Comparison (J. Swift A. Pope) Essay - 562 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The attitudes portrayed in Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man and Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† towards mankind is strikingly similar. Both acknowledge the view that man has dominion over the earth, as created and instituted by God. However, the difference is seen in their approaches to this subject. Pope primarily focuses on man’s pride and place in society, whereas Swift discusses how man deals with certain situations reasonably or unreasonably. Pope and Swift present situations that man has to face in conjunction with illogical conclusions. Besides exhibiting illogical conclusions, they also show the selfish, prideful, rebellious, jealous, and the ungrateful characteristics of man.†¦show more content†¦He indicates that in our attempt to gain more knowledge and wisdom that we press beyond the limits, and that some things mankind is not able to know. Pope suggest to the reader to submit to the laws of nature, and do not think or act be yond mankind. He has the concept that there is a divine order and grand scheme of things and to rest in the place that you are in. Pope states: â€Å"All Nature, is but Art, unknown to thee; All Chance, Direction, which thou canst not see; All discord, harmony not understood; All partial evil, universal good: And spite of Pride, in erring Reason’s pride, One truth is clear, whatever is, is right† (Pope 518. 289-295). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;From the religious stand point, the reader can assume that Pope is suggesting that man needs to be content with where he is and count everything as done in a divine order. He also suggest that it is better to trust in the laws of nature, than to lean to thine own understanding. While seeking wisdom and knowledge is acceptable, as well as having a sense of pride, man needs to respect and adhere to the boundaries that have been created. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The opposite appears in the work of Jonathan Swift. He presents a situation that clearly needs to be changed. The intent of the narrator, from the reader’s understanding and perception is that he is trying to openShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wylde658 Words   |  3 PagesThrough the comparison of education of the upper and lower classes, juxtaposition is interlaced throughout ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. Lady Bracknell is the foremost character to portray this satirical technique, as she considers the upper class to be much more educated than the lower class, merely because of social status. â€Å"The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a seriousRead MoreThe Ethics Of Capital Punishment Essay1675 Words   |  7 PagesMoral Relativism, I will analyze the morality of capital punishmen t and access which side the theories gravitate towards. 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