How does Gulliver become a favorite at the court of Brobdingnag?

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Illustration of Lemuel Gulliver lying on the ground, tied down by tiny Lilliputians, with crowds and small buildings in the background, from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. — Gulliver’s Travels Lemuel Gulliver in Lilliput, illustration from an edition of Jonathan Swift's *Gulliver's Travels*.

In Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels, Lemuel Gulliver becomes a favorite at the court of Brobdingnag after he is purchased by the queen from a farmer who had been exhibiting him for money.1

Once at court, Gulliver gains favor through his interactions with the royal family, though his status is complicated by the king’s perspective. While Gulliver attempts to impress the king by recounting the achievements of his own civilization, the king reacts with contempt, ultimately viewing the English as a race of "odious vermin" after hearing descriptions of their government and history. Gulliver’s position at court is further marked by his offer to provide the king with gunpowder and cannon, a gesture that horrifies the king rather than earning him further admiration.1