Jonathan Swift A Modest Proposal Jonathan Swift Greatest

Jonathan Swift A Modest Proposal

Jonathan Swift �Greatest wit of the 18 th century �Wanted to cure society’s ills with humor �Born 1667 in Ireland to English parents, died 1745 in Ireland �Spent most of his life in Ireland, devoted to Irish affairs, but always considered himself English and a Tory

Life Introduction � Jonathan Swift, a posthumous child, was born in Dublin, Ireland, of an English family, which had important connections but little wealth. � Through the generosity of an uncle, he was educated at Kilkenny Grammar School and then Trinity College in Dublin. � Between 1689 and 1699 he worked as a private secretary to a distant kinship Sir William Temple, a retired diplomat. � And there he also received a first-rate education in politics through contact with Temple and many other well-known politicians, learning much about the vice, hypocrisy, intrigues, deception and corruption in the

Swift’s Literary Position and Works Literary Position � Swift is one of the greatest masters of English prose. � Swift is a master satirist. Even today, he is still regarded as a national hero in Ireland. Works: � The Tale of Tub (1704) � Battle of the Books (written in 1679, published in 1704) � Gulliver’s Travels (1726), his greatest satiric work

Swift’s Concerns in his Works • Moral attributes � Swift was a man of great moral integrity and social charm. He had a deep hatred for all the rich oppressors and a deep sympathy for all the poor and oppressed. • Human nature � His understanding of human nature is profound. In his opinion, human nature is seriously and permanently flawed. To better human life, enlightenment is needed, but to redress it is very hard. He intends not to condemn, but to reform and improve man’ nature and human institutions, there is

Swift’s Artistic Features • Satire � His satire is usually masked by an outward gravity and an apparent earnestness which renders his satire all the more powerful. • Simplicity and Directness � Swift is always most unsurpassed in the writing style of simple, direct, precise prose. He defined a good style as “proper words in proper places. ” Clear, simple, concrete diction, uncomplicated sentence structure, economic and conciseness of language mark all his writings—essays, poems and novels.

Satire � Satire, as it's traditionally understood, is a literary composition of ridicule of some vice or imperfection — an attack on someone or something by making it look ridiculous or worthy of scorn. Although satire is usually funny, it differs from comedy in at least one important way: whereas comic laughter needn't be directed at any particular target, satire is always contemptuous. Satire, most of the accounts say, began as simple attack. Satire is not the same thing as parody, although satire can use parody as a technique.

Parody � Parody — not to be confused with satire — is the imitation of either formal or thematic elements of one work in another for humorous purposes. The most high-profile parodist in modern America is Weird Al Yankovic, who takes others' songs and rewrites the words. Many parodies follow their originals closely. Not all parody needs to be bitter; some parodies are merely gentle and even affectionate ribbing.

Sarcasm �A cutting, remark intended to wound. It is a form of wit that is marked by the use of sarcastic language and is intended to make its victim the butt of contempt or ridicule. Sarcasm can be rude and insulting without being clever, humorous and timely all at once, which is what wit is all about. "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit" is a well known saying e. g. 'We're so grateful to you for arriving only 20 minutes late!'

Hyperbole �Hyperbole is a figure of speech which is an exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. Persons often use expressions such as "I nearly died laughing, " "I was hopping mad, " and "I tried a thousand times. " Such statements are not literally true, but people make them to sound impressive or to emphasize something, such as a feeling, effort, or reaction.

Irony is the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; a statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea. � Three kinds of irony are commonly recognized: • Verbal irony is a literary device in which the intended meaning of a statement differs from the meaning that the words appear to express. • Situational irony involves a clash between what is expected or intended and what actually occurs. • Dramatic irony is an effect produced by a narrative in which the audience knows more about present or future circumstances than a character in the story. �

Diction �Diction is selection and use of words to convey meaning; quality, style, and sound of an individual’s speech relative to prevailing standards.

The Three Appeals of Argument � The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade your audience that your ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else's. The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided the means of persuasion, appeals, into three categories– logical (logos), emotional (pathos), and ethical (ethos). Strong arguments have a balance of all of three, though logical is essential for a strong, valid argument. Appeals, however, can also be misused, creating fallacies, or arguments, that are not credible.

