amodestproposal背景知识Word文件下载.docx

amodestproposal背景知识Word文件下载.docx

《amodestproposal背景知识Word文件下载.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《amodestproposal背景知识Word文件下载.docx（5页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

.......In“AModestProposal,”SwiftsatirizestheEnglishlandlordswithoutrageoushumor,proposingthatIrishinfantsbesoldasfoodatageone,whentheyareplumpandhealthy,togivetheIrishanewsourceofincomeandtheEnglishanewfoodproducttobolstertheireconomyandeliminateasocialproblem.Hesayshisproposal,ifadopted,wouldalsoresultinareductioninthenumberofCatholicsinIreland,sincemostIrishinfants–almostallofwhomwerebaptizedCatholic–wouldendupinstewsandotherdishesinsteadofgrowinguptogotoCatholicchurches.Here,heissatirizingtherivalryandprejudicecharacterizingCatholic-ProtestantrelationsinBritain.

.......SwiftalsosatirizestheIrishthemselvesinhisessay,fortoomanyofthemhadacceptedabusestoicallyratherthantakingactionontheirownbehalf.

.......ThemainliterarydeviceSwiftusesin“AModestProposal"

isverbalirony–thatis,heproposestheoppositeofwhathereallybelieves.

HistoricalBackground

.......Overthecenturies,EnglandgraduallygainedafootholdinIreland.In1541,theparliamentinDublinrecognizedEngland’sHenryVIII,aProtestant,asKingofIreland.InspiteofrepeateduprisingsbyIrishCatholics,EnglishProtestantsacquiredmoreandmoreestatesinIreland.By1703,theyownedallbut10percentoftheland.Meanwhile,legislationwasenactedthatseverelylimitedtherightsoftheIrishtoholdgovernmentoffice,purchaserealestate,getaneducation,andadvancethemselvesinotherways.Asaresult,manyIrishfledtoforeignlands,includingAmerica.MostofthosewhoremainedinIrelandlivedinpoverty,facingdisease,starvation,andprejudice.ItwasthisIreland–anIrelandofthetyrannizedandthedowntrodden–thatJonathanSwiftattemptedtofocusattentiononin“AModestProposal”in1720.

Summary

.......Editor'

sNote:

In"

AModestProposal,"

Swiftassumesthepersonaofadaftstatistician.Thefollowingsummaryoftheessaygreatlycondensestheoriginalwording.However,thewordsinbluetypearedirectquotationsfromtheessay.

.......BecausesomanyIrishparentscannotfinddecentjobstosupporttheirchildren,theyspendalltheirtimewalkingthestreetstobegalmsofpassersby.Meanwhile,thechildrengrowuptobecomethievesoremigrants.

.......ThissituationpresentsaseriousproblemforBritain,especiallysincetherearesomanyIrishchildren.Eachyear,severalhundredthousandbabiesareborntoIrishparents.Ifyousubtractthosewhoareborntowell-to-doparents,thosewhoarestillborn,andthosewhodieafterbirthasaresultofdiseaseoraccident,youarestillleftwithabout120,000babieswhohavetobesupportedbypoorparents.

.......Ofcourse,amothercanfeedherchildforoneyearwithbreastmilk.Butafterthat,shemustbegfoodforthechild.However,I[thewriteroftheessay]haveamodestproposaltosolvethisproblem.Hereitis:

.......IhavebeentoldbyaknowledgeableAmericanthatayear-old-infantisa“mostdeliciousnourishingandwholesomefood,whetherstewed,roasted,baked,orboiled....”Therefore,Isuggestthatofthe120,000newinfantsofpoorparents,20,000bereservedforbreedingandtherestbesoldtopeopleofquality.

.......“Achildwillmaketwodishesatanentertainmentforfriends,andwhenthefamilydinesalone,theforeorhindquarterwillmakeareasonabledish,andseasonedwithalittlepepperorsalt,willbeverygoodboiledonthefourthday,especiallyinwinter....”

.......NotonlywillmyplanprovideexcellentfoodandrelievetheburdenonIrishparentsandGreatBritainasawhole,itwillalsoreducethenumberofRomanCatholics,sinceitistheRomanCatholicswhohavethemostchildren.Inaddition,myplanwillhavethefollowingadvantages:

.......Inkeeperswhoservefatchildrenattheirtableswillbepopularwiththeircustomers.

.......Amotherofasoldchildwillpocketahandsomeprofitandbefreetoworkuntilshehasanotherbaby.

.......Theskinfrombabiescanbeusedtomakeglovesforwomenandbootsformen.

.......Womenwilltakeexcellentcareoftheirnewlyborninfants,fortheywillwanttheirbabiestobeplumpandhealthywhenitcomestimetosellthem.

