Jonathan Swift Research Paper
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If you were given a chance to live in England or Ireland in the seventeenth century, would you take it? Chances are you would either be one the fortunate ones and be very rich, with profligacy and luxuries that you can indulge in, or you would be very poor, spending your day begging people for money or food, so you could somehow survive for another day, never knowing if the next day you will be lucky because everyday people of your social rank die of starvation and disease. One would think that this is not fair, but in the seventeenth century a voice was needed to raise support to help solve this serious social and political problem.
Jonathan Swift was born into a poor family on November 30, 1667. He attended Trinity College to get …show more content…
his bachelor's degree. Swift His first job was being a statement's assistant to Sir William Temple which is where he began his writing career.[footnoteRef:0]He then received his Masters Arts degree and graduated from Trinity College in 1686.[footnoteRef:1] Later in his life he became the dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin[footnoteRef:2], then a parish priest in an Anglican Church called the Church of Ireland. He was then stationed in a poor town of Kilroot as the prebendary which he "disliked the experience" of and returned to Moor Park two years later and stayed until Sir William Temple died in 1699.[footnoteRef:3] He then became the Chaplain to Lord Berkley. His religious career continued when he became the Vicar of Laracor in 1700 in Ireland. He was appointed as emissary to the Church of Ireland and as Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in 1713.[footnoteRef:4] [0: ?Jonathan Swift Biography,? Cliffsnotes, Web. 30 January 2016] [1: ?Modest Proposal Critical Essays? enotes, Web.1 February 2016] [2: Cliffsnotes] [3: enotes] [4: enotes]
Ireland in Swift's time was one that has been controlled by England for nearly 500 years.[footnoteRef:5]During William III as ruler there began a "transformation of the state (as well as society itself)."[footnoteRef:6]England's policies led to economic problems in Ireland such as crop failures in the 1720's which resulted in the crisis in which [5: ?Sparknotes: A Modest Proposal: Context,? Sparknotes, Web. 1 February 2016] [6: Warren Montag, The Unthinkable Swift (London: Verso, 1994)]
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"farmers found it impossible to pay rent to their English landlords and the streets teemed with beggars."[footnoteRef:7] As Swift was growing up during the time of the seventeenth century politics and aesthetics were intertwined together.
Jonathan thought of himself as not an extremist in being in favor of any political party. He seemed to have a lot of anger toward where he saw human oppression, injustice, intolerance or violence. Some of the social problems at the time included fierce religious antagonisms, severe poverty for those who tried to find a way to exist and survive at the "lowest level of the social scale," and "profligacy and extravagance" among those who were rich and "on top."[footnoteRef:8] Other problems included alcoholism, gambling, and violence" which were the foundations of corruption happening in society. "Political pamphleteering was a fashionable pastime in Swift's day, which saw vast numbers of tracts and essays advancing political opinions and proposing remedies for Ireland's economic and social ills."[footnoteRef:9]"A Modest Proposal" was published in 1729. [footnoteRef:10] [7: Prentice Hall Literature (New York: Penguin, 2005) 618] [8: George Levine, A Modest Proposal and Other Satires (New York: Prometheus, 1995) 9] [9: Sparknotes] [10: Ernest Turson, Swift(New Jersey: Prentice Hall) …show more content…
170]
Swift was originally of the Whig party and used his developed writing skills to contribute his own support to the society and economy that was desperately in need of his help and support at the time
Swift wanted to use his writing skills to persuade politicians and make the situation better.
He writes about that this proposal will solve all the problems in the society and economy and will improve recipes in good eating.
Swift sounds cold and harsh when writing about the economic and social benefits that can result from killing and eating children. He seems to be focused a lot on the benefits of this without taking into consideration the moral issue behind such actions. In this work of writing irony is used a lot because Swift does not seem to
Kurc 3 care about the moral problems behind the ideas that he is proposing, and letting his focus of his short essay be of the possible ways the economy and society could benefit from this proposal. [footnoteRef:11] [11: ?Irony and Social Critique in ?A Modest Proposal,?Article Myriad, Web.25 January 2016]
In the beginning of this work of writing he describes some of the problems that one could see if they were in seventeenth century England or Ireland, in an area filled with poverty.
