The Hidden Meaning of Gulliver's Travels Gulliver's Travels is one of the most beloved satires of all time (Forster 11). However, careful analysis shows that it is very complex and there is no definite interpretation. A very cursory reading may leave you feeling that the point of the book is "not to be Yahoo." This is the message David Ward feels the character of Gulliver is giving and says it is no more complex than Orwell's, "four legs good, two legs bad". But this comes from Gulliver's nature. A summary of the opinions of the writers I have read paints Gulliver as an average man of average courage, honesty, compassion and intellect, a typical Englishman. But there is nothing typical about Gulliver's Travels. What Swift managed to do by making Gulliver the embodiment of common English values ​​and beliefs and then having him visit distant lands that are actually mirrors of English society is an interesting satirical device. It forces the English reader to unconsciously judge English society, not by some higher law or pristine observer, but through the lens of their own cherished values. This effectively turns English beliefs and values ​​upon themselves as evidence of their merit. Swift echoes this structure by first having Gulliver visit a land of little people, which causes him to observe them carefully. Then Gulliver immediately travels to a land of giants which causes scrutiny of Gulliver, who is now the little one. After a series of different looks at society through the first three journeys, Gulliver travels to Houyhnhnmland where the nature of the people themselves is given the strongest. censorship, being directly compared to the hateful Yahoos. Here Swift bluntly attacks almost every aspect of the company, which is then compared point for point to the Gray Mare Yahoos. Gulliver and the reader finally identify fully with the Yahoos (see attached comment), and Gulliver decides to abandon Yahooism forever. But he is immediately banished from the island by the Houyhnhnm assembly. This poses an interesting question (see nearby comment). What then is Swift's final message about man or his future? The fact that Gulliver fails to stay with the Houyhnhnms or adhere to their principles after leaving the island does not mean to me that the man is doomed. I think Swift is saying that man will always be Yahoo, but at the same time I think he is advocating awareness of our Yahoo nature.