Swift- Gulliver/Modest Proposal

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An Analysis of Jonathan Swift 's A Modest Proposal

Satire as a form of discursive practice may be properly understood if it is contextualized within a particular culture , institution , attitude or belief . It is only by placing the satire within a particular setting [as presented by the elements mentioned above] that a satire will garner the non-linguistic components covering the preparatory preconditions necessary

for the construction of satirical discourse (Simpson 70 . An example of the satire as a form of discursive practice is evident , for example , in Jonathan Swift 's A Modest Proposal

In the aforementioned work , Swift presents a situation wherein the persona of his text urges the population on acts of cannibalism in to lessen the problems caused by Irish overpopulation . The persona starts his proposal with an initial of his surroundings . He notes , It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town .when they see the streets .crowded with beggers of the female sex , followed by three , four , or six children , all in rags , and importuning every passenger for alms (Swift 52 . It is important to note that such a is characterized by the persona 's detachment towards his surroundings . Note for example , the manner in which a two senses of the concept `object ' is used . The aforementioned passage thereby portrays not only the persona 's `objective ' appraisal of his surroundings but also the persona 's `objectification ' of the individuals encompassed within that area . Such an objectification is further evident in the following passage

Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about the vast number of poor people , who are aged , diseased , or maimed .But I am not in the least pained about that matter , because it is very well known that they are everyday dying , rotting , by cold , and famine , and filth and vermin , as fast as can be reasonably expected (Swift 56

The persona 's use of the two senses of object , in this sense , may be understood as a manner in which Swift portrays the irony evident in the context of the text . The irony is evident if one conceives of A Modest Proposal ' as a text which presents a delimited view of the world

As opposed to a satire 's ironic presentation of a particular situation [in fact an ironic portrayal of a particular mindset] , humor , on the other hand , portrays the manner in which worldly interests are given more credence as opposed to lofty ideals . An example of this is evident in Samuel Beckett 's writings wherein Beckett focuses the text to the importance of existence [as well as the importance of the meaning of existence] in relation to the ordinary objects . As opposed to a satire which might present a bland ethnocentric perspective regarding racial discrimination , the emphasis on modern humor would be on...