During his stay in Luggnagg, Gulliver hears about the Struldbruggs, people in Luggnagg society who are immortal. Gulliver’s first reaction to hearing about the Struldbruggs’ immortality is one of envy and enthusiasm because it would allow a person to gain immense wealth, wisdom, and the philosophical serenity. He fantasizes what he might do if he were one. However, when an interpreter explains the reality of life as a Struldbrugg—that is they grow old, feeble, decaying, and forgetful—Gulliver’s enthusiasm for a life of immortality disappears as quickly as it began.
