Essay on Analysis of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

The satirical essay “A Modest Proposal” written and published in in 1729 by an Anglo- Irish man named Jonathan Swift, in response to the worsening conditions of Ireland, was one of his most controversial and severe writings of his time. The narrator in Swift’s essay “A Modest Proposal” argues for a drastic and radical end to poverty in Ireland. Swift’s proposal suggests that the needy, poor people of Ireland can ease their troubles simply by selling their children as food to the rich and make them useful, benefitting the public. With the use of irony, exaggeration and ridicule Swift mocks feelings and attitudes towards the poor people of Ireland and the politicians. However, with the use of satire Swift creates a

Johnathan Swift wrote Modest Proposal with the idea to better humanity.. When you first read it you miss what the true message is. You think “Man this guy is a monster!” or “He’s sick!”, but once you reach the end the true meaning of the proposal hits you. When Jonathan Swift wrote a Modest Proposal he tried to get his audience to see the problem by taking it and providing an unethical and inhumane solution then using rhetorical devices to bring out people’s emotions.

When one thinks of the phrase “A Modest Proposal,” does one come to think of fattening babies so they can sell as meat. In Jonathan Swift’s essay “A Modest Proposal,” Swift uses satirical writing to communicate with the reader to expose the critical situation of the poor people of Ireland. Whom besides going through a tough period of famine have to endure the overwhelming taxation rates of the English empire. The author’s proposal intends to convince the public of the incompetence of Ireland’s politicians, the lack empathy of the wealthy, the English oppression, and the inability of the Irish to mobilize themselves against this situation. Johnathan proposed an outrageous solution that the Irish folks eat their children at the age of one or sell them in the market as meet. Finally, he manifests to be open to other suggestions to help overcome the country’s crisis. The proposal was made strategically using several different parts: the text, author, audience, purpose, and setting to persuade the tax to go lower.

Indeed the proposal to eat the poor is a shocking statement, but what adds to the shock value is the delivery. For example, take the last statement regarding a fricassee. This statement is not necessary for the point, but it certainly adds to the appalling nature of the quote. The sarcastic nature puts Swift so far above the poor subjects that it evokes an extremely humorous response. Swift digresses and uses sarcasm numerous times in the essay, to emphasize truisms in a manner that tries to be less than direct, but has the ultimate effect of clarity. For example Swift proposes that some one of the uses for the children would be to

Beginning with an examination of the subtitle, the stance of the narrator and his views of the poor are evident immediately. “…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 Para.1). This example is a distinct instance of irony; in which Swift uses such long, elaborate sentence to summarize his main proposition. By referring to

Swift shows his despair from the rejection he has experienced from every caregiver or leader in his own life, just as the poor have been rejected by society, forcing them to resort to begging. He feels that something drastic will have to happen in order for things to change, otherwise the misery of being devoured by society will be upon the poor “breed for ever,” as well as himself (Swift). Perhaps this drastic change that would have to occur is already too late for Swift. Perhaps his unresolved childhood complexes are too far past that they can never be resolved, but he is still trying to resolve them through his proposal that is trying to resolve society’s large problem of poverty.

Irony is a beautiful technique exercised to convey a message or call a certain group of people to action. This rhetorical skill is artfully used by Jonathan Swift in his pamphlet “A Modest Proposal.” The main argument for this bitingly ironic essay is to capture the attention of a disconnected and indifferent audience. Swift makes his point by stringing together a dreadfully twisted set of morally untenable positions in order to cast blame and aspersions on his intended audience. Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” employs despicably vivid satire to call for change in a world of abuse and misfortune.

The beginning of Swift's essay cunningly influences readers in believing that his proposal is actually real and that he employs values like modesty and unselfishness in it. Swift relates to "horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us! sacrificing the poor innocent babes" (Swift) and persuades readers to believe that there is nothing wrong with this essay, as it is similar to any other text meant to promote social progress. The writer rapidly contradicts himself, however, when he begins to speak about how "a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust" (Swift).

Lastly Swift uses exaggeration to draw his audiences’ scrutiny to change the way they were acting. He proposes that the only way to prevent Ireland from overpopulation is to kill the children of the poor families and serve their meat as the dish of excellent nutritive meat to the nobility of Ireland. Swift even suggests a couple of recipes make a delicious food and ways to make the skin into gloves and handbags for the woman. He says, “Those who are more thrifty may flay the carcass, the skin of which, artificially dressed, will make admirable gloves for ladies and summer boots for fine gentleman”(616). Saying so, he shudders the readers therefore they do not know what to think about Swift and his ideas.

A fascinating work, “A Modest Proposal,” by Johnathan Swift is satire that focused on society and how to solve societal problems. He is come up with information that there is too many children in a family and there are too many poor people who cannot afford for their own food. In results Swifts, comes up with a proposal that people should eat baby flesh, teenage flesh, which is a sign of cannibalism. The way he sees will help is if children of the poor to be sold into meat markets at the age of one and this will help solve the over population. Also, by adding children in the meat market it will create more jobs and can create a little extra income. He comes up with a way to collect data on number of children sold, eight and price, and consumption

Swift’s proposal is a satire made to jolt the people of Dublin, Ireland into understanding the growing issues the kingdom faces with poverty and overpopulation. Swift’s method of choice for a long term elucidation is to turn the Dubliner’s problems into their own solution. The proposal consists of feeding the fattened up children of the poor and selling them to the rich citizens of the kingdom as food. Swift states that doing this will help relieve families from paying for expensive children, decrease overpopulation, add culinary values, increase employment, and will overall add to the economic status of the kingdom. Swift concludes his proposal saying that it is in his greatest interest that his proposal does not take effect, and that his only motives are improving the public good of his country,

Jonathan Swift wrote this book during the reign of the Whigs over England and Georges I and II. Literature was censured during the time of this writing and the novel had to be secretly printed and distributed to avoid punishment. Swift had the manuscript copied by someone else to avoid handwriting as evidence if she ended up being prosecuted. Some parts of the novel were too much for Benjamin Motte who published it for him so he altered parts of the book to tone down the criticism of the political system and Queen

Humor in serious topics can bring the light side of things and can also bring more attention than just talking about them. In “Modest Proposal” written by Jonathan Swift, he uses humor to talk about the famine that was happening back then and proposes an economical idea. By using the word “Proposal” in his title, he gives a reasonably suggestion to aid the Irish, Swift mentions them one by one the many benefits and counters the objections many may have, uses rhetorical reasoning and proves his humanitarian views. Swift has written in detail over the degree of poverty in IReland, he draws attention to the causes of it and proves in great detail that his “Proposal” will work in which ways it does work.

With his pamphlet, Jonathan Swift addresses the problem of the poor, the needy, and how they should be taken care of in a sarcastic and unimaginable way. He writes, “A Modest Proposal: For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland, from Being a Burden on Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public” to address the problem of how the poor are being treated. Swift is a political journalist, clergyman in the Angelical Church, and Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin who uses strong satire to communicate his opinions on how he disagrees with how the poor are being treated. Swift uses his satire when explaining his opinion that many of the rich only care that the poor are not being a burden on them and not

In the stories are there any points of sacrificing the lives of others in a point to just live. I’m going to talk about two different stories. In fact the first story is called A Modest Proposal and is written by Jonathan Swift. Following that is another story called shooting an elephant which is written by George Orwell. So in this essay I’m going to be talking about the differences and similarities of both stories. Also I’m going to talk about what the story is telling the reader. Afterward I’m going to describe the point of view in both stories. Therefore there are going to be a lot of details to cover in the stories and in the authors. The point of this essay is to indulge the reader and make it interesting. But also try to clear