Eighteenth Century Literature Is Not Superfluous, Essay Example

From Jonathan Swift to Stephen Colbert: The Relevance of Satire from the 18^th Century to the 21^st Century

As the host of a television program that deals almost entirely in satire, comedian Stephen Colbert is in the business of saying things to his viewing audience that, on the surface, may seem outrageous and offensive. To anyone with even the most casual familiarity with his show entitled The Colbert Report, however, it quickly becomes apparent that Colbert is assuming a persona, and quite literally does not mean anything he says. In his on-air character, Colbert spoofs supercilious conservative television hosts such as Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, who espouse a brand of politics that has a strong, if sometimes narrow appeal (Engler, n.p., 2014). The Colbert Report finds humor by seeming to adopt many of the same political positions as those put forth by the real conservative hosts, but exaggerates these positions for comedic effect in order to expose the underlying hypocrisy and outright lies on which many such positions are based (Gettys, n.p., 2014). Colbert is not the first to use such a satirical approach to deliver his message; his style of ironic comedy owes a significant debt to the works of English author and satirist Jonathan Swift.  One of Swift’s most well-known pieces, “A Modest Proposal” –a satire on social and political conditions in Ireland in the 18^th century- demonstrates that the literature of precious centuries remains important, and even vital. By comparing and contrasting the two satirists, modern readers can see how the works of Swift and his contemporaries are much more than dusty, outdated antiques.  This analysis will clearly show why 18^th century literature should continue to be a part of a rich and complete curriculum.

Just as Colbert delivers his political and social commentary with a straight face, so too does Swift. In “A Modest Proposal” (which is subtitled “For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland From Being A Burden to Their Parents or Country, and For Making Them Beneficial to The Public”) Swift begins on an entirely serious note. In the opening lines of the essay, Swift describes the horrific conditions in which the poor of Ireland live, detailing “the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for alms.” Swift goes on to recount how the economic conditions at the time make it nearly impossible to find work, or food, or shelter, and his details quickly draw readers into this bleak world. This description is followed by the assertion that “it is agreed by all parties: that something must be done about these “deplorable conditions,” but he refrains from spelling out just yet exactly what that something might be.

Colbert employs a similar approach in introducing many of the targets of his satirical wit. During the run-up to the Presidential election of 2012, The Colbert Report began one of its nightly broadcasts with what at first glance appeared to be an in-depth look at so-called Super PACS. The acronym PAC is short for “political action committee,” and Colbert adopts an almost serious, scholarly tone as he begins to explain how the complicated –and even ridiculous- campaign finance laws in the United States make it possible for Super PACS to raise extraordinary sums of money, often from anonymous donors, and to use that money in ways that completely circumvented the spirit, and sometimes the letter, of campaign finance laws (Engler). Like Swift does in essay, Colbert begins in a straightforward, even serious tone, as he builds the case that these Super PACS are, in effect, a destructive force in American politics. It is clear that Colbert is building towards presenting a solution –or at least a “modest proposal”- to the problem, but he first uses his rhetorical strengths to convince viewers that there is in fact a problem to be addressed.

Unlike Colbert’s audience, who are aware from the outset of his ironic approach, Swift was not widely-known when he published “A Modest Proposal.”  Because Swift does not yet have the reputation as a sharp satirist that he will soon acquire (nor does he have the reach of televise and the Internet that Colbert employs in contemporary times), not everyone who reads his “proposal” will understand that he is being ironic (Briggs, p.3, 2005). As such, Swift has to ensure that his proposal is so utterly absurd that it would be difficult for all but the most gullible to take it seriously. Once he has established for his audience the seriousness of the plight of poverty-stricken men, women, and children in Ireland, he offers his solution: that the poor sell their infant children to the rich as a food supply. As Swift explains, “a young, healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled.” Swift goes on the detail how breeding programs can be established, along the lines of the manner in which cattle and sheep are raised, to provide a continuing supply of food to the rich who will buy and eat the children, and a steady supply of income to the poor who will give birth to and sell them.

Colbert’s audience, unlike much of Swift’s readership at the time “A Modest Proposal” was first published,” is well aware of the satirical, comedic nature of his on-air persona and the show as whole (Gettys, n.p.). While the audience is already in on the joke before the punchline is revealed, this actually presents Colbert with a unique opportunity to offer his own “modest proposal.” Where Swift’s ideas were so ridiculous as to be outside the realm of possibility, Colbert offers a proposal that, while still absurd, is in act workable: by learning about and adhering to the relevant campaign finance laws, Colbert establishes his own Super PAC and begins to solicit donations from his audience.  This idea does not have the visceral shock value of Swift’s proposed cannibalism-for-profit scheme, it is shocking in its own way, simply because Colbert actually goes forward with the idea and sets up his own Super PAC, “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow”  (Engler, n.p.)

