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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
3. Kaa’s Hunting
Explanation and Analysis—Still and Cool!:
When he gets back from his time with the apes, Baloo’s reaction to Mowgli’s protestations is rich with verbal irony and hyperbole. In this passage, Baloo demonstrates his disdain toward the idea of monkeys showing genuine pity or kindness:
‘When Baloo hurt my head,’ said Mowgli (he was still on his back), ‘I went away, and the grey apes came down from the trees and had pity on me. No one else cared.’
He snuffled a little.
‘The pity of the Monkey-People!’ Baloo snorted. ‘The stillness of the mountain stream! The cool of the summer sun! [...]'
By comparing the monkeys’ pity to the "stillness of a mountain stream" and the "cool of the summer sun," Baloo uses hyperbolic language to exaggerate the unlikeliness of the monkeys' good behavior. These comparisons are hyperbolic because mountain streams are naturally flowing, not still, and the summer sun is hot, not cool. Baloo uses these unlikely scenarios to point out the absurdity of expecting empathy and kindness from the monkeys.
The verbal irony here lies in Baloo’s sarcastic tone. He implies that expecting pity from monkeys is as ridiculous as expecting the sun to be cold. Although Baloo’s own teachings might be a little too rough, he knows Mowgli is better off with him and Bagheera than with the chaotic Bandar-log.
Related Themes:
13. Her Majesty’s Servants
Explanation and Analysis—Our Own Wills:
Kipling uses a metaphor and intense situational irony to depict the highly regulated mechanisms of colonial rule in “Her Majesty’s Servants.” The Afghan Chief and the Viceroy’s Officer have the following conversation after the Animal Parade has gone by:
'But are the beasts as wise as the men?' said the chief.
‘They obey, as the men do. Mule, horse, elephant, or bullock, he obeys his driver, and the driver his sergeant, and the sergeant his lieutenant, and the lieutenant his captain, and the captain his major, and the major his colonel, and the colonel his brigadier commanding three regiments, and the brigadier his general, who obeys the Viceroy, who is the servant of the Empress. Thus it is done.’
‘Would it were so in Afghanistan!’ said the chief; ‘for there we obey only our own wills.’
This conversation is a metaphor for the way in which the British controlled India. The idea—one that Kipling is metaphorically addressing through the Viceroy's Officer here—is that of the British system of top-down rule. This is a power structure where everyone follows orders from the person above them. Although it led to enormous abuses of power in India, it was intended to make people behave in a controlled way, just like the animals in the parade. This exchange shows the British Imperialist belief that this strict control was the "natural" or right way to maintain order. Queen Victoria was also Empress of India at this point, making everyone else below her a "servant." Everyone, including the animals, is one of "Her Majesty's Servants."
The situational irony here comes from the Amir’s own inability to control his men. Normally, one would think that people could control and manage their own behavior better than animals. However, the Afghan chief is surprised to see that the animals are more organized and controlled than the people of his own country. His question, "But are the beasts as wise as the men?", shows his surprise and highlights the irony at play: this rigid, military precision from animals is not what he, or readers, would normally expect. Indeed, they make the "wilful" people of Afghanistan look chaotic by comparison.
Related Themes:
