The subject of this dissertation is an investigation of grotesque in fiction and publicistic prose of J. Swift on the background of his pamphlets and the novel «Gulliver’s Travels». The research proves that grotesque in Swift’s works is closely connected with the philosophical ideas of the epoch of Enlightenment and social – political activity of the writer. The specificity and development of Swift’s grotesque forms is featured in the dissertation. The analysis of grotesque on different text levels reveals the peculiarity of its forms, their typology, poetics and means of their creation in the fiction prose of the writer. Interconnection of the author’s and reader’s perception in the semantic field of the author’s grotesque vision is also investigated.
In this research Swift’s poetic vision, his outlooks on the role of a person in society and cultural – historical process, the influence of society upon a person is disclosed through the specificity and development of grotesque forms.
Due to Swift’s creative activity for the first time in the history of world literature grotesque became vividly expressed in pamphlets. Numerous pamphlets of the author are aimed at topical problems of his contemporaries’ life, among them negative social tendencies in the fields of religion, culture, etc. The specific – historical aspect of grotesque forms in the author’s pamphlets is revealed in poetic details, parody, irony, historical and political allusions and reminiscences.
As a means of fiction characterization grotesque in the author’s pamphlets is characterized by conventionality and philosophical generalization. It is obtained by means of symbolism, allegory, ancient and biblical allusions and reminiscences, «dismissing» familiar phenomena and introducing the “unusual” into contemporary context, etc. An important feature of grotesque in Swift’s pamphlets is his rhetoric, the author’s aspiration to disclose not only his position but also different view points, drawing readers into the dialogue in discussing this or that problem from different points of view.
Grotesque forms of the novel «Gulliver’s Travels» are dynamic and open for interpretations. To give them meaningful versatility the author uses such means as inserting grotesque structures in different contexts (social - political, natural, cultural, etc.), poetics of «strange», description from different points of view, creating illusion of reality of fantastic events, transformation of contemporary characters and events to the magic world.
In the dissertation special attention is paid to J. Swift’s grotesque traditions and innovations in the context of a historical - literary process.