It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.
Swift writes about the advantages that his proposal could serve for the country's economy and society. The first advantage is that it would ". . . greatly lessen the number of Papists. . . ." as well as ". . . our most dangerous enemies, and who stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good Protestants, who have chosen rather to leave their country, than stay at home and pay tithes against their conscience to an episcopal curate." Swift's second advantage is that the ". . . poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own" and will "help to pay their landlord's rent. . . ." [footnoteRef:12]
[12: Prentice Hall Literature, 619]
The third advantage is that: . . . the nation's stock will be thereby increased fifty thousand pounds per annum, besides the profit of a new dish, introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom, who have any refinement in
Kurc 4 taste. And the money will circulate among ourselves, the goods being entirely of our own growth and manufacture. [footnoteRef:13] [13: Prentice Hall Literature, 619]
This third advantage is especially one that would stand out to one and one that is surprising to read because one would think that the "nation's stock" would not come before in importance the fact that children are being killed and eaten for this benefit to England and Ireland to occur. Here Swift is using irony, being aware that this sounds inhumane but one would believe that he doing this for a purpose, to raise awareness of how immoral the situation in with the economy was at the time and how horrible it would have been if those children would have been killed and eaten, and forcing the readers to, even if they are to do it without noticing that they are doing it, comparing that situation that he proposed to the facts that children were actually dying and poverty was killing them because they did not have food or proper care needed for their survival.
The fourth advantage mentioned by Swift is ". . . The constant breeders, besides the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year."[footnoteRef:14] One would think that the mothers or breeders would do anything in their power to keep their children, or if they are unable to, do anything in their power to ensure a better life for their children, However the way that Jonathan Swift described how the mothers take care of their children is that as soon as they can (after a year) they can "rid of the charge of maintaining" them. One would think that this is making the readers think about how awful these mothers must be for wanting to get "rid of maintaining" their children, but at the same time making them realize that even if they wanted to keep maintaining their children, that sometimes (and due to the desperate and horrible economic situation at the time this was written, most times) mothers in poverty could not keep maintaining their children because it was impossible, because in reality both the mother and children were starving no matter how much the mother tried to maintain a living for her children. [14: Prentice Hall Literature, 619]
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The fifth advantage is:
This food would likewise bring great custom to taverns, where the vintners will certainly be so prudent as to procure the best receipts for dressing it to perfection; and consequently have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who justly value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating; and a skilful cook, who understands how to oblige his guests, will contrive to make it as expensive as they please. [footnoteRef:15] [15: Prentice Hall Literature, 619]
One can argue that this is too far and almost to the point of being too disgusting for Swift to write, but Swift is talking about how the cooked children would bring good recipes and customs to taverns, and that this would be considered "good eating." No one is sure why Swift wrote about this because of the inhumane nature of this "advantage" to his proposal. One could argue that he did it to show people that although this vision seems inhumane and twisted, it is not that different from reality and from the social problems that were really happening at the time. This vision shows how the children were dying so the rich people can eat well. That is exactly what was happening socially, politically, and economically at the time in Ireland and England. There were rich people who were indulging in their luxuries, eating and dining excessively, while children were dying. One could argue that Swift did this to make people realize how what was happening in reality was not that different from his inhumane vision, so the people could realize how bad the social and economic problems really were. Swift used exaggeration to show the "indifference" between the visions and to "see the concrete." [footnoteRef:16] [16: Martin Price, Swift?s Rhetorical Art (New York:Yale University Press, 1953)73]
The sixth advantage is:
This would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards, or enforced by laws and penalties. It would encrease the care and tenderness of mothers towards their children, when they were sure of a settlement for life to the poor babes, provided in some sort by the
Kurc 6 publick, to their annual profit instead of expence. We should soon see an honest emulation among the married women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the market. Men would become as fond of their wives, during the time of their pregnancy, as they are now of their mares in foal, their the parents in calf, or sow when they are ready to farrow; nor offer to beat or kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage.
