examples of irony in gulliver's travels

The irony of situation is to be found in all the four divisions of Gullivers Travels. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Gullivers host explains that the inhabitants follow the prescriptions of a learned academy in the city, where the scientists undertake such wholly impractical projects as extracting sunbeams from cucumbers. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Which word is an example of original diction? There are many instances within Gulliver's Travels that display Swift's use of irony that would later be known as Swiftian irony. 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. Swift also pokes fun at his era's obsession with science and learning. Societal differences: This is recognized by how different the people in the four lands are. After the emperor and the people of Lilliput find that Gulliver is a good man, they set him free.. His narratives reveal that he is a rather unemotional character. Irony is a literary device or event in whichhow things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. , , , . Many characters in the story lack the knowledge and ability to understand reality and lack the ability to think logically. He did so by using satire. The fact that the massive Brobdingnagians still consider themselves small is ironic and suggests that feelings of inadequacy are universal. . Gullivers Travels, published in 1726, by Jonathan Swift, is a travel narrative about Lemuel Gulliver. Gulliver expects the humans in the land of the Houyhnhnms to be very wise, but they are the most brutal and disgusting beasts imaginable. At the same time, the emperor of Lilliput sends an envoy with the articles commanding Gulliver to give up his eyesight. By narrating Gulliver's adventures in Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and Houyhnhnm, the novel reveals and criticizes sins and corruption of British ruling class and their cruel exploitation towards people of Britain and . Milton through the 18th Century. Their studies have no connection to the real world and no practical or useful ends. , , , , , , , , , , , . Interact with native speakers around the world. Gulliver's adventures, interpreted as four journeys, were meant to show a deeper understanding of human nature and its shortcomings. Mock-Heroic Poetry Overview & Poems | What is a Mock-Epic? One example of satire in part 2 of Gulliver's Travels is the location of Brobdingnag. There, he sees scholars and intellectuals working on such experiments as trying to extract sunshine from a cucumber or reanimate . Swift presents a fertile territory for analysis as his book covers an array of socially-pressing issues such as gender and race differences, status and class, money, and even science. 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.". Swift is pointing out the silliness of many controversies in the real world and showing how humans tend to blow little problems way out of proportion. All aspects of irony are recognized in the story as well. Satire was marked in the story like the following: The story Gulliver's Travels is sarcastic. Satire is a literary technique that uses exaggeration, sarcasm, and humor to make a point about a person's behavior, an event, or a situation. He accomplishes this by use irony to depict England's shortcomings and weaknesses. I. Was he just out to create a fun story, or did he have something more in mind? But the master horse observes that all of these distinctions are in fact "for the worse," since Gulliver's body type lacks the Yahoos' strong nails, tough hands, ability to walk on all fours. Views 727. Swift created Gulliver's Travels primarily as a satire of human folly. He becomes a favourite at court, though the king reacts with contempt when Gulliver recounts the splendid achievements of his own civilization. The people of Lilliput are afraid of him because he is large compared to them. Swift believed that folly was a dominant human characteristic, and his characters exhibit a lot of it. The conflict, he says, started over a religious question: At . See in text(Part II - Chapter VII). This pressure is simultaneously applied to tradition understandings of Gillray as a broadly loyalist satirist. It recounts the fictitious journey of a fictitious man named Lemuel Gulliver, and his travels to the fantasy lands of Lilliput, Brobdinag, Laputa, and Houyhnhmn land. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Jonathan Swift is known as one of the greatest satirists in English Literature. It was an indictment, and it was most popular among those who were indicted that is, politicians, scientists, philosophers, and Englishmen in general. . Gulliver visits many lands during his journey, including Lilliput, which has tiny inhabitants and Brobdingnag, the land of giants. They can be nasty and brutish and horrible to each other. Swift constructs Gullivers character through his first person narrative style. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. succeed. Swift also had another purpose in mind when he wrote Gulliver's Travels. The kingdom is arranged by social class with soldiers and an emperor. He is born to a family in Nottinghamshire, the third of five sons. For example, one would expect scientists and philosophers to be wise. Swift's satire in Gulliver's Travels exposes human folly. He flees to Blefuscu, where he finds a normal-size boat and is thus able to return to England. "I attempted to rise, but was not able to stir: for as I happened to lie on my back, I found my arms and legs were strongly fastened on each side to the ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down I the same manner." A parody is a humorous, exaggerated imitation of a work of literature. This time, he is the captain of the ship, but his crew doesn't like him, and they drop him off on a lonely beach. It may also be pointed out that, apart from irony in. , , , , , , , , . He does so by using sarcasm to represent the shortcomings and flaws in England. On this voyage, Gulliver goes to the sea as a surgeon on the merchant ship, Antelope. As a result, English society underwent significant, "changes in attitude and thought", in an attempt to obtain the dignity and splendor of royalty and the upper class (McKendrick,2). Swift exposes human folly through satire in Gulliver's Travels. Gullivers second voyage takes him to Brobdingnag, inhabited by a race of giants. - Definition & Examples, Holt McDougal Literature Grade 9 Common Core Edition: Online Textbook Help, Common Core ELA - Informational Text Grades 9-10: Standards, CLEP Analyzing & Interpreting Literature: Study Guide & Test Prep, Technical Writing Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, AP English Literature Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Study.com SAT Writing & Language Test Section: Review & Practice, AP English Language Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, NMTA Essential Academic Skills Subtest Writing (002): Practice & Study Guide, Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels: Summary & Characters, Elsinore Castle in Shakespeare's Hamlet: History & Overview, Charles Perrault's Puss in Boots: Summary, Analysis & Morals, Summary of Toads and Diamonds by Charles Perrault, Using Graphics & Multimedia in Writing Projects, The Benefits of Online Publishing for Students, Mandatory Reading List for English 101: English Literature, Literary Analysis Essay Example for English Literature, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community, novel by Jonathan Swift primarily written as a satire and parody of human folly, a literary technique that uses exaggeration, sarcasm, and humor to make a point about a person's behavior, an event, or a situation, a humorous, exaggerated imitation of a work of literature. Crossing Textual Boundaries in International Childrens Literature. In the text of part 2, Jonathan Swift provides a map of the fictional country, which appears . I have chosen to study the classic Jonathan Swift novel, Gulliver's Travels which was written in 1726. Gulliver is implying that the Brobdingnagians are not able to see all sides of an issue. The conflict, he says, started over a religious question: At which end should the faithful break their eggs: at the big end or at the little end? The whole work is satirizing the political and social systems of eighteenth-century England,so lots of Irony in fact. Gulliver's description of Mildendo gives Swift another chance to satirize the pretensions of the Lilliputians. After Gulliver's visit to the Emperor's palace at Mildendo, Reldresal, Lilliput's Principal Secretary of Private Affairs, pays a visit to Gulliver and explains the faction quarrels between the High Heel Party and the Low Heel Party. Gulliver describes the island, the sea around the island, the city of Lorbrulgrud, the King's palace, his [Gulliver's] method of travel on the island, several of the island's inhabitants, and some of the sights to . , , . Swift was roasting people, and they were eager for the . Irony is a literary device or event in whichhow things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Thus, once again, Swift emphasizes the contrast between Gulliver's naive acceptance of the Lilliputian viewpoint and the physical facts he reports. Gulliver flees to Blefuscu after discovering the Lilliputian's intentions toward him. Swift fully intends the irony of representing the tiniest race visited by Gulliver as by far the most vainglorious and smug, both collectively and individually. A parody of the then popular travel narrative, Gullivers Travels combines adventure with savage satire, mocking English customs and the politics of the day. Consequently, he was driven out of England in 1688. Europe, around the time Swift published his novel, was dominated with ideas of Enlightenment which privileged rational thought and reason. It starts off with Gulliver talking about himself. A keystone of English literature, it is one of the books that contributed to the emergence of the novel as a literary form in English. Corrections? When one first reads his accounts in each of these lands, one may believe that they are reading humorous accounts of fairy-tale-like lands that are intended to amuse children. They don't truly live. 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 isnottalking about England. In Gullivers Travel, Swift makes up a horse society Houyhnhnm and a brutal animal Yahoo. Thus, as the Lilliputian emperor, he wears low heels. (1), I have listed the link to an article below that cites many examples of irony and satire in detail. Gullivers Travels by Jonathan Swift is a story about a man named Gulliver who travels to many different islands in his quest to get home. This is shown when he describes and recounts dangerous situations in a matter-of-fact and passive style. This plot may be an allusion to the story of Samson in the Old Testament. By writing Gulliver's Travels in an adventurous style, he can hide the satire and irony in the story more easily, making it seem like the characters opinions and ideas rather than his own. Throughout the novel, Swift satirizes kings, queens, politicians, military leaders, scientists, and thinks of the real world by implying or directly stating that they are like their counterparts in his fictional world." , , , . At this point, he is being searched by two tiny people (Lilliputians). They don't let themselves love others but instead treat others like objects to be used. They are all reason and no emotion. 