Jonathan Sw ift
Ⅰ．Brief Introduction to the W riter
1．Life Story
Jonathan Swift was born in 1667 in Dublin，Ireland，of an English family．His father died before he was born and hismother was poor．Swiftwas forced to accept aid from others．With the help of his uncle，hewas educated at school and college．At school，and especially at college he disliked the curriculums and studied what appealed to him．After graduation，the only job he could find was from a distant relative，Sir William Temple，a retired diplomat，at whose place he metmany important politicians and came to know much of the dirty and dishonest politics of the day．In 1694，Swift left Temple and returned to Ireland to take orders in the Church in Dublin，but over a year later he came back to remain in Temple's service until the latter's death in 1699．He spent about 10 years with Temple．During these years he read widely and started to write．
After Temple's death，Swift couldn't find a job，so he returned to Ireland and became a clergyman．There he was faithful to his church duties and made great efforts to better the condition of the unhappy people around him．Afterwards he entered the strife of party politics．At first，he served the Whig party，but in 1710 he changed over to the Tories．For several years hewas one of themost important figures in London．The Whigs feared the criticize of his satire and the Tories feared to lose his support．In truth Swift looked down upon both parties．In 1714 Queen Ann died，and the Whigs returned to power，Swift left England for his Deanery in Ireland．At first he did not like Ireland because he had few friends there．Gradually he became an Irish patriot．
He resented the English authorities for the injustice put upon the Irish，and wrote a number pamphlets against the Whig government in London．When he was72 years old hisweakness and deafness cuthim off social life and his duty as Dean．He died in Dublin in 1745 when hewas78．When hiswillwas open itwas found that he left all his property to found an asylum for lunatics and incurables．
2．Literary Career
Swift's first importantworks were The Battles of the Books and A Tale of a Tub．The formerwas a satirical dialogue on the comparative strong points of ancient and modern writers．Here Swift was shown to be a definitely a neo-classicist by favoring the Ancients．In the article there was a dispute between a spider and a bee，through themouth of Aesop the author compared the Moderns to the spider who span hiswebs out of himself and compared the Ancients to the beewho broughthome honey and wax from nature．Swift's literary theory shown in the book was that great writers should draw from nature．There were many digressions which dealt with satire chiefly on the corruptions of learning and which in a way a continuation of the theme in The Battles of the Books．The best known digression is“A Digression Concern the Original，the Use and Improvement of Madness in a Commonwealth．”In it Swift wanted to suggest that the great kings and philosophers and religious leaders were no better than mad．
