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Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Book 1, Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—Slavery:
Although it should be obvious to any astute reader that the fantastical lands featured in Gulliver's Travels are intended as exaggerated reflections of Europe, Gulliver himself ironically fails to notice blatant parallels between the culture of his native England and that of the bizarre lands he visits.
In Book 1, Chapter 5, for example, Gulliver helps the Lilliputians win their war against the nation of Blefuscu, but he opposes the Lilliputian emperor's plan to enslave the Blefuscan populace:
I plainly protested that I would never be an Instrument of bringing a Free and Brave people into slavery.
Gulliver's refusal to help subjugate the Blefuscans is ironic because, as a European, he is already complicit in the enslavement and exploitation of other "free and brave people." The slave trade in Britain wasn't abolished until 1807, many decades after Gulliver's Travels was published, and during the 18th century, countless other atrocities were committed in the name of European colonialism. Gulliver, whose sense of virtue prevents him from participating in the enslavement of the Blefuscans, seems ironically oblivious to these atrocities.
Swift revisits this irony in Book 4, Chapter 12, when Gulliver voices his distaste for colonizers who violently subjugate other nations:
But this Description, I confess, doth by no means affect the British Nation, who may be an Example to the whole World for their Wisdom, Care, and Justice in Planting Colonies.
The irony in this passage is palpable — although it is obvious to readers that Gulliver's criticisms apply very aptly to English imperialism, he makes a point to assure the reader that he is not talking about England.
Related Themes:
Book 1, Chapter 7
Explanation and Analysis—Biblical Allusions:
In addition to his work as an author and satirist, Jonathan Swift was also an Anglican cleric who served as Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. He was the author of numerous sermons, prayers, and works of religious scholarship, and his extensive knowledge of religious doctrine informed much of his satirical writing. Swift's preoccupation with religion is also present in Gulliver's Travels, which contains numerous biblical allusions (some of which are rather ironic).
In Book 1, Chapter 7, Gulliver learns of a plot by the Lilliputians to blind him. The Lilliputians declare:
"That the loss of your Eyes would be no impediment to your bodily strength, by which you might still be useful to his Majesty."
This plot may be an allusion to the story of Samson in the Old Testament. According to the Book of Judges, Samson was an Israelite upon whom God bestowed immense strength, which allowed him to perform superhuman feats. However, if Samson's long hair were ever cut, he would lose his strength. Samson is betrayed by his lover Delilah, who cuts his hair while he is sleeping and turns him over to his enemies, the Philistines, who gouge out his eyes. This allusion aligns the Lilliputian ministers, who are intended as caricatures of Swift's political enemies, with the treacherous Philistines.
In Book 2, Chapter 7, Gulliver reads a book by a Brobdingnagian moralist, which contains a biblical reference:
He said it was very reasonable to think, not only that the Species of Man were originally much larger, but also that there must have been Giants in former Ages.
This line is an allusion Genesis 6:4, which claims that the Earth was inhabited by a race of giants prior to the arrival of humans. The Brobdingnagian moralist uses this assumption to argue that humanity has declined in both size and greatness over time. The fact that the massive Brobdingnagians still consider themselves small is ironic and suggests that feelings of inadequacy are universal.
Related Themes:
Book 2, Chapter 7
Explanation and Analysis—Biblical Allusions:
In addition to his work as an author and satirist, Jonathan Swift was also an Anglican cleric who served as Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. He was the author of numerous sermons, prayers, and works of religious scholarship, and his extensive knowledge of religious doctrine informed much of his satirical writing. Swift's preoccupation with religion is also present in Gulliver's Travels, which contains numerous biblical allusions (some of which are rather ironic).
In Book 1, Chapter 7, Gulliver learns of a plot by the Lilliputians to blind him. The Lilliputians declare:
"That the loss of your Eyes would be no impediment to your bodily strength, by which you might still be useful to his Majesty."
This plot may be an allusion to the story of Samson in the Old Testament. According to the Book of Judges, Samson was an Israelite upon whom God bestowed immense strength, which allowed him to perform superhuman feats. However, if Samson's long hair were ever cut, he would lose his strength. Samson is betrayed by his lover Delilah, who cuts his hair while he is sleeping and turns him over to his enemies, the Philistines, who gouge out his eyes. This allusion aligns the Lilliputian ministers, who are intended as caricatures of Swift's political enemies, with the treacherous Philistines.
In Book 2, Chapter 7, Gulliver reads a book by a Brobdingnagian moralist, which contains a biblical reference:
He said it was very reasonable to think, not only that the Species of Man were originally much larger, but also that there must have been Giants in former Ages.
This line is an allusion Genesis 6:4, which claims that the Earth was inhabited by a race of giants prior to the arrival of humans. The Brobdingnagian moralist uses this assumption to argue that humanity has declined in both size and greatness over time. The fact that the massive Brobdingnagians still consider themselves small is ironic and suggests that feelings of inadequacy are universal.
Related Themes:
Book 4, Chapter 12
Explanation and Analysis—Slavery:
Although it should be obvious to any astute reader that the fantastical lands featured in Gulliver's Travels are intended as exaggerated reflections of Europe, Gulliver himself ironically fails to notice blatant parallels between the culture of his native England and that of the bizarre lands he visits.
In Book 1, Chapter 5, for example, Gulliver helps the Lilliputians win their war against the nation of Blefuscu, but he opposes the Lilliputian emperor's plan to enslave the Blefuscan populace:
I plainly protested that I would never be an Instrument of bringing a Free and Brave people into slavery.
Gulliver's refusal to help subjugate the Blefuscans is ironic because, as a European, he is already complicit in the enslavement and exploitation of other "free and brave people." The slave trade in Britain wasn't abolished until 1807, many decades after Gulliver's Travels was published, and during the 18th century, countless other atrocities were committed in the name of European colonialism. Gulliver, whose sense of virtue prevents him from participating in the enslavement of the Blefuscans, seems ironically oblivious to these atrocities.
Swift revisits this irony in Book 4, Chapter 12, when Gulliver voices his distaste for colonizers who violently subjugate other nations:
But this Description, I confess, doth by no means affect the British Nation, who may be an Example to the whole World for their Wisdom, Care, and Justice in Planting Colonies.
The irony in this passage is palpable — although it is obvious to readers that Gulliver's criticisms apply very aptly to English imperialism, he makes a point to assure the reader that he is not talking about England.
Related Themes:
