Reality vs. Illusion
The theme of reality against illusion is literally used in this book. The journey to China to meet people is real but the journey to the moon to meet Lunarians is an illusion. The author uses both journeys to draw a comparison and provoke fresh thoughts among readers. Daniel Defoe used the trip to the moon to attack China’s social structure and religion. Ironically, the narrator uses the illusion journey to the moon by Chinese people to feign ignorance.
Idealism
The book portrays the narrator as an idealist who ends up going to the moon when the first aircraft was not even invented. The narrator claims that he went to the moon using a rocket called the Consolidator. Indeed, the narrator believes in the possibility of landing on the moon someday. Such a belief in the 17th century was perceived as a mere pipe dream.
Allegorical Conflict of Technology between Earth and Moon
The narrator, allegorically, portrays the moon as a place inhabited by people with advanced technology compared to earth. In fact, the speaker narrates about a wide range of scientific inventions on the moon in stark contrast with the earth. Lunarians are capable of observing the earth in close-up using a powerful device made up of magnifying glasses. Ironically, people on earth have not gotten into that technology. The conflict of technology advancement and the use of allegory shows the author’s intentions to create tensions and express complex ideas to the readers.
Political and Social Satire
The book is based on the political and social fables of Europe and China. Defoe satirizes MPs on both continents as wings of two feathered creatures that power “the Consolidator.” Defoe terms Chinese as polite, wise, and most ingenious people to poke fun of their tyrannical social customs and traditions. The author uses satirical terms to mock political class.
Thematic Cartography
Throughout the book, Daniel Defoe uses thematic mapping to explore the geographical configuration of a certain theme in a particular area. For instance, when the speaker lands on the moon he enquires about the map of the moon. The speaker also talks about a powerful device made-up of a magnifying glass used by Lunarians to view the earth. The device’s ability to view the earth’s structure and design symbolize the human’s capability to process and display complex data.
