At the beginning of the seventeenth century, northern Ireland experienced conflict between native Irishmen and British administrators. A group of English adventurers had ambitions to revive dormant titles to land because their ancestors had previously occupied it during the time of the Norman conquest. The conflict was temporarily resolved by British administrators who defeated the rebellions of native chieftains, however the natives, who were predominately Irish Catholic, still posed as a threat to English rule. This conflict continued for years, thereafter, eventually causing rift among the Irish people. The native Irish, who were mostly Catholic, opposed the rule of the Anglo-Irish, who were mostly Protestant and influenced by British rule. Swift was born into the Anglo-Irish community, however he championed the rights of the native Irish Catholics.I like the way the author of the essay breaks the body up into the different roles that Swift played such as: patriot, clergymen, and satirist. It makes it easier for the viewer to find what he or she is looking for. The writer does give a brief history of the conflicts between the Protestants and Catholics, in Ireland. However, the person gives this explanation in the middle of the paper, when it should definitely start the paper off. Also, the explanation is rather brief, as I have stated before. People who read this essay, should leave with a good understanding of the problems that Ireland faces.
I also feel that the writer could have concentrated more on how his life in the clergy affected his work and made him such an excellent satirist. For example, he mentioned A Modest Proposal, earlier in his essay. He could have talked about how this piece gives us a clear example of Swifts successful use of satire in his work. For example, he could tell us why Swift is so successful with satire:
Swift's attempt as satire is successful because he compares the actual characteristics of men to an ideal set of characteristics. By comparing an ideal to a norm, Swift masters the art of satire. He portrays himself as a staunch moralist because his writing advises --in a creative manner--. The other reason that Swift proves to be a good satirist and poet is due to his use of words as weapons rather than symbols. He uses these weapons as tools to inspire people to live morally.For example, in Modest Proposal, Swift talks about the appalling economic conditions of the peasantry in Ireland and how British aristocracy, of the early eighteenth century, regarded it as a nuisance. The lack of conviction of the English court to address the problem, prompted Swift to write a satire that is subtle in its approach to attack the ruling class. His writing speaks sarcastically, but with a refined voice which creates an element of surprise for the reader. Swift states, "A young healthy Child well Nursed at a year Old is a most delicious nourishing and wholesome Food. . . .I grant that this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children."(Swift, lines 9 and 12).
Again, the student had certain constraints that prevented him from including all of this. Yet, I feel that an explanation of why Swift is successful is important in knowing the history of Jonathan Swift.