Using Satire in A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift

â€Å"A Modest Proposal† by Jonathan Swift, is an essay that uses satire. Merriam-Webster defines satire as: a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, bad, etc.: humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, society, etc. â€Å"Satire may make the reader laugh at, or feel disgust for, the person or thing satirized. Impishly or sardonically, it criticizes someone or something, using wit and clever wording—and sometimes makes outrageous assertions or claims† (Cummings, 2012). Swift, best know for â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels†, originally wrote this piece as a pamphlet in 1729 under the full title †A Modest Proposal: For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their†¦show more content†¦You are, after all, what you eat. He then goes on to explain the peak season for infant, obviously nine months after Lent. The many ways it can be prepared, â€Å"st ewed, roasted, baked, or boiled† (Swift, 2013), and the useful things that can be done with the leftover skin. Knowing how soft a babies skin is this should make for a fine pare of gloves. Swift does not stop there; he offers up six key areas this will be helpful. First, reducing the number of Catholics, a benefit for sure to any proper Protestant. Second, giving the meager some significance. They are a burden to the whole of Ireland. Third, increasing the nations income, with fewer mouths to feed, and a cash crop so abundantly sourced. Fourth, mothers would no longer have to raise their children beyond one year. (A mothers dream) Fifth, introducing a new dish to the markets for the culinary world to refine and charge as much as they see fit. Finally, it would gain women the same level of respect as the farm animals when they are pregnant. Offering up reasons of objection, Swift suggests that it may impact the population, and then retorts with, that was kind of the idea. Cull the Irish heard and allow the English to continue thriving with little or no effort on their part. He then explains how the infant flesh would not stand up to preservation to allow for the greedSh ow MoreRelatedAnalysis of A Modest Proposal873 Words   |  4 Pages Jonathan Swift, the writer of the satirical essay A Modest Proposal, grew up and lived in Ireland during times of famine and economic struggles (Conditions). Growing up with a single mother and no father, Swift knew what hard times and struggles were like (Jonathan Swift: Biography). His essay proposes an easy solution to the economic problems going on in Ireland for both the wealthy ruling classes and the poorer classes, although his intentions and the meaning behind his words are not what wouldRead MoreA Modest Proposal For Preventing The Children Of Poor People1458 Words   |  6 PagesSatire is a method used by multitudes of authors and other artists for a plethora of different reasons. The ways that this method of literature is used is varied, and it is always interesting and somewhat difficult to find out exactly why these texts are written. A specific author who is known for utilizing satire in his works o f literature is Jonathan Swift, whose hard-hitting essay â€Å"A Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland, from Being a Burden on Their Parents orRead MoreLiterary Analysis : Jonathan Swift1425 Words   |  6 PagesComp. II Oct. 27, 2015 Literary analysis The author I decided to write about is Jonathan Swift for he had a keen sense for effective sarcasm. As Jonathan Swift said â€Å"The proper words in the proper places are the true definition of style.† Though he was known in different ways, he was mostly popularized through his gift in writing, particularly his satire, or his use of humor and irony, essays. Through out swift life, there has been plenty of events where I believe shape the way he was, hence hisRead More Self Representation and the Self-Defeating Speaker in Jonathan Swift1735 Words   |  7 PagesBecause Swift constructs a speaker who is meant to be seen as himself in â€Å"Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, D.S.P.D.†, his approach to the satire changes, taking on a more playful approach. The poem is more personal than political, and is more comedic in the sense that he satirizing himself as well as other people groups. The self-defeating rhetorical approach is embodied in this poem in the way that he pu ts himself down and exposes his own follies throughout the poem. While this is no doubt somewhatRead MoreA Modest Proposal1096 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment 1: Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† Dr. Anthony McCormack Strayer University World Culture II Gladys A. Reyes July 25, 2015 In the satire â€Å"A Modest Proposal’, Jonathan Swift expresses his feelings of frustration with regard to the aggravation and political issues in Ireland. He describes being frustrated with the indifference of Ireland politicians, the wealthy, the English tyranny, and the degradation and poor conditions in which many poor, Irish women and children have been forcedRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s A Modest Proposal And Li Ruzhen s Flowers994 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many uses of satire in Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and in Li Ruzhen’s Flowers in the Mirror. Both of these readings address social issues during the 17th and 18th century and address them with various uses of satire to help emphasize their thoughts of dislike and carry that to their readers. Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal proposes using poor bastard children as food to help the poverty level along with other social issues that come with poor women carrying children and h avingRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift1647 Words   |  7 PagesSatire in â€Å"A Modest Proposal† and Different Articles Jonathan Swift, author of â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† tries to present different ideas in order to change the situation of Ireland. Through his proposal, he is able to get people’s attention, and the way he uses satire throughout the article made his argument more successful. He wrote this essay to show how ignored and bad the state of Ireland and its social classes are. In â€Å"A Modest Proposal†, Swift effectively uses rhetorical exaggeration to expressRead MoreAnalysis Of Swift s The Sun Of The Eighteenth Century 825 Words   |  4 Pagesrestoration work, patterned after early Greek and Roman Cynics, author Jonathan Swift Calls the British Isles to action with an unprecedented solution to the problem of poverty; and exemplifies neoclassical literature in satirical style, sordid subject, and solid structure. Satire is one of the distinguishing marks that makes â€Å"A Modest Proposal† a classic example of Neoclassical Literature. In his use of Satire Jonathan Swift was undoubtedly influenced by Greek and Roman cynics who criticized theRead MoreModest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay1490 Words   |  6 PagesIn one of Jonathan Swift’s most well-known works, A Modest Proposal, he is proposing a change in Ireland. By using symbols and outrageous language, Swift displays what he is trying to get across to people since no one will listen to basic facts about Ireland’s poverty; he throws in the eating of children. The proposal starts off by discussing the extreme poverty that has taken over Ireland and explains that no one will make changes and England is of no help. Swift’s tone could best be describedRead MoreEssay about A Swift Change Is Imminent1714 Words   |  7 PagesAt a first glance, a misogynist’s paradise is apparent when perceiving Jonathan Swift’s The Lady’s Dressing Room and a cannibalistic one in A Modest Proposal. However, Swift’s intricate feelings do not depict Ireland’s crude social convention, but rather for Swift’s revolutionary vitriolic satire, which permeates humanity’s blindness through political stand points. By using grotesque metaphors, to open the figurative eyes of the public, Swift’s poetry forced society to analyze the ways of living

