Born in Dublin, Ireland. Born in Dublin, Ireland

Born in Dublin, Ireland.

• Born in Dublin, Ireland.

• At 19, he was employed by Sir William Temple, a powerful English statesman.

• Tutored 8-year-old Esther “Stella” Johnson.

• Developed Ménière’s Syndrome, a disturbance of the inner ear.

• 1694: Became Deacon and later Priest in Dublin

1696: Returned to Temple’s service. Temple died in1699. Swift held series of clerical jobs in Ireland.

• 1696: Returned to Temple’s service. Temple died in1699. Swift held series of clerical jobs in Ireland.

• 1704: Wrote Tale of the Tub: satire on corruptions in religion and learning. Also Battle of the Books, a mock-epic on the debate between Ancients and Moderns.

1707: Involved with The Tatler. Uses pseudonym Issac Bickerstaff.

• 1707: Involved with The Tatler. Uses pseudonym Issac Bickerstaff.

• 1720: Involved with Irish causes.

• 1729: Wrote “A Modest Proposal.”

• 1726: Wrote Gulliver’s Travels.

• 1742: Established site for insane asylum (St. Patrick’s Hospital).

• Never married, despite lifelong affair w/ ‘Stella’.

If the laborers lost their work, there would always be other poor people to take up the job.

• If the laborers lost their work, there would always be other poor people to take up the job.

• There was no social security system and starvation was as common as it is in Third World countries today.

• It had been known that some Irish people had been driven to cannibalism.

• Swift was deeply angered and disappointed at the lack of response and indifference of the Irish people to change/improve their lives.

Irish Complacency/Inaction

• Irish Complacency/Inaction

• Swift condemned the Irish for not acting on their own behalf to change their situation

• Past Politics (Prejudice against the Irish)

• England enacted laws preventing Irish from buying real estate; preventing Irish from holding government office; limiting education

• Exploitation of the Irish (Greed)

• Over-taxation of Irish by English/rich Irish landowners