Logical Appeal (logos) � � � Logical appeal is the strategic use of logic, claims, and evidence to convince an audience of a certain point through reasoning. This is the most important technique; giving reasons is the heart of argumentation When used correctly, logical appeal contains the following elements. . . • Strong, clear claims • Reasonable qualifiers for claims • Warrants that are valid • Clear reasons for claims • Strong evidence (facts, statistics, personal experience, expert authority, interviews, observations, anecdotes) • Acknowledgement of the opposition When used poorly, logical appeals may include. . . • Over-generalized claims • Reasons that are not fully explained or supported • Logical fallacies • Evidence misused or ignored • No recognition of opposing views

Emotional Appeal (pathos) � � Not surprisingly, emotional appeals target the emotions of the reader to create some kind of connection with the writer. Since humans are in many ways emotional creatures, pathos can be a very powerful strategy in argument. For this same reason, however, emotional appeal is often misused. . . sometimes to intentionally mislead readers or to hide an argument that is weak in logical appeal. A lot of visual appeal is emotional in nature (think of advertisements, with their powerful imagery, colors, fonts, and symbols). When done well, emotional appeals. . . • Reinforce logical arguments • Use diction and imagery to create a bond with the reader in a human way • Appeal to idealism, beauty, humor, nostalgia, pity (or other emotions) in a balanced way • Are presented in a fair manner � When used improperly, emotional appeals. . . • Become a substitute for logic and reason (TV and magazine advertising often relies heavily on emotional rather than logical appeal) • Uses stereotypes to pit one group of people against another (propaganda and some political advertising does this) • Offers a simple, unthinking reaction to a complex problem

Ethical Appeal (ethos) � Ethical appeal is used to establish the writer as fair, open-minded, honest, and knowledgeable about the subject matter. The writer creates a sense of him or herself as trustworthy and credible. We tend to believe people whom we respect. � When used correctly, the writer is seen as. . . • Well-informed about the topic • Confident in his or her position • Sincere and honest • Understanding of the reader's concerns and possible objections • Humane and considerate � When used incorrectly, the writer can be viewed as. . . • Unfair or dishonest • Distorting or misrepresenting information (biased) • Insulting or dismissive of other viewpoints • Advocating intolerant ideas

“A Modest Proposal” �Protested English economic & political domination of Ireland �Whigs imposed harsh conditions to support the few English Protestants who lived in Ireland �Catholics could not buy land �English Parliament claimed right to legislate for Ireland

“A Modest Proposal” �English absentee landlords spent their money in England; therefore, no skilled Irish could rise above peasantry �Satiric attempt to unite landowners and workers for the good of the country as a whole (both rich English and poor Irish) �Attacks Parliament, absentee landlords, and the treatment of the Irish people

“A Modest Proposal” �Swift's motives for writing "A Modest Proposal, " which appeared in 1729, were complex. He felt, for his own part, that he had been exiled to Ireland when he would have much preferred to have been in England, and his personal sense of the wrongs he had received at the hands of the English only intensified the anger he felt at the way England mistreated Ireland.

Assignment � Find 2 examples each of: • Verbal irony • Sarcasm • Hyperbole • Diction � Find 2 examples each of the appeals: • Emotional • Logical • Ethical � As you read “A Modest Proposal, ” answer the following questions.

Previewing Work for A Modest Proposal Qs: �What is the narrator’s proposal? Do you think that it is modest? �How do you understand the subtitle? �What tone is used here? Illustrate your points with some examples from the text.

Analysis of A Modest Proposal Outline (4 parts) Part 1: Para 1 -7 (the present situation in Ireland expect his proposal to solve the problem) � Part 2: Para 8 -19 (detailing his proposal) � Part 3: Para 20 -28 (illustrating the advantages of his proposal) � Part 4: Para 29 -33 (supposing an objection to his proposal ) �

Part 1 � At what point in the text did it be come apparent to you that this was a satirical piece? Explain. � What are the present situations in Ireland? � What is Swift's attitude toward the beggars he describes in the opening paragraph? � Notice the narrator’s defense for his own proposal, and the statistical data.

Part 2 � What is his proposal?

Part 3 � What are the advantages of the proposal? (min. 3)

Part 4 � How does he anticipate the objection of the proposal? � In Paragraph 33, what is the narrator’s attitude in saying that “I have no children by which I can propose to get a single penny, the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past childbearing? ” � With what social groups does he identify himself?

Summary � With bitter irony, that the poverty of the Irish people should be relieved by the sale of their children, “at a year old”, as food for the rich, the narrator put forward his so-called perfect proposal. � With the utmost gravity, he set out statistics to show the revenue that would come if this idea were adopted. � The remedy, Swift took care to point out, was only for the kingdom of Ireland, not for the whole England. � The last proposal is a most heartbreaking piece of sarcasm that fiery indignation has given birth to and a most powerful blow at the English government’s policy of exploitation and oppression in Ireland.