Jonathan Swift & A Modest Proposal Gerron Jordan Vanessa Hamilton

Irish History Irish Catholics had endured generations of subjugation by the British Irish peasant farmers were largely at the mercy of absentee British landlords whose financial demands made their basic survival difficult Irish peasants were also the victims of racist discrimination

Irish History Cont… Were considered by many in England to be brutish, apelike, crude, and superstitious. Irish peasants were treated like African Americans in the United States in the 19th century.

Alexander Pope Good friends with Swift Also a satirical writer, and had the same ideas about Irish politics as swift Works we’re considered “mental furniture of the well-educated person” One edition of the Oxford dictionary contains more than 212 of his quotes.

Jonathan Swift Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland on November 30, 1667 In 1688 (Anti-Catholic Revolution), Swift moved to England and became a servant in the household of Sir William Temple While there, Swift became the tutor of young Ester Johnson, he called her Stella In 1696, Swift moved back to Ireland and was ordained in the Church of England.

Jonathan Swift Cont… Swift moved back to London in 1707 to serve as emissary for the Irish clergy Swift was a major political figure in London, however, still protected Ireland Swift made his final move back to Ireland in 1710 Swift died on October 19 1745

Swift’s Women We Mean Inspiration… Swift’s student, Ester Johnson, became his lover and inspiration She followed him to Ireland in 1696 In 1717, there were rumors that the two were married. Stella died in 1728, shortly afterwards, Swift wrote Stella’s Journal, and Modest Proposal While serving as emissary in London, Swift had an affair with his student at the time, Hester Vanhomrigh He called her Vanessa, and when he ended the relationship with her, he wrote Cadenus and Vanessa

A Modest Proposal Can definitely be seen as a satire. Swift states a problem within the Country Irish poverty He then offers a solution, although very absurd Cannibalism

Bibliography Ross, David. Ireland: History of a Nation. New Lanark, Scotland. Geddes & Grosset: 2002. Foster, Roy. The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland. Oxford. Oxford University Press: 1989. Wikipedia. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope] 11 Feb 07.