Jonathan Swift`s `A Modest Propsal`

Jonathan Swift 's `A Modest Proposal`

Abstract

Jonathan Swift , one of the most outstanding adepts and apologists of political , social and scientific Enlightenment and the author of a variety of satirical essays , created his tract entitled `A Modest Proposal ' in response to the incongruence between the degree of adoption of humanist values in England and the inhumane social policies in Ireland , which were inhibiting national dignity of Irish people and abuse the true understanding of humanity . The is designed to explain and discuss the context of Swift 's satirical pamphlet p

The essay briefly notes the social and political settings , which appeared a stimulus for the creation of the pamphlet . Furthermore , it discusses the aspects of contemporary policy , the author seeks to criticize

The first aspect is governmentally enabled poverty and crimes , which were gradually turning Irish people into real barbarians

Secondly , the author censures dehumanization of the Irish and the perception of this nation as English commodity or resource to be used in most optimal way

Thirdly , the tract implies that Irish Catholics themselves lack self-respect and national dignity and ignore vital family values further failing to unite and resist jointly

Finally , `A Modest Proposal ' provides a pessimistic prognosis for the society , sinking in self-consumption and self-destruction , - and Swift 's `anti-utopia ' clearly suggests that such `organism ' will decline as a result

Thesis statement

Using his sharp and to great extent aggressive sarcasm , the author describes a regressing society , in which the poorest are encouraged to sell their children as food , and indicates that the transformation of Ireland into a huge farm is likely to bring really destructive consequences

Outline

Introduction : a brief overview

A first glance at the society , where poverty and crime are cultivated

The culmination of mercantilism or the proposal to sell infants as food .The decline of Irish national dignity as one of the major causes of the inhibiting policies

Conclusion

References

Downie , J . Jonathan Swift , political Writer . London and Boston Routledge and Kegan Paul , 1984

Ferguson , O . Jonathan Swift and Ireland . Urbana : University of Illinois Press , 1962

Nokes , D . Jonathan Swift , A Hypocrite Reversed . Oxford : Oxford University Press , 1985

Quintana , R . Swift : An Introduction . London : Oxford University Press 1955

Swift , J . A Modest Proposal . Available online at : HYPERLINK "http /art-bin .com /art /omodest .html http /art-bin .com /art /omodest .html , 2003

In the 1720s , Jonathan Swift was involved into Irish politics and soon got concerned about the conditions in which Irish people lived at that time (Downie , 1984 Ferguson , 1962 . Aggressive policies , run by English government , stimulated him to create a number of satirical poems pamphlets and essays `A Modest Proposal ' is probably the most scornful and cruel pamphlets , as it was written in response to the substantial deterioration of quality of life in Ireland as well as to the inertness and passiveness , demonstrated by local population (Ferguson , 1962 . `A Modest Proposal ' was perceived as a `bad joke ' or `movetone ' by Swift 's contemporaries , so that it caused no outrage or shock (Downie , 1984...