Since Mistress Masham's Repose is directly inspired by Gulliver's Travels and the philosophies of its author Jonathan Swift, a grasp of the themes and plot of this famous novel will be helpful to any reader of White's novel.

While Swift demonstrates a complex, sophisticated, and unsparing mind busily at work dissecting the foibles of his society, it is important to note that the strong note of pessimism which marks Gulliver's Travels is almost entirely absent in Mistress Masham's Repose. Maria's problems are resolved in a satisfyingly happy ending, while Gulliver's adventures end in a spirit of despair for the condition of humankind.

While both men are social critics and clearly see humankind's failings, White is buoyed by an optimistic and hopeful outlook that makes a happy ending almost inevitable.