The Wife of Bath from Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales...

The Wife of Bath from Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, a collection of tales is presented during a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. The pilgrims on the journey are from divergent economic and social backgrounds but they have all amalgamated to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas. Chaucer uses each pilgrim to tell a tale which portrays an arduous medieval society. The values, morals and social structures of the society can be examined through the fictitious tales, unravelling a corrupt, unjust and manipulative world, a world that is based around an ecclesiastical society. Society was closely associated with the Church. Chaucer was clearly unhappy with the way members of the Church†¦show more content†¦However, he didn’t give a plucked hen for that text (l. 177 (translated)) and he also went hunting but hunteres been nought holy men (l. 178). The monk is very similar to the Prioress, as he does not want to live the life that he has vowed to live and is better-suited livin g in the higher classes. The Friar and the Summoner also exhibit non-conforming behavior which again highlights the wrong in the Church. The Friar is a member of a religious order that is completely poor and has to beg to survive. The Friar, though, did not like the vow of poverty and is somewhat praised by Chaucer for knowing who to ask for money and where to go; He was the beste beggere in his house (l. 252). The Friar’s dubious manipulations earned him enough money to become a landowner. This did mean though that he is completely dishonest. The Summoner, on the other hand, is blatantly dishonest. He works for the ecclesiastical court, his job is to bring offenders to the court for justice. Chaucer is extremely critical of the Summoner, giving him a fir-reed cherubinnes face (l. 626). Children were even afraid of his visage (l. 630). His gruesome appearance is ironically correspondent with his afflicted soul. The Summoner was really a blackmailer who played on the fears of sinners so if they paid him enough money, he would not pursue them. The Summoner and Friar outline the huge flaws of the Church as does the Pardoner. The Pardoner isShow MoreRelatedGeoffrey Chaucers Use of Characterization Essay1308 Words   |  6 Pagesattain any work fame or shame. Geoffrey Chaucer, a pioneer of English Literature’s works carried mass appeal. His best known works appealed to those of all walks of life. Chaucer’s work resulted in mass appeal because it used many forms of characterization to present the characters to the reader. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses thoughts and actions, his word, and satire to characterize The Squire and The Wife of Bath. Geoffrey Chaucer is well known for his useRead MoreThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pages The Canterbury Tales is a set of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth century. The stories were told by a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral, in hopes to see a shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. To make time go by the host recommended each pilgrim tell a tale. The tale that each character gives, reveals that person’s background and life. Some pilgrims matched their stereotype of that time but most do not. The Prioress, Madame Eglentyne, and Wife of Bath, Allison, areRead MoreChaucers The Canterbury Tales1381 Words   |  6 PagesThe Canterbury Tales serves as a moral manual in the Middle Ages. In the tales, Geoffrey Chaucer portrays the problems of the society. For instance, Chaucer uses the monk and the friar in comparison to the parson to show what the ecclesiastical class are doing versus what they are supposed to be doi ng. In other words, it is to make people be aware of these problems. It can be inferred that the author’s main goal is for this literary work to serve as a message to the people along with changing theRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer s Impact On Literature1231 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s Impact on Literature: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is acclaimed to be one of the best and most influential poets in history. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote several famous literary works in what is called middle English. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. Over the course of Chaucer’s life, he entered and exited several different social classes. He began to write his most known pieces when he became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357. He diedRead MoreThe Worldview Of Society In Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales793 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Time and tide wait for no man† (Chaucer). Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) was a man of creativity, a mind for artful thinking, and a soul full of poetic writing. Chaucer attended St. Paul’s Cathedral School where poets such as Virgil and Ovid strongly influenced Chaucers’ writings (Britannica). Chaucer in his book The Canterbury Tales depicts society as being corrupted and morally declined. Chaucers l ife of events such as his time as a prisoner of war (Biography.com) had impacted his outlook on theRead MoreThe Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer1582 Words   |  7 Pages Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury tales a collection of short tales in the 14th century. The compilation of stories are told by different characters within the narrative as part of a game proposed by the host. Each individual must tell two stories on their journey and two stories on their way back. Each story tells some aspects of English life during the time and often added satire like qualities to the English life. In particular Chaucer often tells stories with elements of the relationshipRead More Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales1623 Words   |  7 Pages Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucers greatest and most memorable work. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses a fictitious pilgrimage [to Canterbury] as a framing device for a number of stories (Norton 79). In The General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer describes in detail the pilgrims he meets in the inn on their way to Canterbury. Chaucer is the author, but also a character and the narrator, and acts likeRead More Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay - The Powerful Wife of Bath1099 Words   |  5 PagesThe Powerful Wife of Bath   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Geoffrey Chacers The Canterbury Tales we are introduced to 29 people who are going on a pilgrimage to St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. Each person is represented to fit a unique type of behavior as shown by people during the medieval ages.   My attention was drawn to the Wife of Bath through which Chaucer notes the gender inequalities.   Predominantly, women could either choose to marry and become a childbearing wife or go intoRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucers Experiences In the Canterbury Tales Essay1130 Words   |  5 PagesIn the Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer describes the journeys and life lessons of thirty fictitious pilgrims. Scholars explain that only one of the thirty pilgrims was indeed Chaucer, but other characters in the Canterbury Tales represent the struggles of Chaucer as well. Although the pilgrims’ tales were pretend, they were based on actual events that Chaucer experienced throughout his lifetime. He represents his own insecurities and flaws throughout the array of the characters’ tales. SituationRead MoreWomen And Male Authority Figures1507 Words   |  7 Pages In the fourteenth century, women were merely seen as subject to male authority figures. A wife was not seen as a competent adult because they were seen as so dependent on their husband (Bennett 104-105). After a marriage anything she owned became possessed by her husband (Bennett 104-105). Women who manipulated their husband and gained control of his assets defied the norm of women’s position in the fourteenth century. The church was a major part of Medieval England and controlled many peoples lives

Assignment Petition Letter Free Essays

March 15th, 2013 Dr. the Honourable Peter Phillips Minister of Finance and Planning The Ministry of Finance and Planning 30 National Heroes Circle Kingston 4 Jamaica Re: Appeal letter for intervention in the financial regulations Dear Sir: This is with reference to the new regulatory regime for financial institutions. The Laguna Group is a small collection of financial establishments that are not regulated by the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) and have been self-regulated for the past sixty years. We will write a custom essay sample on Assignment: Petition Letter or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, with the implementation of the new financial regulations, it is of strong belief that this will greatly impair the operations of the group. It is with this effect that we are calling upon your high esteem to intervene in this urgent matter. The Laguna Group has been vigorous investors in the country’s financial sector and the collective strength of the industry. As a result, the group currently controls fifteen (15%) and eighteen (18%) percent of the country’s total deposits and personal loans respectively. The unwillingness of the BOJ to enter into negotiations threatens the stability of the funds controlled by Laguna. Minister, this is of grave urgency, the members of the group are willing to meet with you and BOJ to arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement to best serve the group’s existing one million working class clientele. The Laguna Group will seek to strengthen relationships with the government and the central bank; as such your collaboration would be vital in creating specific regulations that would serve the best interest of the group, the central bank, the government and the people of Jamaica. Again, with regards to the aforementioned, we are strongly beseeching your immediate intervention in the course of these regulations. The matter has already been discussed and deliberated among the group’s members; however it is your diplomacy that will yield absolution from this regime. We eagerly await your response. Thank you. Respectfully, Frances Hibbert Frances Hibbert Group Corporate Executive Officer Laguna Group of Financial Institutions How to cite Assignment: Petition Letter, Essay examples