The latter ATaleof a Tub was a sharp attack on the disputes among the different branches of the Christian religion．It is a satire first of all on religion，but also onmodern learning and on the governments and philosophies of the pastand of his own day．It seemed odd for Swift as a clergyman to write disrespectfully about Christian churches．In the preface the author explains that it is the practice of seamen when theymeet a whale to throw out an empty tub in order to direct his attention from attacking the ship，and so with the title of this book Swift sarcastically compares his work to a tub which may divert the attention of thewriters at that time from picking holes in the weak side of the religion and government of his age．
Swift at first objected to live for any length of time in povertystricken Ireland，buthe soon threw his heartand soul into the struggle of the Irish people against their English oppressors．One very important part of Swift's literary works consists of his various writings about Irish people and speaks up against social injustice in Ireland，particularly against the cruel oppression and exploitation carried on there by the English ruling classes．He not only voiced the thoughts and feelings of the common people in Ireland but also called on them to resist such oppression and exploitation．Among these numerouswritings themost forceful and the best known pieces are The Drapier's Letters and AModest Proposal．
The former waswritten in 1724 under the pseudonym of Drapier．The pamphlet includes a series of letters，addressing to the whole people of Ireland，and calling on the whole country to refuse the newly-minted English copper coins，which would make the people's life from bad toworse．The English governmentoffered 300 pounds for information as to identify of the Drapier，but nobody would be tempted to reveal it，though everybody in Dublin knew who the writer was．In 1726 Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World by Lemuel Gulliver was published anonymously，usually known as Gulliver's Travels．In 1730 Swift published a brief satire on an unofficial suggestion of allowing the French king tomake people in Ireland soldiers in order to lessen the problem of over-population and growing unemployment there．The proposal was entitled A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public．AModest Proposal was regarded as the best artistic expression of anger to the terrible oppression and exploitation of the Irish people by the English ruling classes，especially of the poor Irish peasants．