JONATHAN SWIFT The greatest satirist in the English language Appeals to children and adults Born in Dublin, Ireland—1667 Ordained as Anglican priest Early works lampooned John Locke and Isaac Newton

JONATHAN SWIFT Lampoon—Harsh satire usually directed against an individual Many of Swift’s articles were written “anonymously” although his style was recognized

JONATHAN SWIFT Pseudonym—a fictitious alternative to a person’s name (alias) Nom de plume (pen name)—Mark Twain, Richard Bachman… Swift wrote as Richard Sympson— Gulliver’s cousin and manager

JONATHAN SWIFT A Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public (pg 611) Written in the persona of an economist Ireland was oppressed by England Overpopulated and starving

JONATHAN SWIFT Solution: State-sponsored cannibalism Breeding farms and recipes Reductio ad absurdum (latin-reduction to the absurd)—a logical argument with an absurd conclusion At an early age Swift showed signs of mental illness, he eventually went mad