Jonathan Swift and his satirical work through out his life. Good 11 page paper including bibliography! This paper was for british literature Junior year of high school.

Irish writer Jonathan Swift developed a great gift for writing remarkable satires

and allegories. Swift used his experiences and put them into satires, a work of literature

in which human folly is attacked through irony, disrespect, and wit. "Most of his satire

was based on political and religious corruption surrounding him" (Context 1). Swift's

goal was to let people know what was going on behind closed doors in politics and in

religion. Amazingly these satires changed society. He did not state the obvious, but

worked around it so that these allusions seemed true. Most of his writing was dedicated

to the struggle for Irish independence against English supremacy. Ireland always had

problems with the English. Whatever the problem was, Swift was there to defend his

country as well as he could in his satires, especially in "A Modest Proposal." He also

used allegories such as Gulliver's Travels to demonstrates his abstract ideas and

principles against the English government.

Jonathan Swift, by Charles Jervas (died 1739). See...

First edition of Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Sw...

illustration of Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliverâ...

Swift was a learned man, educated at the best schools. His education gave him

the strength to succeed as a prominent writer. In 1688, after graduating from Trinity

College in Dublin, Ireland, Swift was requested to be a secretary for Sir William Temple

who was located in Surrey, England. English critic Norman Jeffares asserted that,

"During this time an anti-Catholic Revolution provoked reaction in Ireland" (23). This

made Swift's decision very simple; he needed to get out of Ireland so he took the job

offer. Shortly after his work began, Temple and Swift became very close. With his job

as a secretary for a man of religion he soon turned to the church for forgiveness of his

sins. In 1695 Swift was ordained dean in the Anglican Church. Some time passed and

trouble stirred up with Queen Anne and the Catholic Church.