repulsive. Upon placing the magnet erect, with its attracting end towards the earth, the island descends; but when the repelling extremity points downwards, the island mounts directly upwards. When the position of the stone is oblique, the motion of the island is so too: for in this magnet, the forces always act in lines parallel to its direction. (3.3.5)
Gulliver is describing how the earth is attracted on one side and repulsed by another that causes the island of Laputa to move using his giant magnet. Gulliver is using the formal mathematical and scientific language like attraction and repulsion. This sort of language is not really seen in any of Gulliver's regular descriptions of things. It sounds too difficult for Guillver to be saying these words.
On the contrary, I think that Gulliver would indeed be able to use these words because he finds himself to be an intellectual. Having said this, Gulliver does however see the Laputans as being far more advanced than him in the field of geometry and music, which likely shows that he might be using these words in a wrong manner.
ReplyDeleteEven though he finds himself to be an intellectual, that does not necessarily mean he is an intellectual. I do not think that the story ever really demonstrates how smart he really is. But, I agree with the second part of your argument. That is what led me to believe that Gulliver is not capable of using those words.
Delete