Question

Who was Reldresal and why did he go to gulliver?

Answer 1

Redresal, the Principal Secretary of private Affairs, comes to see Gulliver to tell him about the "two mighty Evils" that Lilliput struggles against: "a violent Faction at home, and the Danger of an Invasion by a most potent Enemy from abroad." He describes two parties of Lilliput, the Tramecksan and Slamecksan, who are distinguished by the high and low heels of their shoes. The emperor has decided to permit only low heels in the administration of Lilliput.

Redresal and the Lilliputians also have to worry about the threat of invasion from those living on the Island of Blefuscu, "which is the other great Empire of the Universe." The people of Lilliput and Blefuscu are unable to get along because years ago, after an emperor's son was injured trying to break his egg on the smaller end (the traditional way of egg breaking), he decreed that no one may break the smaller end of his egg. This caused a great uproar among many of the Lilliputians and led to six rebellions and thousands of deaths. Eventually the Big-Endians were exiled and went to Blefuscu, where they gained favor and convinced the government to go to war against Lilliput.

Gulliver finishes the conversation by telling Redresal that, while he does not want to interfere, he is "ready, with the hazard of [his] Life, to defend his Person and State against all Invaders."