ALDOUS HUXLEY'S "BRAVE NEW WORLD" AND "GULLIVER'S TRAVELS" BY JONATHAN SWIFT IN THE LIGHT OF INTERTEXTUAL DIALOGUE

Aldous Huxley is regarded as one of the most prominent successors of Jonathan Swift in English literature, particularly in terms of employing the satirical method. Despite the evident affinity between Huxley's "Brave New World" and "Gulliver's Travels" by Swift, the intertextual relationships between the two works have yet to receive thorough scholarly attention, which highlights the relevance of the present article. Its purpose is to determine the features of the transformation of Swift's model of reality in Huxley's novel "Brave New World". The study comprises the following tasks: to emphasise the motif of travelling as a pivotal concept in the author's universe; to analyse the peculiarities of the external world representation as it is perceived by the protagonists; to trace the specifics of the evolution of the worldviews of both the main characters and the potential reader who can relate the texts to his current reality. Relying on the theory of intertextuality put forward J. Kristeva, we consider the literary work an open text engaging in dialogic interaction with other texts, facilitating the creation of new meanings. Thus, through a dialogue with his renowned predecessor, Aldous Huxley guides his readers back to a familiar text. In the process of reading, a recipient not only gains insights into the text but also attains a heightened comprehension of his own identity. This involvement prompts reflective contemplation, nurturing a more profound understanding of both the self and the surrounding reality. Both works share a common topic of exploring the world through the experience of travel, which forms the foundation for the representation of the author's ideas. The protagonists, Gulliver and John the Savage, learn the world and undergo enlightenment by visiting different countries and encountering new forms of social life. As the denouement approaches, both John the Savage and Gulliver reach the conclusion of humanity's inevitable moral and spiritual decline. However, unlike Swift, who in "Gulliver's Travels" leaves a faint glimmer of hope, Huxley in "Brave New World" is full of apocalyptic predictions and tragic despair about the future of human civilization.