Here Swiftadopts the style of parody to suggest with bitter irony that the poverty of the Irish people should be relieved by the sale of their children at a year old as food for the rich．With the utmost gravity he sets out statistics to show the revenue thatwould come if this ideawere adopted．This propos-al is a most heartbreaking piece of sarcasm blow at the English government's policy of exploitation and oppression in Ireland．
3．Literary Achievement
Swift is one of the greatestmaster of English prose．He once said“Proper words in proper placesmakes the true definition of a style．”His language is simple，clear，and vigorous．There are no ornaments in his writing，but it comes home to the reader．He seems to have no difficulty in finding words to express exactly the impression that he wishes to convey．In simple，direct and precise prose，Swift is unsurpassed in English literature．
Swift is also amaster of satire．His irony is deadly．His satire ismasked by an outward gravity and an apparent earnestness．This makes his satire all the more powerful．Swift's Gulliver's Travels gives an unparalleled satirical depiction of the vices of his age．In many of his other famousworks he addresses himself to the common people．This could find best reflection in AModest Proposal．
Ⅱ．Brief Introduction to the Selected Literary Work
Gulliver's Travels
1．Brief Summary of the Novel
Gulliver's Travels was published in 1726．The book contains four parts，which are known as voyage to Lilliput，to Brobdingnag，to Laputa and other strange lands and to the country of the Houyhnhnms respectively．Each of them deals with one particular voyage and in each the supposed author of the book Lemuel Gulliver meetswith some extraordinary adventures on some remote island after he hasmetwith shipwreck or pirates or some othermisfortune．
In the first part，the hero Gulliver，a simple straightforward man with some education of a navigator and a doctor，fails to build up amedical career to support hiswife and children and unwillingly goes to sea as a ship surgeon．After a successful sixmonths'trading voyage in the East Indies the ship is driven out of its regular route by a storm and shipwrecked in a strange region．Gulliver is separated from his companions，so he is cast upon the shore of the island of Lilliput，while asleep，he is captured and bond by thousands of the inhabitants there，who are all 6 inches tall，12 times smaller than the corresponding things in the human world．Indeed Gulliver soon finds out everything on the island．Gulliver is known as“the greatest Man－Mountain”to the Lilliputians．These people have great difficulties in housing and feeding him．
