Bitterness and humor, dogmatism and tolerance, unprofessional negligence and scholarly care characterize recent criticism of Swift's "Voyage to the Houyhnhnms." Many scholars have based their conclusions on the findings of earlier commentators rather than on Swift's work itself. Others have imposed a system of their own upon the fourth voyage, sometimes without regard for incontrovertible evidence against their views. Consequently, these scholars often reveal more about themselves than about Swift and his work. Although only a few really new ideas have been presented since 1958 which help to explain the Dean's motivation and intentions, a number of new interpretations of the fourth voyage of Gulliver's Travels clarify some of Swift's purposes. Generally, recent critics can be divided into three groups: those who believe that the Houyhnhnms are Swift's moral ideal for mankind; those who contend that the Houyhnhnms are not Swift's moral ideal; and those who suggest that Swift's moral ideal for man lay somewhere between the Houyhnhnm and the Yahoo.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc699650 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Witkowski, Susan Siegrist |
| Contributors | Belcher, William F. (William Francis), 1919-, Nichols, Irby Coghill, 1926- |
| Publisher | North Texas State University |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | iii, 92 leaves, Text |
| Coverage | 1958-1965 |
| Rights | Public, Witkowski, Susan Siegrist, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights |
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