Sense of Self free essay sample

Society has placed various stereotypes on genders, ethnicities, and so on. There is yet another standard for women and men. John Gray’s assertion, â€Å"A man’s sense of self is defined through his ability to achieve results†¦ A woman’s sense of self is defined through her feelings and the quality of her relationships† is partially incorrect. Through sources the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy, and Professions for Women by Virginia Woolf, it will be shown that women are defined by their achievements just as much as men are, and men are defined by their relationships just as much as women are. In the novel, the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, one of the main characters, Amir, proves Gray’s assertion that men do define themselves through their ability to achieve results to be true. In desperation to finally achieve his father’s attention and approval, Amir devotedly states, â€Å"I was going to win, and I was going to run the last kite. Then I’d bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all that his son was worthy† (Hosseini, 56). In the end, Amir triumphed in the tournament as he had hoped. Even later on in the novel, Amir is proud of himself as he became a writer even though Baba didn’t consider writing as manly profession. In contrast, Hassan, the second main character, proves that Gray’s assertion about women also applies to men. Hassan demonstrates his complete and pure loyalty to Amir throughout the novel. Hassan built his sense of self not through his athleticism but through his friendship with Amir. Hassan continuously demonstrated his devotion to Amir, trying to get his approval even when Amir didn’t deserve Hassan’s friendship. In the beginning of the novel, Hassan states, â€Å"Would I ever lie to you Amir Agha? † Amir answered, â€Å"I don’t know, would you? † â€Å"I’d sooner eat dirt† (Hosseini, 54). He had also sacrificed himself when he didn’t give the blue kite to the malevolent Asef. Later on in the novel, Hassan saves Amir once again when Amir had falsely accused him of theft, â€Å"Then I understood: this was Hassan’s final sacrifice for me. If he’d said no, Baba would have believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied. † (Hosseini, 105) Hassan had constantly put Amir first; even when Amir was rude and selfish, Hassan never fought back. In Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, Frank also proves that Gray’s claim of women applies to men as well. Frank defines himself through his relationship with April. He concerns himself more with how April feels towards him or if she loves him at all than other things such as business. When April shows signs or actions of dislike toward Frank, he becomes extremely angry. â€Å"So now I’m crazy because I don’t love you, right? † April said. Frank responds, â€Å"No! Wrong! You’re not crazy and you do love me. That’s the point April. † â€Å"But I don’t. I hate you. † â€Å"F*** you, April! F*** you and all your hateful, goddamn—[He breaks a chair against a wall]† (Yates) It’s obvious that Frank can’t handle the thought that April doesn’t want to be with him. However, April is the opposite. She concerns herself through achievements rather than her feelings toward Frank. She wants to act, travel, and a whole bunch of other things but she didn’t do it. Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy is a perfect example that shows that women define themselves through feelings and quality of relationships. â€Å"Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up† (Piercy). Even though Piercy wrote this metaphorically, it exemplifies the harsh reality that women try to change themselves in order to gain the relationships and feelings they wish to have. The girl could have let it go but instead she went ahead and changed herself. In the second stanza, the girl is described as healthy, intelligent, and strong yet the girl was still insecure. She couldn’t accept the way she is because her physical appearance wasn’t the same as everyone. The desire to be accepted is powerful and overcomes people. Gray may believe that men are defined through his ability to achieve results, but Virginia Woolf believes that women are not only defined by relationships, but are also defined by their success. In Professions for Women, Woolf talks about the many struggles that women face through her own story and experiences. Woolf represents the image of a â€Å"perfect† Victorian woman as Angel in the House. She discusses how Angel in the House constantly tormented and bothered her. Yet, in the end, Woolf triumphantly states, â€Å"Though I flatter myself that I killed her in the end, the struggle was severe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  demonstrating her achievement. Because it wasn’t easy, Woolf’s major achievement of getting past and not letting stereotypes stop her from writing, defines who she is. Stereotypes are going to be everywhere. Gray’s assertion that â€Å"A man’s sense of self is defined through his ability to achieve results†¦ A woman’s sense of self is defined through her feelings and the quality of her relationships† is partially incorrect. Virginia Woolf and April Wheeler have proven that women could also be defined through achievements, not just men and Hassan and Frank Wheeler proved that men could be defined through relationships like women. Amir and Marge Piercy demonstrated that Gray’s assertion is true as well. Stereotypes are inevitable but the most one can do is prove them wrong.