This advantage explains how Swift predicts that a benefit that his proposal would bring is happier marriages. This is because would not be concerned about the welfare of the child, but more concerned about their own needs. The mothers would care for their children because it would benefit them when they brought their child to the market. The women would find pleasure and excitement in bringing their child to the market because they would be in a competition for fun with the other women about who would bring the fattest child to the market. One could argue that although it is inhumane for the mothers in this vision to be treating their children as an object, in reality the poor children are being treated as an object because they are dying the rich do not feel a need to do something to make changes to help the poor children.
Many would agree that this is an unorthodox way of putting your political views out to the public, especially with the disturbing visions, but his works are ". . . like the man, bright and clever; strong, sometimes very wise, and usually very disturbing." [footnoteRef:17]Although his ways of addressing the social, economic and and political issues were unorthodox, it definitely got the attention of readers during his time, and continued grasping the attention of readers to these issues years later. [17: Robert Hunting, Jonathan Swift(New York, 1962) 79]
Kurc
Outline
Swift?s Biography
Introduction to Social/Political problems in England Ireland
Swift?s use of writing and irony to influence politics
Examples of Irony and what he really meant
Swift?s unique style of getting his ?point? across
Notes
Works Cited
Works Cited
Prentice Hall Literature. New York: Prentice Hall 2005
?Modest Proposal Critical Essays? enotes Web.1 February 2016
?Irony and Social Critique in ?A Modest Proposal.? Article Myriad Web.25 January 2016
?Sparknotes: A Modest Proposal: Context? Sparknotes Web.1 February 2016
?Jonathan Swift Biography ?Cliffsnotes? Web. 30 January 2016
Montag, Warren. The Unthinkable Swift. London: Verso, 1994.
Levine, George. A Modest Proposal and Other Satires. New York: Prometheus, 1995.
Price, Martin. Swift?s Rhetorical Art. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1953.
Tuveson, Ernest. Swift. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1964.
Hunting, Robert. Jonathan Swift. New York: Twayne, 1967.
Unorthodox Politics: Jonathan Swift
Aleksandra Kurc
Sr. Marlene Mucha
British Lit
Feb 10, 2016
If you were given a chance to live in England or Ireland in the seventeenth century, would you take it? Chances are you would either be one the fortunate ones and be very rich, with profligacy and luxuries that you can indulge in, or you would be very poor, spending your day begging people for money or food, so you could somehow survive for another day, never knowing if the next day you will be lucky because everyday people of your social rank die of starvation and disease. One would think that this is not fair, but in the seventeenth century a voice was needed to raise support to help solve this serious social and political problem.
Jonathan Swift was born into a poor family on November 30, 1667. He attended Trinity College to get …show more content…
his bachelor's degree. Swift His first job was being a statement's assistant to Sir William Temple which is where he began his writing career.[footnoteRef:0]He then received his Masters Arts degree and graduated from Trinity College in 1686.[footnoteRef:1] Later in his life he became the dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin[footnoteRef:2], then a parish priest in an Anglican Church called the Church of Ireland. He was then stationed in a poor town of Kilroot as the prebendary which he "disliked the experience" of and returned to Moor Park two years later and stayed until Sir William Temple died in 1699.[footnoteRef:3] He then became the Chaplain to Lord Berkley. His religious career continued when he became the Vicar of Laracor in 1700 in Ireland. He was appointed as emissary to the Church of Ireland and as Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in 1713.[footnoteRef:4] [0: ?Jonathan Swift Biography,? Cliffsnotes, Web. 30 January 2016] [1: ?Modest Proposal Critical Essays? enotes, Web.1 February 2016] [2: Cliffsnotes] [3: enotes] [4: enotes]
Ireland in Swift's time was one that has been controlled by England for nearly 500 years.[footnoteRef:5]During William III as ruler there began a "transformation of the state (as well as society itself)."[footnoteRef:6]England's policies led to economic problems in Ireland such as crop failures in the 1720's which resulted in the crisis in which [5: ?Sparknotes: A Modest Proposal: Context,? Sparknotes, Web. 1 February 2016] [6: Warren Montag, The Unthinkable Swift (London: Verso, 1994)]
Kurc 2
"farmers found it impossible to pay rent to their English landlords and the streets teemed with beggars."[footnoteRef:7] As Swift was growing up during the time of the seventeenth century politics and aesthetics were intertwined together.
