Gulliver's fourth voyage in the book can be seen as one of the greatest satirical expositions on human nature in perhaps all of literature. As with all of Gulliver's travels, Swift gives us a satirical look as the world in which he lived. This fourth travel, however, goes somewhat deeper than merely being a satirical attack on one political mechanism or particular custom as was the case in the previous voyages and takes us on a satirical voyage of our own through the depths of human nature itself by way of Swift's depiction of the Houyhnhnms, the brighter and more ideal components of our nature, and the Yahoos, the darker and more beastial aspects of the human condition.
             As Gulliver finds himself away from his homeland and stranded in some strange and foreign country yet again, he immediately sets out to find the nearest savages possible and purchase his life with the trinkets he carries with him. His encounter with these savages, the Yahoos, however, proves much more distressing and disgusting than expected. It is in these creatures that Gulliver is shown a dark mirror of himself. The Yahoos, who initially appear to be complete beasts, turn out to be much more like humans than is acceptable to our intrepid traveler. This initial encounter can be seen as an example of racism. Although very human-like, the Yahoos are depicted as animals. They are much darker and hairier than Gulliver and are more adapted towards athleticism and the rigors of the wild than Gulliver. Some are even domesticated and forced by the "superior race" into roles of subservience as beasts of burden. This can be aptly compared to contemporary colonial views of black slaves at the time.
             The "superior race", in this case, is indeed much different than anticipated by Gulliver. By all appearances they seem to be much like the equine beasts of burden that Gulliver is more familiar with. Yet when the horse seems to be looking hi...