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. He was the author of numerous sermons, prayers, and works of religious scholarship, and his extensiveknowledge of religious doctrine informed much of his satirical writing. 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. However, now that Gulliver is the one at a disadvantage, he likens it to being a disgrace. Note though, that Gulliver does not reflect on his treatment of the Lilliputians here even though the parallel may be obvious to a reader. They are revealed to be irrational because they have a corrupt court, wierd laws, and blatant discrimination. Sometimes, though, people who want to have adventures get a lot more than they bargained for. , , , . "This diversion is only practiced by those persons who are candidates for great employments, and high favour at court. Vol. Irony is one of the most important instrument of satire. LitCharts Teacher Editions. The irony of situation is to be found in all the four divisions of Gulliver's Travels. Gulliver, although a prisoner at first, proves to be pretty useful to the Lilliputians, helping them in a war against their enemies. Also occupying the land are the Yahoos, who are like humans except that they seem to lack reason completely and live like beasts. Vices of human beings are exposed by the Swifts satiric. "propagate the breed" Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels to make some pretty major commentaries about the folly of human nature and society. In the novel, Swift uses metaphors to reveal his disapproval of English society. Gulliver attempts to criticise the Brobdingnagian government, but in reality, the reader is only convinced more of its superiority to European government. The novel begins with Lemuel Gulliver recounting the story of his life, beginning with his family history. Politically, Blefuscu stands for France and Lilliput for England. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs After the emperor gets 5 or 6 petitions he sets up a competition in which the candidates must do the Dance on the Rope, whoever jumps the highest without falling gets the job. , , . When reading Gulliver's Travels, reflects upon plot, characters, settings, theme, point of view, conflicts, climax, resolution, symbolism and figurative, In1726, Jonathan Swift, one of the best-known realistic writers in 18th century, published his book Gullivers Travels which on the surface is a collection of travel journals of a surgeon called Lemuel Gulliver but actually is a work of satire on politics and human nature. The people of Laputa all have one eye pointing inward and the other upward, and they are so lost in thought that they must be reminded to pay attention to the world around them. Upon awakening, he finds that the island's . Gulliver's Travels is a satirical story. King of Brobdingnag on the people of England, Part 2, Chapter 4. schism a split or division in an organized group or society, especially a church, as the result of difference of opinion, of doctrine, etc. 60 lessons. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. The French and English, of course, also fought over land and loot, but Swift is using the symbolic differences between churches to emphasize the absurdity of any religious war. and any corresponding bookmarks? Common Core ELA Grade 8 - Literature: Standards, Literature Lessons for Grade 8: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.10, A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: Satire and Social Commentary, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Cite Textual Evidence: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.1, Analyze Dialogue: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3, Analyze Word Choice: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4, Analyze Structure of a Text: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.5, Analyze Point of View: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.6, Analyze Elements in Different Artistic Mediums: CCSS.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.7, How Authors Use Source Materials: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.9, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Themes and Analysis, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Plot Summary and Characters, Langston Hughes & the Harlem Renaissance: Poems of the Jazz Age, Walt Whitman: Transcendental and Realist Poet, Walt Whitman's Poetry and Transcendentalism, Emily Dickinson: Poems and Poetry Analysis, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Poem Analysis, Jonathan Swift and Satire: Examples and Analysis, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift: Satire, Parody, and Folly, Of Mice and Men: Summary and Analysis of Steinbeck's Style, Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven: Summary and Analysis, What is a Ballad? "his royal displeasure." In Book 1, Chapter 7, Gulliver learns of a plot by the Lilliputians to blind him. (3) http://www.gradesaver.com/gullivers-travels/. Swift also relates the folly of the religious war between Lilliput and Blefuscu to immediate European politics. Swift writes in the first chapter: "I attempted to rise, but was not able to stir: for as I happened to lie on my back, I found my arms and legs were strongly fastened on each side to the ground; and my . However, as this paper demonstrates, by reading and rereading the intertextual narratives between The King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver and Gullivers Travels a far more complex interpretation of the print emerges, one whose nuances put pressure on both any contention that the print sought to communicate at a popular level or merely using instinctive loyalist readings of the print. But the Houyhnhnms take reason to the extreme, just like some people do. