A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis Essay

From the beginning, irony is immediately displayed through the title of the text, A Modest Proposal. Modest means to be moderate and the proposal stated is anything but. The irony of this title serves to display to the audience how “moderate” this plan is in comparison to what the government was presently doing which was basically nothing in Swift’s eyes. Throughout the introduction, the speaker introduces the problem -- overpopulation and poverty -- and presents a solution. He mentions children in passing, which later on becomes a large part of his “proposal” to help Ireland. Swift cites that a significant part of the problem in Ireland is the struggle to provide for the evergrowing population and in order to solve this, children -- specifically newborns to a year old -- should be sold to the upper classes as food. He describes that “a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food..” (Swift, lines 70-71). This solution would lessen the pressure for the state to provide for them in addition to other benefits that Swift later expresses. This hyperbolic suggestion serves to express Swift’s viewpoint on the actions of the upper class to solve the issues that Ireland was enduring. He was implying that their

Although the Irish seem to be the main object of description throughout Swift’s essay, his audience seems to center on the rich, land-owning English elite. One may deduce this from his use of the name “Pretender” to refer to the exiled James Stuart, a Catholic king ousted and exiled after the Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689. With Ireland’s population being mostly Catholic, and Swift introducing the “solution” of “greatly [lessening] the number of Papists” (635) through his proposal, he seems to possess an English mindset in the form of a sort of condescending attitude towards the Irish populace. In addition to this, Swift also distances himself from the issue of Irish overpopulation as a whole in his use of the distal (distant), demonstrative pronoun “that”, as

Jonathan Swift (1667- 1745) is a satirist of the early seventeenth century, also known as the Age of Alignment. The Alignment is a period of knowledge and reason, as philosophy, writing, science and technology improved. During this time, Swift composed “A Modest Proposal”, a description of the conquered vast territory of the Ireland lands by the English, and how the wealthy protestant English families managed the captured land by abusing the Irish catholic. Accordingly, injustice is experienced by the Irish, as they are prevented from receiving an education and holding prominent positions. The Irish are arranged in a state of oppression by the way of the British; for instance, they are forced to remain in a starving condition. Moreover, the

Furthermore, swift uses irony when he says '' female sex followed by three, four, or six children in all rags and importing ever passenger for an palms.'' swift does not seem to care for the poor people. So he rather sell them to the rich so they can be eaten. So he has no feelings for the poor. When he was trying to make a change for the people in Ireland. In that case he just want them to be treated bad.

“How preposterous!” his speaker implies. How worthy and effective, Swift suggests. 11. To what do the “vain, idle, visionary thoughts” (para. 31) refer?

MAKE AN INTRO FOR THIS SENTANCE!!!! In “A Modest Proposal”, Swift effectively uses satire writing to reveal his annoyance with the government, papists, and overall citizens of poverty-stricken Ireland in the late seventeenth century.

Specifically, this satirical pamphlet addressed the issue of the rampant poverty which plagued the people of Ireland, as well as the hypocrisy and heartlessness of the wealthy in the face of such squalor. In A Modest Proposal, the speaker suggests that the poor sell their children as food to the rich in order to ease their financial difficulties. Since wit was in vogue during the Enlightenment, Swift’s use of satire is not unusual, but despite its popularity, it was still far from a universal language. Publishing the text in a pamphlet was also less effective given its limited readership, and even ironic given that A Modest Proposal critiques the use of such pamphlets for spreading political opinions. These formatting and publication issues hindered Swift’s otherwise clear message to his society.

A Critical Analysis of Irony in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift was an Irish essayist, satirist and poet. He wrote numerous works, many of which dealt with Irish/British political tensions and religious issues. His best known works include “A Modest Proposal” (1729). In “A Modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift proposes a satirical/ironic solution to a social and ethical problem.

In order to understand the poem as swift intended it to be understood, one must first distinguish between the author’s voice and the narrator’s voice. According to Robert Phiddian, “the interpretation of the proposal has always involved awareness that it is not a ‘straight’ piece of economic projection, and that swift is operating independently of the narrator, in a covert manner”(1996, p.608). This means that the readers must interpret the poem in two different ways, as an economic proposal and as a political pamphlet. In other words, the narrator’s reality is not the same with the author’s reality. The narrator is serious in his proposal, while the author is not.

Jonathan Swift was a clergyman who lived in Ireland from 1667–1745, during the 18th century reformation, which was a time of great change and turmoil. Swift was “Deeply concerned about the religious differences that divided England.” (Holt) and as a Clergyman he was very limited with how he was able to express this, often writing under pseudonyms. These conflicts inspired Gulliver's Travels (Holt). “His genuine outrage at man's inhumanity to man and his commitment to championing liberty found voice in his biting satire” (Holt).

The leering rhetorical challenge of this satirical essay is capturing the attention of an audience who has appeared indifferent and desensitized at many occasions, this shocking appeal immediately captures their attention. From the starting logos appeal the appeal later in the passage becomes more ethos based as it challenges the morality of the society. The writer appeals to the ethos of the audience by claiming himself as honest time and time again and stating overtly that he has no personal interest as he has no minor children. Swift gives the impression that all the passage comes straight from the heart due to compassion for the Irish population and the concern for their well-being. By doing this, Swift becomes practically successful in the eyes of the audience as it portrays him as the champion of the poor, destitute and oppressed and a hero of the Irish people. Swift also here distances himself from

Swift not only says Ireland is poor because of others but furthered adds how terrible it is to overstate how bad Ireland was. He does it by making is proposal unserious but makes it serious and starts becoming insane. He says that people should eat weak children who can’t do anything and are helpless. After that he becomes more insincere and says, “has the least personal interest” to kill the children for food. Another one is when Swift also brings on a sense of insincerity is when he states that he does not have any personal attachment to his proposal because he does not have a suitable

To understand the writings of Jonathan swift it is important to understand the context in which he was writing. At the time of swifts writings Ireland had been controlled by Britain for the last five hundred years. This plays a huge part in a lot of Swift’s writings, on more than one occasion he uses sarcasm and irony to criticise certain aspects of British management of Irish affairs. Swift, was born a member of Ireland's colonial ruling class, but in time came to be known as one of the greatest of Irish patriots. Despite, this he saw himself more as an Englishman than an Irishman. This is interesting despite seeing himself as an Englishman he did have a lot of compassion for the way the lower Catholics were treated by the British system,

Swift illustrates lawyers as being stupid, hated, and lairs. His master is in disbelief that anyone with reason could have such qualities. Swift depicts people of authority as being corrupted, evil, and foolish. I believe these passages serve to mock the way Swift's society is governed.

However, he did it by making his proposition unserious. In many cases he uses the truthfulness and slyness to support his points. Jonathan Swift appears to be crafty all through his proposition on account of how crazy the entire thought is. He is suggesting that individual ought to eat youngsters, who are powerless and guiltless. Later on he becomes more insincere when he states that “he (has) least interest” in killing many of Ireland’s children for food. Another example where Jonathan Swift likewise bring on a feeling of artfulness is at the point when he states that “he doesn’t have any individual connection to his proposition, as he does not have a suitable child.” As well as he states that “his wife is no more ready to have child” (Jonathan Swift).