18th-Century Satire
“How easie it is to call Rogue and Villain, and that wittily? But how hard to make a Man appear a Fool, a Blockhead, or a Knave, without using any of those opprobrious terms?”
Thus begins “The Art of Satire” by John Dryden. This one paragraph would go on to inspire writers such as Jonathan Swift and set a precedent for the art of Satire, that most wonderful humor. Why is it exactly easy to call a rogue a villain but hard to make a man a fool without saying so? Dryden thus explains in this exert that Satire is all about “the shock factor” and those that see the humor in it will be “tickl'd while he is hurt in this manner and a Fool feels it not”. Those who get this dry British sarcasm will laugh all the while being offended because Satire is somewhat offensive, while the person who doesn’t understand sarcasm will feel nothing. Satire is a fine line because while it “pokes fun” at certain ideas, concepts, accepted norms; it also brings attention to very serious issues but in such a way you cannot help but laugh. It’s a very kind gentle way of telling people that if we don’t start helping the starving people of Ireland our only option might be to eat them.
This brings us to a “Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift and while it is a modest proposal it’s a rather horrifying one. Swift begins his proposal very methodical and well researched. He lays out the problem as it is and gives a solution that is not what one is probably expecting. Instead of helping the poor children of Ireland he suggests we eat them. Instantly we can recognize this is satire because who eats children but to some who don’t understand Swift’s sarcasm this “modest” proposal is anything but modest! While the proposal itself starts out quite serious hints of sarcasm can be seen throughout but they begin to start in earnest in the sixth paragraph when Swift calls women breeders. The farther Swift goes into his essay the more we see the sarcasm such as in this delightful paragraph:
“I grant this food will be somewhat dear,
and therefore very proper for landlords,
who, as they have already devoured
most of the parents, seem to have
the best title to the children.”
Swift is speaking of the treatment of the tenants at the hands of their lords, who already having “eaten” or consumed the lives of the parents certainly deserve to consume the children as well. Swift innocently drops comments such as “Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require)” to poke fun at the fact that everyone is starving and nobody has money to be thrifty with. Not only did this proposal outrage those who didn’t see the humor in it, it brought attention to starving people of Ireland and their deplorable conditions. Swift was also making a jab at the ruling lords and the exploitation of the people of Ireland.
“And besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice, (although indeed very unjustly) as a little
bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, how well soever intended.”
Swift didn’t stop writing after “A Modest Proposal” and wrote an entire book called “Gulliver’s Travels”. Contrary to popular belief Gulliver went on several more adventures then just Lilliput and the Little Endians and the Big Endians. Swift wrote several satirical style stories on science, otherness, and size. Lilliput is one of Gulliver’s more popular travels simply because of it’s overall theme-the current government was awful and the fight between the Catholics and Protestants was ridiculous.
In fact the book itself starts out with two letters, between the author and editor, which in the end completely discredit the entire book, which strengthens it’s sarcastic nature. If nothing can be believed in Gulliver’s travels then it is a terrible travel narrative, which means it is also poking fun at travel narratives.
Gulliver is a man who was born to sail and unfortunately upon his first adventure finds himself ship wrecked among tiny people. Gulliver’s size leads to questions of excess and offer a critique upon the excess of the wealthy people of England.
It’s interesting and funny to note the bodily humor, such as when Gulliver has to relieve himself “the offensive matter should be carried off in wheel-barrows, by two servants appointed for that purpose” or when the Lilliputian army marched underneath him and his “breeches were at that time in so ill a condition, that they afforded some opportunities for laughter and admiration”. The real critique of this story is the fight between the Catholics and the Protestants, which Swift calls the fight between the little Endians and the Big Endians over which end of the egg to break. In fact “the words are these: ‘that all true believers break their eggs at the convenient end”. Swift is making fun of the war between the two faiths because does it really matter what end you break the egg on when the text evens says it doesn’t matter. Despite the dryness of “Gulliver’s Travels” it’s a very well written piece of Satire that if you get it you will find the humor and if you don’t get the humor, you are none the worse off.