Jonathan thought of himself as not an extremist in being in favor of any political party. He seemed to have a lot of anger toward where he saw human oppression, injustice, intolerance or violence. Some of the social problems at the time included fierce religious antagonisms, severe poverty for those who tried to find a way to exist and survive at the "lowest level of the social scale," and "profligacy and extravagance" among those who were rich and "on top."[footnoteRef:8] Other problems included alcoholism, gambling, and violence" which were the foundations of corruption happening in society. "Political pamphleteering was a fashionable pastime in Swift's day, which saw vast numbers of tracts and essays advancing political opinions and proposing remedies for Ireland's economic and social ills."[footnoteRef:9]"A Modest Proposal" was published in 1729. [footnoteRef:10] [7: Prentice Hall Literature (New York: Penguin, 2005) 618] [8: George Levine, A Modest Proposal and Other Satires (New York: Prometheus, 1995) 9] [9: Sparknotes] [10: Ernest Turson, Swift(New Jersey: Prentice Hall) …show more content…
170]
Swift was originally of the Whig party and used his developed writing skills to contribute his own support to the society and economy that was desperately in need of his help and support at the time
Swift wanted to use his writing skills to persuade politicians and make the situation better.
He writes about that this proposal will solve all the problems in the society and economy and will improve recipes in good eating.
Swift sounds cold and harsh when writing about the economic and social benefits that can result from killing and eating children. He seems to be focused a lot on the benefits of this without taking into consideration the moral issue behind such actions. In this work of writing irony is used a lot because Swift does not seem to
Kurc 3 care about the moral problems behind the ideas that he is proposing, and letting his focus of his short essay be of the possible ways the economy and society could benefit from this proposal. [footnoteRef:11] [11: ?Irony and Social Critique in ?A Modest Proposal,?Article Myriad, Web.25 January 2016]
In the beginning of this work of writing he describes some of the problems that one could see if they were in seventeenth century England or Ireland, in an area filled with poverty.
It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.
Swift writes about the advantages that his proposal could serve for the country's economy and society. The first advantage is that it would ". . . greatly lessen the number of Papists. . . ." as well as ". . . our most dangerous enemies, and who stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good Protestants, who have chosen rather to leave their country, than stay at home and pay tithes against their conscience to an episcopal curate." Swift's second advantage is that the ". . . poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own" and will "help to pay their landlord's rent. . . ." [footnoteRef:12]
[12: Prentice Hall Literature, 619]
The third advantage is that: . . . the nation's stock will be thereby increased fifty thousand pounds per annum, besides the profit of a new dish, introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom, who have any refinement in
Kurc 4 taste. And the money will circulate among ourselves, the goods being entirely of our own growth and manufacture. [footnoteRef:13] [13: Prentice Hall Literature, 619]
This third advantage is especially one that would stand out to one and one that is surprising to read because one would think that the "nation's stock" would not come before in importance the fact that children are being killed and eaten for this benefit to England and Ireland to occur. Here Swift is using irony, being aware that this sounds inhumane but one would believe that he doing this for a purpose, to raise awareness of how immoral the situation in with the economy was at the time and how horrible it would have been if those children would have been killed and eaten, and forcing the readers to, even if they are to do it without noticing that they are doing it, comparing that situation that he proposed to the facts that children were actually dying and poverty was killing them because they did not have food or proper care needed for their survival.
