THE USE OF IRONY IN “GULLIVER’S TRAVELS”

Irony is one of the most important instrument of satire. Irony arises from a contrast, a
contrast between appearance and reality, between what a character or the author says and
what he really means to convey, between what a character thinks himself to be and what he
really is, between what a character believes and what the reader knows to be actually the
case, between what a character thinks what he will do or achieve and what he really in the
long run does or achieves, and so on. It may also be pointed out that, apart from irony in
words, irony may exist in situation. A situation is ironical when the reader knows all the facts
of the case while the characters, either all of them or some of them, are ignorant of some of
the facts of the case. Furthermore, irony may produce a comic effect or a tragic effect,
depending upon the circumstances of the case. This means that the use of irony by an author
may amuse the reader or may sadden him all the more.

A Destructive Irony at Work in “Gulliver’s Travels”:

Swift is a comic and satirical writer, and therefore his use of irony in his writings adds
to the comic effect at which he aims. In “Gulliver’s Travels” we find a plentiful use of irony. As
Cazamian points out, “Gulliver’s Travels” throws the light of a superior and destructive irony
upon the smallness of the means, the vanity of the motives, the illusions of the catchwords,
through which kings retained thrones and magistrates their offices in those days. It is not only
the English political life of his time which Swift thus dissects. To serve the needs of his
allegory, swift carries us from the country of the dwarfs to that of the giants, and in the end
to the country of the yahoos and of the noble horses. Mankind cuts a sorry figure in all these
strange countries. Irony and allegory are, in this book, fused in one. Swift is, indeed, a master
of irony.

The Irony of Situation in all the Four Parts of “Gulliver’s Travels”

The irony of situation is to be found in all the four divisions of “Gulliver’s Travels”. In
Lilliput, Gulliver finds himself in the midst of people who are no more than six inches in
height. In Brobdingnag, Gulliver finds himself in the midst of people of a giant size by
comparison with whom he himself is a pigmy. In Laputa and in Balnibarbi he finds himself
among people who are queer in one way or another. Finally, he finds himself in the midst of
the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms, the former bearing a close physical resemblance to human
beings and the latter being horses in their physical shape and appearance but having an
intelligence much superior to that of human beings. In all these cases, Gulliver thinks himself
to be literally among pigmies, giants, or horses as the case may be; but we realize that in each
case Swift is giving us a portrayal of human beings themselves though the description of the
various kinds of inhabitants of the different countries as determined by the requirements of
the satirical intentions of the author.

Verbal Irony in the Portrayal of the Emperor and the Customs of Lilliput:

In addition to the irony of situation, we have in this book plenty of verbal irony which
arises largely from the contrast between what is said and what is really intended. Early in the
book we have an example of this kind of irony when Swift describes the Emperor of Lilliput.
As the Emperor is taller by the breadth of Gulliver’s nail than any member of his court, his
appearance is enough to strike awe into the beholders. The Emperor’s features are strong

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and masculine with an Austrian lip and arched nose, his countenance erect, his body and
limbs well proportioned, all his motions graceful, and his conduct majestic. Now this
description of the Emperor is clearly ironical because a person, who is just six inches or a little
more than in height, cannot be regarded as awful.

Verbal Irony in the Voyage to Brobdingnag:

In the account of the voyage to Brobdingnag we have still more striking examples of
the use of verbal irony. When Gulliver describes the features of the national life of his own
country namely England, to the King of Brobdingnag, the King makes certain adverse
comments upon Gulliver’s country. But Gulliver feels offended with the King because Gulliver
thinks his own country to be “the mistress of arts and arms, the seat of virtue, piety, honour
and truth, the pride and envy of the world”. Now Gulliver genuinely believes his country as
possessing these qualities, but Swift means this description to be ironical, because Swift had
just the opposite view of England. Subsequently Gulliver gives to the King of Brobdingnag a
detailed description of the English Parliament, the Courts of Justice, etc. The King finds fault
with all these English institutions. Gulliver thereupon attributes the King’s condemnation to
the King’s narrow-mindedness.

Irony in the Account of the Third Voyage:

The use of irony by Swift may also be illustrated from the Third Voyage of Gulliver. In
the school of political projectors in Lagado, professors are working upon schemes for
persuading monarchs to choose favourites upon the basis of their wisdom, capacity, and
virtue; for teaching ministers to consult the public good; for rewarding merit, great abilities
and eminent services; for choosing for employments persons qualified to work efficiently;
and so on. The irony here lies in the fact that, while all these schemes are perfectly sound and
wholesome, Gulliver describes them as wild, impossible unrealistic ideas.

Irony in Part IV of the Book:

It is believed by some that in part IV of the book swift’s portrayal of the Houyhnhnms
is also ironical and that Swift did not really mean to hold up the Houyhnhnms as representing
a utopian ideal. This however, is not relevant point. But about Swift’s use of irony in
describing Gulliver’s mentality and outlook in the two or three closing chapters, we can have
no doubt. Swift certainly does not approve of the complete and absolute misanthropy which
Gulliver has developed by the end of his final voyage. Swift, therefore, gives us an ironic
description Gulliver’s whole behavior at this stage. In other words, Gulliver himself now
becomes a target of Swift’s irony and satire.

WRITTEN & COMPOSED BY:

PROF. A.R. SOMROO

M.A. ENGLISH, M.A. EDUCATION

CELL: 03339971417