The smallness of the Lilliputians are not only in appearance but also in everything they do and say．His descriptionmakes Lilliputians' actions and words ridiculous．What the Lilliputians say and do is no other than miniatures of things in the aristocratic-bourgeoisworld of Swift's age．The Lilliputian emperor，who believes himself to be the delight and terror of the universe，is“taller by almost the breadth of my nail，taller than any of his court”．Chiefministers and candidates for high official posts are given their jobs in accordance with their skill in dancing on a rope or in leaping over a stick or creeping under it backwards and forwards．
There are two parties in the empire(a reference to the Whigs and the Tories)，which are different from each other by the high or low heels on their shoes．There is a civil strife and war between Lilliput and the neighboring empire Blefuscu due to a quarrel between the two ways of breaking eggs，whether upon the larger end or upon the smaller one，which is a reference to religious debates between the Catholics and the Protestants．Gulliver is informed of a design to accuse him of high treason and hemakes his escape to Blefuscu and thus he returns safe to his native country and makes a small fortune by showing and selling the sheep，cows and other livestock of diminutive size that he brought back with him from the Lilliputian world．
In the second part，Gulliver again goes to sea and his ship is again driven out of its course by a storm．He is left alone in Brobdingnagwhere people are notonly 10 times taller and larger than ordinary human beings，but also better than men and women of Gulliver's society in wisdom．The third voyage，often considered to be the least interesting，includes a series of adventures at several places．Again on a ship，Gulliver in his time is captured by pirates and set floating in a small canoe and he lands on the floating island of Laputa(the flying island)．Here the king and the noble persons are described as a group of absent-minded philosophers and astronomerswho care for nothing but the study of some strange problems．He also visits some other cities around．
The fourth part deals with“A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms”and has generally been considered the best part of the book because the satire here is the sharpest and the bitterest．Gulliver now as a captain of a ship once more sails forth but his sailorsmake secret plans againsthim．They firstmake him a prisoner inside a cabin on the ship and then casthim upon the shore of an unknown island．He finds himself in the island of the Houyhnhnms，who are horses endowed with reason．It is so named because the word sounds like the neighing of a horse．In the country，there are also wild animals called Yahoos．The intelligent horses are extremely noble and possessed of all good and admirable qualities，while the hairy，naked and wild Yahoos are low and shameful，evil and no better than beast，who resemble human beings in many ways．
Then after learning the language of Houyhnhnms Gulliver is asked to talk about the conditions in his own country．Gulliver gives a rather detailed account of the past and the present of England and Europe．He remarks on the causes of the bloody war among the princes of Europe and on the terrible weapons used in the wars and the great disasters caused by them．Then he tells about the law and lawyer in England．The lawyers are described as“a society ofmen among us，bred up from their youth in the art of providing by words multiplied for the purpose，thatwhite is black，and black iswhite，according as they are paid．”
Gulliver also gives a detailed description on the greed formoney prevalent in the English society of his time and describes the exploitation of human labor as well as the luxurious life of the idle rich．He also speaks of life of idleness and moral depravity of noblemen in his country．Gulliver further describes a First or Chief Minister of States．According to him，all the tricks and hypocrisies and evilmeans come from his violent desire ofwealth，power and titles．
Finally，after speaking of the virtues of the Houyhnhnms and the vices of the Yahoos，Gulliver expresses hiswish to remain forever with the Houyhnhnms，but it is not agreed and he builds a canoe and sails to an uninhabited island and there he is seized and carried by force into Portuguese ship and he returns to England．
2．Theme of the Novel
Gulliver's Travels is a book simple enough for a child，and yet complex enough to carry an adult beyond his depth．As a popular fancy story，the novel never loses its charm with children．Thewonderful stories about Gulliver's travels into some strange places，the pigmies，the giants，the island that floats in the air，the intelligent horses，the despicableman-like animals called Yahoos，and many other impossible situations have found their ways into many children's dreams．
To adult readers，it ismore than a travel story．It is a satire on the 18th century English society，touching upon the political，religious，legal，military，scientific，philosophical as well as literary institutions，about almost every aspect of the society．Bitterly satirical，the book takes great pains to bring to light the wickedness of the then English society，with its tyranny，its political intrigues and corruption，its aggressive wars and colonialism，its religious disputes and persecution，and its ruthless oppression and exploitation of the common people．The ugliness of the 18th century English so-ciety is no elsewhere so thoroughly and forcefully exposed and condemned as in this single book．
3．Features of the Novel
The novel is at once a fantasy and a realistic work of fiction．The stories about the Lilliputians，the Brobdingnagians，the Laputians，the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos，though quite frankly invented and unreal，are told in a very vivid and convincingway．The direct descriptions ofmen and things of the 18th century English society and indirect references to conditions of the time lend a up-todate effect to the imagined travels and make them allmore believable．
The language is very simple，unadorned，straightforward and effective．An apparent innocence and honesty of the hero and his account，the direct，truthful and detailed presentation of people and things encountered setoff the biting satire and desperate indignation of the writer．
The novel is famous for its exceptional tidy structural arrangement．The four seemingly independent parts are linked up by the central idea of social satire and make up an organic whole．In Part One the satire is on the vices in the English society in Swift's days; In Part Two，the satire is on the English society;Part Three ridicules on silly scientific researches and philosophical discussions of the day;The satire in the Fourth Part is on the aristocratic-bourgeois society of his time．Hence the complementary relationship between the four parts，each supporting，adding to and developing the central satire．The satire in this novel，as it is，is not only of prac-tical significance in its own day in England and Europe but its exposure is also true of all countries，all ages．Its satires are applicable to any class，any society，anywhere in the world and in any period of history．
The narrative pattern of the book is also outstanding．In each voyage，the incident begins with a chance shipwreck，goes on to some man-made misfortunes and finally ends with intended mutinies．During the process ofwhich，the hero's attitude towardsmankind changes from firm belief to doubt，further doubt，and finally dislike．His early eagerness to return home eventually turns into complete reluctance．
Ⅲ．Latest Critical Commentary
《格列佛游记》是英国杰出的政论家和讽刺小说家斯威夫特的代表作，是斯威夫特唯一的一部长篇小说，发表于1726年。全书分《小人国游记》、《大人国游记》、《飞岛国游记》和《慧马国游记》四个部分。故事以主人公外科医生格列佛出海航行的冒险经历为线索，描写主人公格列佛几次航海遇险的经历遭遇和见闻，全面讽刺和抨击了18世纪前半期的英国现实社会，小说以其杰出的讽刺而闻名。二百多年来，它已成为童话、游记和讽刺文学的经典，流播世界，传之久远，小人国和大人国的故事尤其脍炙人口，受到一代又一代读者的喜爱。近年来许多西方学者纷纷加入到对该作品的研究工作中，从不同角度，不同侧面，用不同的方法，深入挖掘它的社会意义和艺术价值。许多专家学者除了对斯威夫特及其作品进行研究，他们还从多个角度对小说中主题思想的意义和内涵进行剖析。学者们对于作者及这部作品的研究大致可以分为主题研究、创作手法研究和讽刺艺术风格的研究等方面。
主题研究
批判金钱罪恶的主题:
《格列佛游记》记录了格列佛从1699年开始，历时十六年的海外游历的经历和见闻。在学者们看来小说中所描述的现象表现了批判金钱罪恶的主题，斯威夫特犹如一个颇具头脑的政治经济学家，他以生动的事例为我们讲述了资本的故事，揭示出了资本主义社会里，富人占有着穷人的劳动价值，而造成了穷人的贫困，这样严酷的资本剥削的事实，揭示了富人对穷人的压榨和贫富的悬殊。(易国定，2004)格列佛的足迹曾到过小人国、大人国、飞岛国和慧马国。在小人国，格列佛亲眼目睹了高跟党和低跟党之间的党派之争、大端派和小端派之间的教派之争。在飞岛上，格列佛又看到了伪科学的荒诞不经。特别令人称奇的是，在慧马国格列佛看到了一种叫“耶胡”的怪兽的种种丑态。“耶胡”外形似人类，癖性也与人类相同，“耶胡”是人类社会一切恶癖的体现者。“耶胡”们贪婪、凶恶、嫉妒、荒淫。他们有着极强的物质占有欲，对任何东西都想独吞，因此他们总是争吵不断。他们天性贪婪，特别喜爱一种彩色的石头，他们花上几个小时从土里挖出彩色石头，成堆地藏在自己的洞穴里，藏时还东张西望，生怕被别的“耶胡”发现。一旦他们丢失了这种石头，就会嚎啕大哭、互相撕咬，然后就郁闷不乐、不吃不喝。作者在嘲笑“耶胡”的贪婪时，实际上他是在嘲笑人类的贪婪。在资本主义社会里，拜金主义、拜物教的盛行，使得贪婪的资产者疯狂地聚敛财富，成为金钱的奴隶，而丧失了人性。
