Posted: September 15th, 2022
Satire and Colonialism in the eighteenth century
Satire and Colonialism in the eighteenth century: ‘A Modest Proposal’ and ‘Gulliver’s Travels’
In the eighteenth century, satire was a popular literary genre that was often used to critique social and political issues, including the topic of colonialism. Two notable examples of satirical works from this period that deal with colonialism are Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” and “Gulliver’s Travels.”
In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift uses satire to critique the British policies and attitudes towards Ireland and the Irish people. He proposes a solution to the problem of overpopulation and poverty in Ireland, suggesting that the poor should sell their children as food to the wealthy. This proposal is meant to be shocking and ridiculous, and is intended to expose the callousness and cruelty of British policies towards Ireland.
Similarly, “Gulliver’s Travels” uses satire to critique British colonialism and imperialism. In the novel, the main character, Gulliver, visits a number of fictional lands, including the island of Lilliput, which is ruled by tiny people, and the land of the Houyhnhnms, which is inhabited by intelligent horses. Through these satirical representations, Swift critiques the arrogance and hypocrisy of British colonial attitudes and practices.
Both “A Modest Proposal” and “Gulliver’s Travels” use satire as a means of critiquing colonialism in the eighteenth century. These works offer a powerful and thought-provoking commentary on the impacts of colonialism on the colonized peoples and the absurdity of colonial attitudes and policies.