This brings us to a “Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift and while it is a modest proposal it’s a rather horrifying one. Swift begins his proposal very methodical and well researched. He lays out the problem as it is and gives a solution that is not what one is probably expecting. Instead of helping the poor children of Ireland he suggests we eat them. Instantly we can recognize this is satire because who eats children but to some who don’t understand Swift’s sarcasm this “modest” proposal is anything but modest! While the proposal itself starts out quite serious hints of sarcasm can be seen throughout but they begin to start in earnest in the sixth paragraph when Swift calls women breeders. The farther Swift goes into his essay the more we see the sarcasm such as in this delightful paragraph:
“I grant this food will be somewhat dear,
and therefore very proper for landlords,
who, as they have already devoured
most of the parents, seem to have
the best title to the children.”
Swift is speaking of the treatment of the tenants at the hands of their lords, who already having “eaten” or consumed the lives of the parents certainly deserve to consume the children as well. Swift innocently drops comments such as “Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require)” to poke fun at the fact that everyone is starving and nobody has money to be thrifty with. Not only did this proposal outrage those who didn’t see the humor in it, it brought attention to starving people of Ireland and their deplorable conditions. Swift was also making a jab at the ruling lords and the exploitation of the people of Ireland.
“And besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice, (although indeed very unjustly) as a little
bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, how well soever intended.”
Swift didn’t stop writing after “A Modest Proposal” and wrote an entire book called “Gulliver’s Travels”. Contrary to popular belief Gulliver went on several more adventures then just Lilliput and the Little Endians and the Big Endians. Swift wrote several satirical style stories on science, otherness, and size. Lilliput is one of Gulliver’s more popular travels simply because of it’s overall theme-the current government was awful and the fight between the Catholics and Protestants was ridiculous.
In fact the book itself starts out with two letters, between the author and editor, which in the end completely discredit the entire book, which strengthens it’s sarcastic nature. If nothing can be believed in Gulliver’s travels then it is a terrible travel narrative, which means it is also poking fun at travel narratives.
Gulliver is a man who was born to sail and unfortunately upon his first adventure finds himself ship wrecked among tiny people. Gulliver’s size leads to questions of excess and offer a critique upon the excess of the wealthy people of England.
It’s interesting and funny to note the bodily humor, such as when Gulliver has to relieve himself “the offensive matter should be carried off in wheel-barrows, by two servants appointed for that purpose” or when the Lilliputian army marched underneath him and his “breeches were at that time in so ill a condition, that they afforded some opportunities for laughter and admiration”. The real critique of this story is the fight between the Catholics and the Protestants, which Swift calls the fight between the little Endians and the Big Endians over which end of the egg to break. In fact “the words are these: ‘that all true believers break their eggs at the convenient end”. Swift is making fun of the war between the two faiths because does it really matter what end you break the egg on when the text evens says it doesn’t matter. Despite the dryness of “Gulliver’s Travels” it’s a very well written piece of Satire that if you get it you will find the humor and if you don’t get the humor, you are none the worse off.
Study Guide
There's a study guide for 18th-Century Satire due. See CSC Online to access it.
What We're Reading
The Art of SatireThis selection is extracted from John Dryden's much longer prose work A Discourse Concerning the Original and Progress of Satire , which was written in epistolary form to the "Right Honorable Charles" (aka. the King). The selection gets at the heart of satire; it defines it according to Dryden. You will notice that the work of both Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope prove exemplars of his vision. Pay close attention to what he's saying, and don't assume that because it's nonfiction, he's not employing satire.
A Modest ProposalThis short essay was written by Jonathan Swift in 1729 and published anonymously to quite an uproar. Note that it's satirical, but it's constructed in such a way to garner a response from readers. Its apathy is meant to enrage. This essay was written in response to widespread problems in Ireland, focused largely on the apathy and passivity of upper-class Anglo-Irish who continued to allow themselves to be exploited by the English. This essay has come to represent the plight of the people generally as literary scholars talk about it, but it was directed at those people with power to act. If the problem of exploitation has gotten this bad, then perhaps we should stop passively allowing ourselves to be exploited.
|
Gulliver's Travels, Part 1Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels were written after "A Modest Proposal," but it's similarly satirical. Book 1, which you will be reading, satirizes governmental policy and monarchical rule through the figures of Gulliver and the Lilliputians. Pay attention to body size and how that influences feelings and morality; also, consider the major debates of the time (e.g., religious turmoil) and how that's portrayed in the text. I have posted the first chapter from Books 2, 3, and 4 if you are interested, but we will discuss these more specifically in class. Each satirizes politics and culture.
|