This text will concern itself with the use of satire in Voltaire’s ‘Candide’ and Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal.’ Writers have in the past employed satire in an attempt to not only criticize, but also expose the wrongs in society. In essence, the utilization of satire has been mostly with reference to the political class in an attempt to criticize the political leadership’s follies. In this endeavor, writers routinely make use of ridicule, exaggeration, irony, as well as humor.
Voltaire makes significant use of satire in ‘Candide.’ Essentially, the satirical novel follows a young man by the name Candide as he explores the world gaining a great deal of knowledge about the various hardships and suffering people go through (Cronk, 2009). It is important to note that in addition to sarcasm, Voltaire has also extensively used other literary devices in the satirical novel. Some of the subjects Voltaire has variously satirized include the human nature and formal social systems. For instance, with regard to formal social systems, Candide satirizes class hierarchies by way of, amongst other things, mocking aristocracy with references to physical descriptions as well as titles. For example, in reference to the Baron of Westphalia, there is clear understatement in the following sentence: “the Baron was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his castle had not only a gate, but windows” (Voltaire, 2017, p. 117). The fact that windows, in addition to a gate, can qualify an individual to be very “powerful” amongst peers is clearly satirical.
It is also important to note that ruler ineptitude and hypocrisy, as well as political hypocrisy is well satirized in the satirical novel. For instance, in seeking to refer to the pride and...
References
Cronk, N. (Ed.). (2009). The Cambridge Companion to Voltaire. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Rosner, L. & Theibault, J. (2015). A Short History of Europe, 1600-1815: Search for a Reasonable World. New York, NY: Routledge.
Swift, J. (2012). A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works. New York, NY: Dover Publications.
Voltaire (2017). VOLTAIRE: 60+ Works in One Volume. Mason, OH: Musaicum Books.
Just as in Swift, we find in Cervantes social criticism, irony and sarcasm as well as the satirical method and exaggeration and allusion as methods. Humor was also used centuries earlier in Don Quixote as well. Cervantes is as gifted and accomplished of a satirist as Swift. For instance, Cervantes humorously has Don Quixote jousting windmills who are giants that he is preparing to deprive of life. This is an
Modest Proposal When did the surprise ending become clear in Swift's short story "A Modest Proposal"? And how successful was Swift in convincing a reader of the validity of the surprise ending? These points will be covered and critiqued in this paper. At what point in the story did it become clear Swift would have a different ending? When did it become clear that Swift couldn't possibly go any further in his
By focusing on elements such as how the babies should be fattened up, served, and prepared Swift actually minimizes the horror of his proposal. In addition, by mentioning the fact that some of his "breeders" already seek to terminate their children, whether through abortion or by killing newborns, Swift continues to minimize the horror of his proposal. After all, the thought of ripping a year-old babe from the arms
But I say, then get another job and leave your occupation to a hardier soul who is willing to run farther! If it's short enough for you to pump carbon monoxide into the air, it's short enough for you to run the distance! For the handicapped -- let them use racing wheelchairs! Tone up those arms! If people have to run to work and walk to the supermarket, they will
It stands as proof of the fact that people are more powerful than nature when it comes to the confrontation between the two. People have to abandon all prejudices when coming across the concept of global warming and start thinking about methods of profiting from the overall state of affairs. This process is actually preventing numerous individuals from focusing on one of the most important matters in the contemporary society-money.
Jonathan Swift wrote “A Modest Proposal” in 1729 as piece of political satire, or as Cody (2000) puts it, a “disgusted parody” and a “savage indictment,” (p. 1). As it falls within the genre of satire, there is a healthy dose of humor embedded in the text but also rich political commentary as well. As both the course text and Cody (2000) point out, Swift was concerned about issues like
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