科学主题:
还有学者指出《格列佛游记》中关于飞岛的描述体现了小说的科学主题。(孙绍先，2002)。小说中作者逼真地展示了科学的惊人力量，飞岛靠着调节岛中心的一块巨大磁石来升降与飞行，并且，如果把磁石放在和水平面平等的位置，飞岛便在空中静止不动，这种无重力效应的运行方式使今天的读者联想到神奇的飞碟UFO。学者们认为在此斯威夫特以这样的眼光观察飞岛，可以看出作者讽刺的是当时那种歪曲科学、滥用科学的行为。例如，作品影射地提到当时人们对天文学家艾德蒙·哈雷预言1715年日蚀的反应，文中说“研究天文学的人，十分信仰人事占星学，但这点他们却耻于公开承认”。事实上哈雷当时曾提出有必要告诉公众，这次日蚀并不具有占星学的意义。但飞岛上“崇尚科学”的居民却“惶惶不安，得不到片刻的安宁”，他们害怕地球被太阳吸收、吞没，害怕下一次彗星尾扫来使地球化为灰烬，似乎没有人能逃得脱“科学”的这种精神奴役。小说里就有对这种“科学奴役”的最鲜明写照。飞岛上的统治者和科学家终日沉缅于思考，却失掉了语言的能力，他们甚至失去个性、失去正常人性，他们潜心思考的问题却毫无科学价值，例如，把羊肩肉切成等边三角形，把牛肉切成菱形，把面包切成圆锥体、圆柱体、平行四边形和其他数学图形。若用卢梭的“我们的灵魂正是随着我们的科学和我们的艺术之臻于完美而越发腐败的”观点看待《格列佛游记》中关于科学的描述，那么飞岛的统治者和科学家就是一种用自己铸就的镣铐把自己禁锢起来的典型，他们只能在这种可笑的“智慧活动”中等待着灵魂的腐朽。斯威夫特批判飞岛统治者利用科学对人类实行残暴殖民统治。通过嘲讽飞岛的科学家，作者旨在批判现实中滥用科学的权力，因为如果这样的话人类社会将被变成一个人人唯恐逃之不及的牢笼。斯威夫特科学批判的政治蕴含在于，科学家若不问技术发明的目的，甚至明知是危害公众和社会的研究也照做不误，人类社会就会变成掌握科学的少数人任意宰割的对象。
忧患主题:
还有学者的研究表明忧患意识是小说所表述的主题之一。(杨金华，2005)小说中格列佛作为斯威夫特的代言人，不仅在对大人国、小人国的描写中表达了对自身命运的思考，也发展了对前途的忧患。无论在宫里或在城里，他的所见所闻都令他感到气恼。他谴责那些卑污的谄媚、不公、自私、卖友和奸诈的行为，并且想与全人类痛快地干一场。在慧马国中，那里的马是既有智慧又有美德的理性动物，将岛国治理得井然有序，而那具有完整人形的却是一群肮脏、凶悍、贪婪和淫乱的畜生，通过比较使读者顿悟到人还不如马。斯威夫特的这种讽刺描写，表现了对全人类的存在合理性的深深忧虑。同时斯威夫特对人性进行了多侧面、多角度的深刻批判。格列佛的整个历险过程实际上是一个逐步认识人类，走向悲观和幻灭的过程。他将对时弊的讥讽、揶揄与抨击和对人间百态的审视，对人性、国民性的嘲弄、议论与批评放在那童话般的世界里。随着故事的发展，格列佛经历了从小人国、大人国到飞岛国，最后至慧马国这一系列游历的过程，随着经历的事情越来越多，他的性格发展也经历了单纯—恐惧—厌恶—恨世等不同的阶段，由人性的堕落而产生了对自然、社会和人类自身命运的忧患，对人性的批判彻底、深刻、透彻。斯威夫特认为前途没有希望，对人类感到悲愤和无名的恐惧，他为人民、为那些在英国和爱尔兰道路上徘徊的穷人而悲伤，对资产阶级革命会带来平等、博爱和自由总是怀着蔑视和愤恨的心情。格列佛的忧患是最深层次的，他将个体与社会相对立的忧患推向极端，设法在空想中寻求出路。
对乌托邦式社会的渴望和追求:
学者通过潜文本研究，以反传统的批评手法再现格列佛的世界观嬗变过程，重新解读《格列佛游记》的主题意义，指出《格列佛游记》的潜主题就是通过主人公格列佛的心理和精神世界嬗变，揭示人类社会对乌托邦式社会的渴望和追求。(宋根成，2007)小说中格列佛的四次出海经历，每一次游历都象征着格列佛认识历程的一次飞跃。他逐渐看透了资本主义制度的罪恶，后基督世界里相对于金钱，人的地位和人性的坠落。在一定意义上，《格列佛游记》就是格列佛本人人生的演革，从认识过程到世界观转变，每一次出海都代表了作者或是格列佛对人类社会弊病和人性局限性的领悟，作者的视角投射出来是放大的18世纪西方资本主义社会的阴暗面。第一次出海之前，他是一个失败的外科医生，出海后，在历险之中，他获得了现实社会根本无法给予他的地位、荣誉和财富。像常人一样，面对飞来的荣华富贵，格列佛曾经迷失过，遭受了多次的从天堂到地狱的捉弄。格列佛在历险中获得经验和教训，同时他要直面残酷的现实，最终认识到个人的人性缺点或许可以消除，但整个人类的腐败和堕落却无法避免。当格列佛发现自己无力改变人性的痼疾时，他带着慧马国的纯粹理智，沉沦为一个虚无主义的厌恶人类的人。他宣称自己可以看穿世间万物，谴责和鄙视一切人类的丑恶人性。像一个伤痕累累的智者，成了一名反人类的虚无主义着，终日躲进马厩里，同马们聊天，以清者自清，浊者自浊而自娱——这成了他活在人类文明世界的唯一慰籍。似乎只有慧马国才是他理想中的乌托邦。他对人类和国家文明的认识和信仰一步一步的走向失望和破灭，就这样他一步一步的站到了整个西方文明的对立面。
创作手法研究
斯威夫特是18世纪英国杰出的讽刺作家，多数学者认为其写作特点是以讽刺手法的大量熟练运用而闻名。(伍厚恺，1999)整部小说可以说是一部讽刺小说，小说运用了多种讽刺的手法达到揭露、批判的目的。具体说来，小说运用了反语、夸张、对比、象征等艺术手段，以达到讥讽世事、针砭时弊的目的。(易国定、付一明，2001)作为英国18世纪著名的讽刺小说家和散文大家，他善于把虚构幻想的故事成分和具体逼真的现实细节结合起来进行创作，《格列佛游记》是斯威夫特最著名的作品，也是世界文学中最出色的讽刺作品之一，书中以格列佛的口气叙述了各国的风土人情，把鲜明的虚构与逼真的现实结合在一起，猛烈地抨击了英国王朝的腐败、昏暗、罪恶，尤其对英国政府在爱尔兰的剥削奴役和镇压等倒行逆施的行径进行了无情地揭露和批判，读起来既引人入胜又令人感到真实可信。(郑茗元，2006)
