Final answer:
The irony of the Lilliputians' size lies in the contrast between their small stature and their exaggerated behaviors, which mirror human attitudes. Their tiny size juxtaposes with their mighty self-importance, creating a humorous and ironic effect in literature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The irony of the size factor of the Lilliputians lies in the contrast between their physical size and their attitudes or behaviors. In literature, irony often emerges when there's a discrepancy between appearance and reality or between expectation and outcome. The Lilliputians, despite being tiny in stature, exhibit behaviors and tendencies akin to those of full-sized humans, often with exaggerated seriousness and self-importance. This disparity is humorously ironic because readers would expect small creatures to be inconsequential, yet they behave as if they are mighty and powerful. The commentary reflects on a broader scale the idea that size does not dictate significance or ability.
This concept can be linked to the notion that if you witness something from a different perspective, such as height or distance, it can drastically change your perception. As J.B.S. Haldane notes in his essay "On Being the Right Size," the physical laws that govern operation and survival differ remarkably based on size. For example, animals of smaller sizes experience the world in a way that is fundamentally different from larger animals, yet each is appropriately adapted to its scale. Thus, scale and perspective play essential roles in how beings interact with their environment and how power is perceived.