Maldonada (Gulliver's Travels)

Maldonada is a fictional city from the 1726 satirical novel Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. It is the main port of the kingdom of Balnibarbi.

Maldonada
Gulliver's Travels location
Location of Maldonada in the realm of Balnibarbi (original map, Pt III, Gulliver's Travels)
Created byJonathan Swift
GenreSatire
Information
TypePort city
Notable charactersGulliver's guide to Glubdubdrib, a "gentleman of distinction".[1]

Location

The location of Maldonada is illustrated in both the text and the maps in Part III of Gulliver's Travels, though they are not consistent with each other. Maldonada is described in the text as being 150 miles from the capital, Lagado, on the kingdom's Pacific coast (i.e., to the south) and that the island of Luggnagg, which is 100 leagues distant to the north-west.[1][2] and is said to be 5 leagues distant from the island of Glubdubdrib, to the southwest.[1] However, the map at the beginning of Pt III[3] places Maldonada on the south-west coast of Luggnagg, with Glubdubdrib to the southwest of that island. A further map, of the kingdom of Balnibarbi[4] shows the port again, on the kingdom's south-east coast, but names it “Malonada”.

Description

Maldonada is described as being “a good port, with much commerce with the great kingdom of Luggnagg”. Gulliver tells us it is “about as large as Portsmouth”.[1] Maldonada was Gulliver's departure point for his visit to Glubdubdrib, and later, on his return, for his voyage to Luggnagg.

Notes
  1. Gulliver's Travels (GT), part III, ch 7: Oxford World Classic (OWC) p180
  2. GT pt III, ch8: OWC p189
  3. GT pt III, ch1: OWC p140
  4. GT pt III, ch3: OWC p156

References
  • Jonathan Swift: Guliver's Travels Oxford World Classics (1986, reprint 2008) introduction by Claude Rawson, explanatory notes by Ian Higgins. First published 1726.
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