作为一部讽喻性作品，《格列佛游记》的基本叙述策略是在表层话语和深层意义之间造成不一致，从修辞角度来看主要是运用反语法。(伍厚恺，1999)主人公在叙述时时而故作严肃、一本正经，时而显得天真无邪、令人莞尔，时而又过度夸张、难辨真假，叙述和意义之间的不一致造成一种内在的张力，从而产生强有力的反讽效果。但全书反语色调强弱隐显不一，有时缺乏明显的指征，似乎是正语叙述。在不少地方小说表面叙述完全是事实性的，客观而不动声色，却利用实际情景和叙述之间的不一致构成反讽。小说除了对现实进行反讽之外，也开始自觉地对小说形式进行反讽。它借用了从史诗、《圣经》和中世纪寓言直到当时流行的游记体小说形式，却又以戏谑性模仿对其进行颠覆，在对文学形式的戏拟传统中它据有突出地位，《格列佛游记》所确立的讽喻体小说形式对后世的文学创作产生了深远的影响。(伍厚恺，1999)
除了运用反讽之外，有学者认为在小说中，运用得较出色的写作手法还有对比。(龚茂莉，2006)通过对比，作品完成了人物自身性格之间的转换和人物与人物之间的角色替换。例如:1．主人公也是叙述者格列佛与小人国民与大人国民的对比。小人国(低贱、矮小)—对比—格列佛(高尚、高大)格列佛(低贱、矮小)—对比—大人国(高尚、高大);2．人与动物的对比。第四部分慧马国游记叙述格列佛在慧马国的经历，这个国家的统治者是有理性的、公正而诚实的马。供马驱使的“耶胡”——指人——却是一群丑陋龌龊、贪婪淫荡、残酷好斗的畜类。他们是资阶级社会里一切恶习的体现;3．一个隐形的对比，即当时的英国和慧马国的对比。作者没有直接描述和抨击当时的英国社会，而是创造了一个代表了当时英国社会政治生活和恶劣风尚的“耶胡”来与智马对比，从而把以“耶胡”为代表的英国社会和在智马统治下的慧马国做了对比，以达到暴露当时社会恶习丑态和讽刺统治集团的目的;4．主人公自我性格的对比。格列佛通过在四个地方的经历，他自己的性格也形成了一个对比，并在对比中有了发展和认识，对生活有了感触和领悟。在一开始的小人国，格列佛的性格在小人国民的卑劣阴险毒辣、假仁假义、勾心斗角，尔虞我诈，互相利用的性格映衬之下显得高尚、高大。而当他到了大人国之后，才发现相对于大人国王博学多识，理智善良，公正仁慈，他的品性就显得太渺小了。飞岛国这一部分，讽刺了残酷压榨殖民地人民的英国统治阶级、一些脱离实际，想入非非的伪科学家、牵强附会的评注家、历史学家和世人长生不老的妄想，揭露了贵族政客道德败坏的丑事。到了慧马国，在智马和“耶胡”的对比下，格列佛的性格又有了提升，从骄傲(小人国)到惭愧(大人国)，从愤慨(飞岛国)到自愧不如、无地自容(慧马国)，格列佛对现实世界有了新的认识，对生活有了新的感悟。
讽刺、探索、恶意讽刺隐含在几乎每个单词中，使他不由得对自己以及社会有了怀疑，对人生的意义进行了新的探索。但从他的幻想和夸张的描写风格来看，有学者认为这部作品又更适合说成是儿童文学题材的作品，深受孩子们的喜爱。再看格列佛的足迹曾到过小人国、大人国、飞岛国和慧马国，多数评论人士又觉得他的写作像在记述游览经历的文章，于是小说就又具备了游记的创作手法。
更有学者则从怪诞的美学风格阐述了该作品的又一特色。认为《格列佛游记》就是通过夸张变形的人物、离奇怪诞的事件，以及降格或贬低化的描写，表现出怪诞的美学风格。同时，这种夸张变形、降格或贬低化具有正反同体性，包含着否定与肯定、讽刺与赞美的双重性含义。(丁世忠，2008)格列佛本来是一个医生，一个现实世界里的正常人，但在小人国，他一下变成了“巨人山”，对于正常的格列佛来说，小人国的人又成了怪人;在巨人国，那里的人比格列佛大12倍，他成了人们眼中的怪物;慧马国的主人智马看见格列佛吃了一惊，那里的仆人“耶胡”也是丑陋不堪。在学者们看来斯威夫特在极度的夸张中通过塑造这些形象，使人们摆脱正统观点和思维方式，产生怪异感和陌生感，在漫画式的夸张中讽刺英国的社会现实、寄托了作者的社会理想:俯瞰小人国的愚蠢、国王的昏庸、宫廷的黑暗、官场的争斗以及军事、文化、宗教的腐败，正视飞岛国不切实际的科学研究，鄙视“耶胡”的卑鄙丑陋与贪婪残忍;同时，仰望大人国国君的开明、人民力量的巨大和他们道德的高尚，肯定慧马国对理性的崇尚、对仁慈和友谊的重视。
格列佛在巨人国被当作怪兽，他作为人被贬低为动物，甚至连人还不及的动物。格列佛还被当作玩具或者会说话的机器，人被视为玩具，这是对人的物化，也是对生命的降格。人不仅不是征服自然、改造自然的主体，反而被降格为动物玩弄的对象。这种降格和贬低化把一切正常的生活秩序和事物的功能都加以颠倒，读者从中可以看到当时英国社会的腐败、官场争斗的荒唐以及人性的丑陋，从而产生埋藏旧的生活，追求美好的事物的愿望。因此，这种离奇的颠倒和正常秩序被破坏就产生了新奇感和可笑性，并且在笑声中既融入了讽刺和嘲弄，也包含了肯定与赞美。斯威夫特正是采用这种怪诞现实主义的贬低化，也就是把崇高降格为卑俗、把美丽贬低为丑陋，达到讽刺批判的目的。在作者的笔下，一切威严的、崇高东西都变得如此可笑，一切虚假的礼仪都遭受到无情的亵渎和嘲弄。
讽刺风格研究
《格列佛游记》继承欧洲流浪汉小说的结构方法，采用“离家—远游—返乡”的模式重复叙述了主人公在海上漂流的一系列奇遇。小人国的国王心胸狭窄、狂妄自大、穷兵黩武，朝臣阿谀奉承，其矮小形象的讽刺锋芒直指英国当时昏庸的君王和凶残的官吏。其次，作者将抨击矛头指向教会，暗示教派之争如大小端派之争一样，皆是无知、无耻、无意义的，然而就是这种微不足道的争论最终竟然导致了内斗，这小人国实质上就是当时英国社会现象的真实写照。(郑茗元，2006)全书自始至终运用了讽刺的手法，有许多不能用法律去惩罚，宗教、道德的约束等等都不足以使这些干坏事的人改正，只有把他们的恶孽以最强烈的字眼公之于世，才能使他们受到憎恶。因此作者在小说中十分成功地运用了讽刺这把匕首，将资本主义华丽外衣下掩盖的罪恶戳穿开来，暴露在世人的眼光下，接受正义的谴责。(易国定、付仁明，2004)
也有学者指出作品中的讽刺更多意义上是一种手段，借助这个手段，作者的以进行顿悟性揭露和反思，使读者和书中的主人公得以看清“真相”或者揭示真理，特别是人性中固有的缺陷。(宋根成，2007)
学者们的研究还表明虽然斯威夫特将讽刺文体作为社会和政治批判的工具功能发挥得淋漓尽致、达到了相当的高度，然而也受到了多方面的非难与指责。(颜静兰，2003)有学者指出第四卷关于格列佛在慧马国的经历是反人类的精神，不正常的肮脏之作，是荒谬非理性之作。(Kathleen，1970)到了二十世纪，学者们从心理分析、人性多重性及十八世纪社会环境里人的精神世界等方面对作品进行研究，结果表明斯威夫特像狄更斯、萨克雷等优秀的作家一样是批判现实主义作家，在抨击社会黑暗方面他较其他作家走的更早、更远，揭露得更彻底。早在1920年T·S·艾略特就曾指出斯威夫特的《格列佛游记》是人类心灵所取得的最伟大的成就之一。(Ian，1995)
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