Jonathan Swift
Biography: Jonothan Swift was born on November 30th 1667. He is an Irish author, clegyman and satirist, he also grew up fatherless. His father, an attorney, also named Jonathan Swift, died just two months before he arrived. Without steady income, his mother's struggled to provide for her newborn. Moreover, Swift was a sickly child. he had a disease called Meniere's Disease, a condition of the inner ear and leaves a hard of hearing problem, Swift's mother found it hard to bring him up the best he could. Godwin Swift enrolled his nephew in the Kilkenny Grammar School (1674–1682), which was perhaps the best school in Ireland at the time.Therefore, his uncle took care of him and recieved a bachelor's degree from Trinity College. working as a stateman's assistant he became dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. Most of his writing was published under psudonyms and is best remembered for his book Gulliver's Travels.
His writings: During his decade of work for Temple, Swift returned to Ireland twice. On a trip in 1695, he took all necessary requirements to become an ordained priest in the Anglican tradition. Under Temple's influence, he also began to write, first short essays and then a manuscript for a later book. In 1699, Temple died. Swift completed the task of editing and publishing his memoirs—not without disputes by several of Temple's family members—and then, grudgingly, accepted a less prominent post as secretary and champlain to the Earl of Berkeley. After making the long journey to the Earl's estate, Swift was informed the position
Ireland in the 1700's had been filled. Discouraged but resourceful, he leaned on his priestly qualifications and found work ministering to a pea-sized congregation just 20 miles outside of Dublin. For the next 10 years, he gardened, preached and worked on the house provided to him by the church. He also returned writing. His first political pamphlet was titled A Discourse on the Contests and Dissentions in Athens and Rome.
Later on: Not long after the celebration of this work, Swift's longtime love, Esther Johnson, fell ill. She died in January 1728. Her life's end moved Swift to write The Death of Mrs. Johnson. Shortly after her death, a stream of Swift's other friends also died, including John Gay and John Arbuthnot. Swift, always bolstered by the people around him, was now quite troubled.In 1742, Swift suffered from a stroke and lost the ability to speak. On October 19, 1745, Jonathan Swift died. He was laid to rest next to Esther Johnson inside of Dublin's St. Patrick's Cathedral.
His writings: During his decade of work for Temple, Swift returned to Ireland twice. On a trip in 1695, he took all necessary requirements to become an ordained priest in the Anglican tradition. Under Temple's influence, he also began to write, first short essays and then a manuscript for a later book. In 1699, Temple died. Swift completed the task of editing and publishing his memoirs—not without disputes by several of Temple's family members—and then, grudgingly, accepted a less prominent post as secretary and champlain to the Earl of Berkeley. After making the long journey to the Earl's estate, Swift was informed the position
Ireland in the 1700's had been filled. Discouraged but resourceful, he leaned on his priestly qualifications and found work ministering to a pea-sized congregation just 20 miles outside of Dublin. For the next 10 years, he gardened, preached and worked on the house provided to him by the church. He also returned writing. His first political pamphlet was titled A Discourse on the Contests and Dissentions in Athens and Rome.
Later on: Not long after the celebration of this work, Swift's longtime love, Esther Johnson, fell ill. She died in January 1728. Her life's end moved Swift to write The Death of Mrs. Johnson. Shortly after her death, a stream of Swift's other friends also died, including John Gay and John Arbuthnot. Swift, always bolstered by the people around him, was now quite troubled.In 1742, Swift suffered from a stroke and lost the ability to speak. On October 19, 1745, Jonathan Swift died. He was laid to rest next to Esther Johnson inside of Dublin's St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Ireland in the 1700s
In the 1700s, Great Britain was under control of Ireland and imposed restrictions on the rights of the native Catholic Irish. Catholics, which made uo 70% of the populaiton could not:
Famine was experienced severly in the 1700s. 400,000 people died because of the faimne, many starved, also due to the unequal distribution of land. Irish farmers worked small plots, that could not support large populations, while the english landowers owned large exspansive plots and either kept the food for themselves, or exported it.
- Vote
- Marry a protestant
- Bare arms
- Be educated
Famine was experienced severly in the 1700s. 400,000 people died because of the faimne, many starved, also due to the unequal distribution of land. Irish farmers worked small plots, that could not support large populations, while the english landowers owned large exspansive plots and either kept the food for themselves, or exported it.
Extracts
- 'i grant this food will be somewhat dear' - Swift describes the meat from the children will be expensive, suitable for upper class people such as, landlords.
- 'it is true, a child just dropped from its dam may be supported by her milk for a solar year, with little other nourishment; at most not above the value of 2s' - this extracts describes the procedure after birth and how the baby will be for the first year receiving mother's milk and other nourishment to ensure the baby is healthy and fattened up to be able to be butchered. Swift adds a value of 2 shillings worth of nourishment and not anymore for the baby to receive.
- '...these children are seldom fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by out savages, therefore one male will be sufficient to serve four females' - this states that the Irish people are 'savages' and therefore are not aware of safety measures of pro-creation. Swift does not hate the children, he has nothing against them. he describes them as 'fruits of marriage', which the Irish do not understand and are blind to the famine. Throwing out a proposal like this one which has exaggerated the dilemma would create awareness and hopefully something done about the famine.