Jonathan Swift's Use of Satire

Paper Summary:

This essay explores Jonathan Swift's use of satire as exemplified in several of his works. The author proposes that Swift used satire in order to criticize the aristocrats and governments prevalent within early 18th century England and Ireland. Also considered are Swift's personal background, his emotional state and the historical context in which he lived and their contribution to his sardonic style.

From the Paper:

"By definition, satire; as it pertains to literature, is a work in which wickedness, vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit (American Heritage Dictionary). However, after reading the quote I have provided on the title page, you can see that Swift's view of satire embodies a complexity that our modern day dictionaries simply cannot encapsulate. Swift's famous quote on satire challenges people to think of the ways in which we conceive our identities; usually by making comparisons and contrasts with others. Yet, in our most deeply buried layers of character, there are visions of the "other" by which we anchor our separateness; our notion of discrete identity. It is within Swift's infamous text; A Modest Proposal, that we see his complex views of satire utilized in creating an essay that ambiguously criticized the aristocrats, and governments prevalent within early 18th century England and Ireland."

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