Swift And Voltaire

2 Pages 471 Words

Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” and “Candide,” by Voltaire are both satires that mock man and society. The messages in these satires are both aimed at the same type of audience, the upper class society.

In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift writes about a possible solution for Ireland’s poverty and over population. His work was aimed towards the English, complaining of their maltreatment.

He attacks the English for economical problems of Ireland by proposing an elaborate plan to use the gross amount of children as food. He, as narrator makes this proposal in such a tone a reader with very little education may take him seriously, which was not the intent for the piece. His sarcasm is meant to ridicule the English for their lack of concern and weak solutions.

Swift makes references to both the English upper class and the lower class of society. Readers may find him to be condescending. He refers to the poor being made liable to distress because they will have something of value, their children, to be sold for food. This is an attack on the system, the upper class, even though he mocks the moralities of the Irish. He, when proposing these solutions, is illustrating how easy it is for the English to refer to the people as numbers instead of humans.

Jonathan Swift makes his proposal in the mind set of any politician. He is ridiculing their system of solution and at the same time is trying to humanize the situation with his sarcasm. This essay was targeted towards individuals that would feel guilt or anger, the upper class English.

“Candide” by Voltaire, is targeted to the upper class as well. In this episodic, philosophical tale, Candide travels the world and encounters many people. Voltaire makes historical references as well as geographical, that mostly (at that time) the upper class educated would understand. Voltaire also makes personal attacks on publishers and others, which only peo...