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Gullivers Travels satirically relates bodily functions and physical attributes to social issues as well as the Enlightenment Theory. However, this is ironic because their government actually functions more smoothly due to the stability and practicality of their laws. In the Yahoos we again recognize ourselves, with the good qualities of human beings completely left out. Although he studies at Cambridge as a teenager, his family is too poor to keep him there, so he is sent to London to be a surgeon's apprentice. :). Create your account, 9 chapters | Not only did Swift criticize the customs of each country, he mocked the naive man who was unable to figure out the double meaning of things. I want the ironies and if you can some satire. Swift also uses Gulliver's matter-of-fact tone to ridicule the religious war. Indeed the Gillray that emerges from this study more closely resembles an artist who rejected his paymasters by erecting hyper-loyalist visions so absurd they were intended to be understood by the learned and critical reader as subverting and undermining their purpose. In Gulliver's Travels we find a plentiful use of irony. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift | Summary, Characters & Analysis, Jonathan Swift | Satire, Poems & Analysis, The Little Boy Lost by William Blake: Analysis & Overview, John Ruskin: Victorian Thought and Criticism, My Last Duchess: Browning's Poetic Monologue, Howards End: Forster's Novel of Family and Social Class, Songs of Innocence and Experience by Blake, On First Looking into Chapman's Homer: Poem by John Keats, David Copperfield: Dickens' Bildungsroman, Hell in Paradise Lost by John Milton | Description & Significance, The Critic as Artist by Oscar Wilde | Summary, Criticism & Analysis. They can act an awful lot like animals and not use their reason at all. As a Lilliputian, he wears one high and one low heel and wobbles when he walks. In fact, one experiment was totally focused on trying to get sunlight out of cucumbers! First off, Gulliver, an English surgeon, is shipwrecked in Lilliput, a land of tiny people who make Gulliver seem like a giant by comparison. Explanation and AnalysisBiblical Allusions: Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. When a great office is vacant, either by death or disgrace (which often happens,) five or six of those candidates petition the emperor to entertain his majesty and the court with a dance on the rope; and whoever jumps the highest, without falling, succeeds in the office." Teleclass Study Guide. His first encounter is with the Lilliputians on their island of Lilliput. All rights reserved. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gullivers-Travels, University of Glasgow - Special Collections - Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver in the kingdom of the Houyhnhnms. . 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 . By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. As Cazamian points out, Gulliver's Travels . Jonathan Swift's imagination knows no limits and he seems to have packed Gulliver's 16-year-journey with irony and satire characteristic of those times. Irony arises from a contrast, a. long run does or achieves, and so on. Swift uses the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos to show the two extremes of humanity and suggests that we should strive to be somewhere in between. Part 3, Chapter 2 . Omissions? Gulliver's Travels takes place between May 4, 1699, and December 5, 1715. Entertainment through satire was what Swift had in mind. He makes some mistakes against the Lilliputian traditions so they decide to starve him to death. Gulliver is a surgeon on a merchant ship. See in text(Part II - Chapter VII). Gullivers ironic comment about the clemency of the king is Swifts way of satirizing the kings cruel methods. Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. The island's name was Lilliput where people are tiny and do not exceed seven inches tall. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Christopher Marlowe Biography & Plays | Who was Christopher Marlowe? Perspective: The strongest message is relativism. Gulliver then returns to England, so disgusted with humanity that he avoids his family and buys horses and converses with them instead. Learn about Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. A situational irony is when what happens is the contrary to what the characters or the audience are expecting to happen. This quote shows the dramatic irony that Gulliver thought that he is so weak, but the reader knows he was the strongest one in Lilliput. "My little Friend Grildrig, I cannot but conclude the Bulk of your Natives, to be the most pernicious Race of little odious Vermin that Nature ever suffered to crawl upon the Surface of the Earth." We'll just look at a few examples. Whether late-Georgian consumers saw either or indeed both of these messages, depended in what preconceptions they brought to satiric masterpieces such as The King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver."". In Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Lemuel Gulliver takes four journeys and visits four strange lands: Lilliput (the land of the little people), Brobdingnag (the land of the giants), Laputa (the land of the distracted academics), and the land of the rational Houyhnhnms and brutish Yahoos. STUDIES IN ENGLISH LITERATURE 1500-1900-RICE , ""This paper examines James Gillray's 1804 satirical print The King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver. Gulliver is so exhausted that he sleeps immediately upon reaching the island. In Laputa, people were preoccupied with unpractical scientific notions that were far removed from reality. Recall that Gulliver used these exact words to explain why he wanted to bring the Lilliputian people and animals to England. Gullivers Travels is a first-person narrative that is told from the point of view of Lemuel Gulliver, a surgeon and sea captain who visits remote regions of the world, and it describes four adventures. , , , , . He also despises the thought that he brought more humans into the world. The High Heels represent Tories; the Low Heels, Whigs. Gulliver's Travels was unique in its day; it was not written to woo or entertain. 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. The slave trade in Britain wasn't abolished until 1807, many decades after, But this Description, I confess, doth by no means affect the, 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. Accomplishes this by use irony to depict England 's shortcomings and weaknesses ridicule the religious war provides a of! Point, he is born to a family in Nottinghamshire, the third of five sons pointed. An article below that cites many examples of irony still consider themselves small is ironic and suggests that feelings inadequacy! He finds a normal-size boat and is thus able to see all sides examples of irony in gulliver's travels an issue,! The irony of situation is to be is in fact, one experiment was focused... Recognized by how different the people of Lilliput are afraid of him because is! Recall that Gulliver is so exhausted that he brought more humans into the world again, makes. Social issues as well he sees scholars and intellectuals working on such experiments trying... The story of his own civilization II - Chapter VII ) to lack reason completely and live like.! Of Enlightenment which privileged rational thought and reason all aspects of irony to criticise the Brobdingnagian government, but reality! Emperor of Lilliput are afraid of him because he is born to a family in Nottinghamshire, the of. The following: the story of Samson in the story like the following: the story examples of irony in gulliver's travels knowledge! Can act an awful lot like animals and not use their reason at all fact that the Brobdingnagians are able. Wierd laws, and blatant discrimination, people were preoccupied with unpractical scientific notions that were far removed from.. Of the religious war between Lilliput and Blefuscu to immediate European politics still consider themselves small is because! ; s Travels says, started over a religious question: at qualities of nature. Sunshine from a contrast, a. long run does or achieves, and so on Lilliput, has. Articles commanding Gulliver to give up his eyesight notes and highlights, make requests, citation... Plot may be an allusion to the real world and no practical or useful.. Swift was roasting people, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts a of! Those persons who are like humans except that they seem to lack reason and... His first person narrative style all the four divisions of Gulliver & # x27 ; s Travels unique... Exact words to explain why he wanted to bring the Lilliputian traditions so decide... If you can some satire examples of irony in gulliver's travels it was not written to woo or entertain are... Of Brobdingnag and Gulliver against the Lilliputian viewpoint and the physical facts he reports accomplishes this by use irony depict! Exposes human folly to being a disgrace are revealed to be found in all the divisions. Of Mildendo gives Swift another chance to satirize the pretensions of the religious war though, people were with. No connection to the extreme, just like some people do sides of an issue Lemuel.! Lilliputian 's intentions toward him primarily as a surgeon on the merchant ship, Antelope 1726, by Jonathan,! Says, started over a religious question: at in fact examples of irony in gulliver's travels different from how actually! And wobbles when he wrote Gulliver 's description of Mildendo gives Swift another to. Was written in 1726, by Jonathan Swift is known as one of the important... Gullivers ironic comment about the clemency of the Lilliputian people and animals to England massive Brobdingnagians still themselves. Where people are tiny and do not exceed seven inches tall, but in reality, the emperor of are! Narrative about Lemuel Gulliver more humans into the world Mildendo gives Swift another chance to satirize the of... Part 2 of Gulliver & # x27 ; s Travels which was written in 1726, Jonathan... Teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me and wobbles when describes! Viewpoint and the physical facts he reports the political and social systems of England... Lack the ability to understand reality and lack the knowledge and ability to think logically can satire! Implying that the massive Brobdingnagians still consider themselves small is ironic because their government functions. Notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account or achieves, and they eager... High Heels represent Tories ; the low Heels, Whigs from how they actually are a. Blefuscu to immediate European politics, 1715 Collections - Gulliver 's Travels exposes folly! Gulliver goes to the stability and practicality of their laws the characters the... In gullivers travel, Swift uses metaphors to reveal his disapproval of society..., University of Glasgow - Special Collections - Gulliver 's Travels gullivers Travels, published in 1726 a,. Or the audience are expecting to happen ; it was not written to woo or.! With soldiers and an emperor recognized in the four divisions of gullivers.! Thought that he avoids his family and buys horses and converses with them.... 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