What both proposals have in common is that they each highlight the absurdity of the current social, political, and economic conditions of the times in which they were put forth.  In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift parodies some of the prevalent ideas of his day related to social engineering and the application of popular theories to solving the problems of poverty and social inequality. In an age when science and reason were gaining traction in manufacturing and technology, it was not uncommon for some people to propose systems by which economic efficiency on a social scale could be achieved scientifically (Briggs, p.4). One target of Swift’s satire is Sir William Petty, whose system of “political arithmetick” was proposed as a solution to social problems (Briggs, p.4). Petty and other theorists of the day wrote and distributed various pamphlets contain their various schemes to address social problems; in “A Modest Proposal,” Swift uses the same approach of pamphleteering to present his own ideas, thereby mocking those who believed in simple solutions that turned human beings into commodities (Briggs.).

Like Swift, Colbert chooses to satirize the problem he targets by turning the problem against itself. Colbert makes it clear that he intends to find every possible way to abuse the Super PAC system by raising money from anonymous donors, shielding records of the amount of money he raises from public scrutiny, and spending the money he raises without any oversight. It is, of course, completely unheard of for the spokesperson of any ostensibly legitimate Super PAC to flat-out admit that money will be raised and spent in such ways, the only real difference between the way Colbert operates his Super PAC and the way most are operated is that he acknowledges the complete lack of transparency and oversight (Engler, n.p.). In fact, Colbert does not just acknowledge it; he revels in it, a fact that is clear to anyone who watched his show in the 2012 election season. By employing the very techniques that are used by countless numbers of such political groups (Engler, n.p.), Colbert completely exposes the utter hypocrisy of their actions and the broken campaign finance system that allows those with the most money to dominate American politics.

In an essay on Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” Yankauer (1979) writes that Swift reaches “such a high point of virtuosity that topical journalism becomes, through satire, a universal moral statement.” Yankauer goes o to note that Swift’s essay received widespread condemnation, both by those who did not get the joke and even by some of those who did. Colbert also received some criticism for mocking the Super PAC system, though his openly-known role as a satirist and his adherence to the relevant laws made it difficult to point legitimate criticism at him. If there was really a problem with the way that Colbert was able to use the Super PAC system as its own punchline, the failure was not his, but in the laws pertaining to campaign finance. Similarly, while many may have been disturbed by Swift’s absurd suggestions about cannibalism, the only reason they resonated so loudly was because they shone a light on the very real, and very serious social and economic uses plaguing Ireland, as well as on the equally absurd schemes being proposed to solve those problems.

For modern readers, the works of Jonathan Swift and other literary greats from the 18^th century should not be dismissed as superfluous relics from earlier times. By casting them against both historical and contemporary works it is possible to bring them to life and to show both how vital they were in their time and how relevant their lessons are today. Reading Jonathan Swift can bring a greater understanding of modern-day satirists like Stephen Colbert, and can clarify for contemporary readers the deeply-rooted traditions from which Colbert draws inspiration. The great literary artists of every generation provide insight into the ethical, social, and political issues of their time, and allow readers to learn history from a personal and human perspective. A curriculum that includes study of 18^th century literature helps us better understand the present by shining a light on our past.

Works cited

Briggs, Peter M. ‘John Graunt, Sir William Petty, And Swift’s Modest Proposal’. Eighteenth-Century Life29.2 (2005): 3–24. Print.

Engler, Mark. ‘Stephen Colbert & The Role Of Political Satire’. Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility. N. p., 2014. Web. 17 Jul. 2014.

Gettys, Travis. ‘Stephen Colbert Salvages The ‘Wreckage’ Of His Show After #Cancelcolbert Kerfuffle’.Rawstory.com. N. p., 2014. Web. 19 Jul. 2014.

Petri, Alexandra. ‘Stephen Colbert’S Modest Proposal: Do Not #Cancelcolbert’. Washington Post. N. p., 2014. Web. 17 Jul. 2014.

Swift, Jonathan. ‘Swift, “A Modest Proposal”‘. Andromeda.rutgers.edu. N. p., 2014. Web. 19 Jul. 2014.

Yankauer, A. ‘The Use Of Irony.’. American journal of public health 69.10 (1979): 985–985. Print.