TOPIC : The Use Of Irony In Gulliver’s Travels PAPER - 2 : The Neo-Classical LiteratureSTUDENT’S NAME : Gohil Yashpalsinh B.CLASS : M.A. Sem-1ROLL NO. : 24YEAR : 2012/13SUBMITTED TO : Ms. Heenaba zala (English Department,               Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji  Bhavnagar University)

Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet and cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. He is remembered for works such as Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal, A Journal to Stella, Drapier's Letters, The Battle of the Books, An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity, and A Tale of a Tub. Swift is probably the foremost prose satirist in the English language, and is less well known for his poetry. Swift originally published all of his works under pseudonyms – such as Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, MB Drapier – or anonymously. He is also known for being a master of two styles of satire: the Horatian and Juvenalian styles.

IRONY : -

o Irony is one of the most important weapons of satire.

o 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 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 orachieves, and so on.

Verbal Irony In The Portrayal Of The Emperor andthe Customs of Lilliput

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 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 Littlemore 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 there upon attributes the King’s condemnation to the King’s narrow-mindedness.

Irony In The Account OfThe 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 favorites 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.

Thank You.