18Th Century Satire A Modest Proposal Essay - 1397 Words

During the 18th century and the Restoration, a new form of literature became very popular, satire. Satire, according to www.dictionary.com, is the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice or folly. Commonly, satire is used to give one’s opinions or commentary about public issues. As a writer it is important to be well educated on current events, politics and the interests of the general public. Writers, such a Jonathan Swift, have commonly used satire to discuss important issues about the follies of governments, persons and social issues. It has been said that â€Å"although it (satire) is usually subtle in nature, it is used to bring light to contemporary societal problems and provoke change†¦show more content†¦By using satire, writers are also able to appeal to a particular readership or viewership. Those who are educated enough to understand what is trying to be said, hopefully, have enough of a role in society to sp read the knowledge. John Dryden says it best, â€Å"a witty man is tickled while he is hurt in this manner, and a fool feels it not† (2131). In A Modest Proposal Swift exposes numerous public authorities for their failure to help the poor people of Ireland. He suggests that the use of the children will turn and benefit the country as a response to their greed: â€Å"instead of being a charge upon their parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall on the contrary contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many thousands† (2463). A child is the responsibility of the parent; it is the parent that conceives a child. In addressing this issue, he also hopes this it will end voluntary abortions and the murdering of bastard children. In most society’s, including our own, these are very touchy issues that evoke strong opinions and emotions. For a person to publicly announce that such actions are wrong could surely end a career, potentially a life in exile. Through satire, such issues can be discreetly spoken upon. Swift’s subtle insinuation of the fault of the wealthy Irish landlords financially crippling families could not be bluntly stated. Swift himself was an Irishman. HeShow MoreRelatedShocking the Sensibilities in A Modest Proposal771 Words   |  4 Pagesnbsp; Shocking the Sensibilities in A Modest Proposalnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; Two Works Citednbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Three years after Gullivers Travels was published, Jonathannbsp; Swift wrote A Modest Proposal, a work grounded in thoughtful satire. Swift describes the destitution that characterized the life of Irelands poor in the 18th century then renders a brazenly inhumane solution to their problems. He shocks the sensibilities of the readers then leadsRead MoreJonathan Swifts A Modest Proposal949 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"A Modest Proposal† by Jonathan Swift takes place in Dublin Ireland in the 18th century. The narrator is a very ironic character. His â€Å"modest† proposal is anything but modest. This short story takes place during a famine. Since there was a famine, Swift proposes the idea that people sell their one year old children to the rich so they would not be a burden to their family. One important way in which the author engages the audience’s attention and tries to help his readers see deeper politicalRead MoreSatire : A Modest Proposal And The Rape Of The Lock905 Words   |  4 Pagesthis paper, satire in A Modest Proposal and The Rape of the Lock will be discussed. The satire within these two texts will be linked by showing how each writer attacked the accepted way of life or common belief in order to present their own opinion on the matter. What makes these two writings a good comparison is that although one is in essay form and the other in poetic form, they are both from the same time period; they were written 17 years apart in the beginning of the 18th century. This is advantageousRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s A Modest Proposal And Li Ruzhen s Flowers994 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many uses of satire in Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and in Li Ruzhen’s Flowers in the Mirror. Both of these readings address social iss ues during the 17th and 18th century and address them with various uses of satire to help emphasize their thoughts of dislike and carry that to their readers. Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal proposes using poor bastard children as food to help the poverty level along with other social issues that come with poor women carrying children and havingRead More 18th Century Literature Essay648 Words   |  3 Pages 18th Century Literature nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The 18th century is a period of great literary works. The styles are different throughout the period, but the unity of the work is still present. Much of this period focused on public and general themes, until the Pre- Romantic era when literary works began to focus upon personal expression. 18th century literature can be broken down into three main parts: the Restoration, the Age of Pope, and Pre-Romantics. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;TheRead MoreJonathan Swift1088 Words   |  5 Pagesin the English language His Writing The Battle of Books (1704) A Tale of Tub (1704) the Drapier’s Letters (1724) Gulliver’s Travels (1726) A Modest Proposal (1729) Gulliver’s Travels a collection of tales tied together by Gulliver a novel a satire a travel book a children book an allegory Satire A common form of the 18th Century, basically the ridiculing of any objects through laughter which will soften the blow The Structure of Gulliver’s Travels Book I about LiliputiansRead MoreJonathan Swift s A Modest Proposal996 Words   |  4 PagesJonathan Swift, 18th century writer and political activist, published â€Å"A Modest Proposal† in 1729 in the midst of turmoil in his home country of Ireland. Under British rule Irish citizens were left destitute and neglected, giving Swift the inspiration for â€Å"A Modest Proposal†. Jonathan Swift’s use of Aristotle s modes of persuasion and straight-faced satire broke Ireland s silence, calling out affluent members of British society and religious hierarchy alike, creating one of the most influentialRead MoreSummary Of Gullivers Travels And A Modest Proposal1450 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Gullivers Travels and A Modest Proposal: Satire Authors often use satire to ridicule peoples behaviors or societys institutions, with hopes of bringing social change. One of the most influential satirical authors of all time is Jonathan Swift, who uses these techniques so effectively, that he has been called â€Å"the greatest satirist in the English Language† (Holt 620). Swift’s use of satire to address controversial concerns is one of the reasons this story is still relevant and analyzedRead MoreSatire of a Modest Proposal Essay1331 Words   |  6 Pageshis pamphlet â€Å"A Modest Proposal.† The main argument for this mordantly ironic essay is to capture the attention of a disconnected and indifferent audience. Swift makes his point by stringing together a dreadfully twisted set of morally untenable positions in order to cast blame and aspersions on his intended audience. Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† employs despicably vivid satire to call for change in a world of abuse and misf ortune. The entire proposal stands as a satire in itself; an analogyRead MoreA Modest Proposal Summary1153 Words   |  5 Pages1. The implied thesis of Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal is that 18th century Ireland would be in a better situation if the Irish society and monarchy actually treated problems such as overpopulation and poverty, While the overt thesis is that Irish people should consider eating their children and selling them to rich Englishmen to solve the issue of poverty and overpopulation in the country. They differ form one another as one focuses on eating children, while the other focuses on giving commentary