Jonathan Swift and Ireland : Jonathan Swift`s response to the economic and political situation of Ireland 1720-1724: An analysis of `A Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufacture` and `The Drapier`s Letters`

Abstract

In my thesis I call attention to Jonathan Swift as a political commentator of Irish affairs through an analysis of A Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufacture and four of the Drapier’s Letters. Swift’s Irish tracts are viewed as historical documents and the main focus is on how Swift responded to the economic and political situation in Ireland during the early 1720s. I emphasise how Swift defended the Irish against the English government and how he functioned as a spokesperson and adviser for the Irish people. I argue that it was Swift’s combined interest in political and economic issues, together with his literary skills, that made him a great political writer. In doing this I also comment on Swift’s ambiguous relationship with Ireland and his impact on the Irish people.