.......“Menwouldbecomeasfondoftheirwives,duringthetimeoftheirpregnancy,astheyarenowoftheirmaresinfoal,theircowsincalf,orsowwhentheyarereadytofarrow;

noroffertobeatorkickthem（asistoofrequentapractice）forfearofamiscarriage.”

.......Onlyyoung,tenderchildrenwouldbesold.Olderboys,withyearsofexercisethatdevelopstheirmuscles,wouldbetootoughtoeat.Oldergirlswouldbesoclosetochildbearingagethatitwouldbebesttoletthembreed.

.......Anextremelyimportantpartofmyproposalisthatitwouldeliminatetheneedtoraisetaxestosupportthepoor,therebyenablingtherichtocontinuetoenjoyalloftheirluxuries.Inaddition,EnglishlandlordswouldnothavetoshowmercytotheirIrishtenants.Inturn,theIrishtenantswouldhaveenoughmoneytopaytheirhighrents,thankstothesaleoftheirchildren.

.......ImustpointoutthatIamnotproposingthisplanforpersonalbenefit,inasmuchasIhaveonlyonechild–age9andthustoooldtosell–andmywifeistoooldtohaveanotherbaby.

.

CompleteTitleandYearofPublication

Thecompletetitleof"

publishedin1720,is"

AModestProposalforpreventingthechildrenofpoorpeopleinIreland,frombeingaburdenontheirparentsorcountry,andformakingthembeneficialtothepublick."

WritingandPublishingFormats

"

AModestProposal"

isanessayoriginallyprintedintheformofapamphlet.Atthetimeofthepublicationof"

apamphletwasashortworkthattookastandonapolitical,religious,orsocialissue–oranyotherissueofpublicinterest.Atypicalpamphlethadnobinding,althoughitsometimeshadapapercover.Writersofpamphlets,calledpamphleteers,playedasignificantroleininflamingorresolvingmanyofthegreatcontroversiesinEuropeinthe16th,17th,and18thcenturies,aswellasinthepoliticaldebateleadinguptotheAmericanRevolution.Inadditionto“AModestProposal,”SwiftwrotemanypoliticalpamphletssupportingthecausesoftheTorypoliticalpartyafterherenouncedhisallegiancetotheWhigparty.

TypeofWork:

Satire

isasatire,aliteraryworkthatattacksorpokesfunatvices,abuses,stupidity,and/oranyotherfaultorimperfection.Satiremaymakethereaderlaughat,orfeeldisgustfor,thepersonorthingsatirized.Impishlyorsardonically,itcriticizessomeoneorsomething,usingwitandcleverwording–andsometimesmakesoutrageousassertionsorclaims.Themainpurposeofasatireistospurreaderstoremedytheproblemunderdiscussion.Themainweaponofthesatiristisverbalirony,afigureofspeechinwhichwordsareusedtoridiculeapersonorthingbyconveyingameaningthatistheoppositeofwhatthewordssay.

Style

Thelanugageof"

isspecificandsuccinct,anditisloadedwithironyandwit.Swift,oneofthegreatestsatiristsintheEnglishlanguage,carefullyselectswordswithconnotationsthatshockandamusethereaderwhilealsopromotingeuphony.Forexample,inthefollowingparagraphfromtheessay,thewordcarcasses–meaningremainsofadeadanimaldressedbyabutcher–conveysshockvalueandhumorwhilealsoalliteratingwithpreviouswords（constantcustomers,christenings,andcompute,aswellaswithafollowingword,Kingdom:

Supposingthatonethousandfamiliesinthiscity,wouldbeconstantcustomersforInfant'

sFlesh,besidesotherswhomighthaveitatmerrymeetings,particularlyatweddingsandchristenings,IcomputethatDublinwouldtakeoffannuallyabouttwentythousandcarcasses,andtherestoftheKingdom（whereprobablytheywillbesoldsomewhatcheaper）theremainingeightythousand.

Theme（orThesis）

BeneathSwift’saudacioussatireisaserioustheme:

thatEnglishoverlordsareshamelesslyexploitingtheimpoverishedpeopleofIreland.

AuthorInformation

JonathanSwiftwasbornonNovember30,1667,inDublin,Ireland.Hisfather–anEnglishmanwhohadmovedtoIreland–diedearlierthatyear.Receivingfinancialassistancefromrelatives,SwiftattendedagoodschoolforhisbasiceducationandgraduatedfromTrinityCollegeinDublinin1686.HelivedoffandoninEngland,becameanAnglicanclergyman,andeventuallywasappointeddeanofSt.Patrick'

sCathedralinDublin,althoughhehadlobbiedforapositioninEngland.Hiswriting–especiallyhissatires–madehimoneofthemostprominentcitizensinGreatBritain,andheworkedforatimeonbehalfofTorycauses.HismostfamousworkisGulliver'

sTravels,abookofsatireonpoliticsandsocietyingeneral.SwiftdiedinDublinonOctober19,1745.