The fourth advantage mentioned by Swift is ". . . The constant breeders, besides the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year."[footnoteRef:14] One would think that the mothers or breeders would do anything in their power to keep their children, or if they are unable to, do anything in their power to ensure a better life for their children, However the way that Jonathan Swift described how the mothers take care of their children is that as soon as they can (after a year) they can "rid of the charge of maintaining" them. One would think that this is making the readers think about how awful these mothers must be for wanting to get "rid of maintaining" their children, but at the same time making them realize that even if they wanted to keep maintaining their children, that sometimes (and due to the desperate and horrible economic situation at the time this was written, most times) mothers in poverty could not keep maintaining their children because it was impossible, because in reality both the mother and children were starving no matter how much the mother tried to maintain a living for her children. [14: Prentice Hall Literature, 619]
Kurc 5
The fifth advantage is:
This food would likewise bring great custom to taverns, where the vintners will certainly be so prudent as to procure the best receipts for dressing it to perfection; and consequently have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who justly value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating; and a skilful cook, who understands how to oblige his guests, will contrive to make it as expensive as they please. [footnoteRef:15] [15: Prentice Hall Literature, 619]
One can argue that this is too far and almost to the point of being too disgusting for Swift to write, but Swift is talking about how the cooked children would bring good recipes and customs to taverns, and that this would be considered "good eating." No one is sure why Swift wrote about this because of the inhumane nature of this "advantage" to his proposal. One could argue that he did it to show people that although this vision seems inhumane and twisted, it is not that different from reality and from the social problems that were really happening at the time. This vision shows how the children were dying so the rich people can eat well. That is exactly what was happening socially, politically, and economically at the time in Ireland and England. There were rich people who were indulging in their luxuries, eating and dining excessively, while children were dying. One could argue that Swift did this to make people realize how what was happening in reality was not that different from his inhumane vision, so the people could realize how bad the social and economic problems really were. Swift used exaggeration to show the "indifference" between the visions and to "see the concrete." [footnoteRef:16] [16: Martin Price, Swift?s Rhetorical Art (New York:Yale University Press, 1953)73]
The sixth advantage is:
This would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards, or enforced by laws and penalties. It would encrease the care and tenderness of mothers towards their children, when they were sure of a settlement for life to the poor babes, provided in some sort by the
Kurc 6 publick, to their annual profit instead of expence. We should soon see an honest emulation among the married women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the market. Men would become as fond of their wives, during the time of their pregnancy, as they are now of their mares in foal, their the parents in calf, or sow when they are ready to farrow; nor offer to beat or kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage.
This advantage explains how Swift predicts that a benefit that his proposal would bring is happier marriages. This is because would not be concerned about the welfare of the child, but more concerned about their own needs. The mothers would care for their children because it would benefit them when they brought their child to the market. The women would find pleasure and excitement in bringing their child to the market because they would be in a competition for fun with the other women about who would bring the fattest child to the market. One could argue that although it is inhumane for the mothers in this vision to be treating their children as an object, in reality the poor children are being treated as an object because they are dying the rich do not feel a need to do something to make changes to help the poor children.
Many would agree that this is an unorthodox way of putting your political views out to the public, especially with the disturbing visions, but his works are ". . . like the man, bright and clever; strong, sometimes very wise, and usually very disturbing." [footnoteRef:17]Although his ways of addressing the social, economic and and political issues were unorthodox, it definitely got the attention of readers during his time, and continued grasping the attention of readers to these issues years later. [17: Robert Hunting, Jonathan Swift(New York, 1962) 79]
Kurc
Outline
Swift?s Biography
Introduction to Social/Political problems in England Ireland
Swift?s use of writing and irony to influence politics
Examples of Irony and what he really meant
Swift?s unique style of getting his ?point? across
Notes
Works Cited
Works Cited
Prentice Hall Literature. New York: Prentice Hall 2005
?Modest Proposal Critical Essays? enotes Web.1 February 2016
?Irony and Social Critique in ?A Modest Proposal.? Article Myriad Web.25 January 2016
?Sparknotes: A Modest Proposal: Context? Sparknotes Web.1 February 2016
?Jonathan Swift Biography ?Cliffsnotes? Web. 30 January 2016
Montag, Warren. The Unthinkable Swift. London: Verso, 1994.
Levine, George. A Modest Proposal and Other Satires. New York: Prometheus, 1995.
Price, Martin. Swift?s Rhetorical Art. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1953.
Tuveson, Ernest. Swift. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1964.
Hunting, Robert. Jonathan Swift. New York: Twayne, 1967.
Unorthodox Politics: Jonathan Swift
Aleksandra Kurc
Sr. Marlene Mucha
British Lit
Feb 10, 2016