Essay about Effectiveness of a Modest Proposal

The implied thesis of Swift’s “A Modest Proposal" is that 18th century Ireland would be in a better situation if the Irish society and monarchy actually treated problems such as overpopulation and poverty, While the overt thesis is that Irish people should consider eating their children and selling them to rich Englishmen to solve the issue of poverty and overpopulation in the country. They differ form one another as one focuses on eating children, while the other focuses on giving commentary through the essay itself.

In Jonathan Swift’s satire, “A Modest Proposal”, Swift writes about the starving people of Ireland in the early 1700’s. He makes a wild and absurd proposal to help remedy the problems of overpopulation and poverty. Swift wants to make a political statement by using the “children” as satire to grasp the attention of the audience - the English people, the Irish politicians and the rich – and make them aware of the political, moral, and social problems. In “A Modest Proposal”, Swift’s arguments are presented effectively by using pathos (emotional appeal), ethos (ethics and values), and logos (logic reasoning and facts).

My name is Alice and I will present to you the satirical styles of Jonathan Swift and explain why “A Modest Proposal” will lead people in the right direction to help those in poverty.

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.

Jonathan Swift, the writer of the satirical essay A Modest Proposal, grew up and lived in Ireland during times of famine and economic struggles (Conditions). Growing up with a single mother and no father, Swift knew what hard times and struggles were like (Jonathan Swift: Biography). His essay proposes an easy solution to the economic problems going on in Ireland for both the wealthy ruling classes and the poorer classes, although his intentions and the meaning behind his words are not what would be originally thought when initially reading the essay. Through his word choices and the description of specific events of his time, Swift uses satire to grab his audience’s attention and get his own personal ideas and opinions out about all the

Swift's message to the English government in "A Modest Proposal" deals with the disgusting state of the English-Irish common people. Swift, as the narrator expresses pity for the poor and oppressed, while maintaining his social status far above them. The poor and oppressed that he refers to are Catholics, peasants, and the poor homeless men, women, and children of the kingdom. This is what Swift is trying to make the English government, in particular the Parliament aware of; the great socioeconomic distance between the increasing number of peasants and the aristocracy, and the effects thereof. Swift conveys his message in a brilliant essay, in which he uses

The Modest Proposal begins with sad and sorrow of Irish mothers who spent all time looking for food to put in their kid's mouth. As a solution the author suggest to sell their child as food for the wealthy citizens, that will solve the over population of unemployment in Ireland and help the Irish economy as well helping their parent to have money to support the rest of their kids and have a decent life, as these children when they grow up they will either turn to be criminal or fight for the Pretender in Spain or sell themselves to the Bravadoes. Swift, provides his idea a statistical support, to express his argument. He says at the beginning ofa child life there will not be a problem as the child will be on his mother’s milk, the problem is later it will be difficult to get supported in such poor society, this is why the mother can give away her child.

‘If you ignore the historical content of A Modest Proposal you will misunderstand it.’ Discuss.

Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal is an outstanding example of the “sharp wit and biting sarcasm” (Mortesten). Using sarcastic comparisons and ironic exaggerations, Swift captured reader’s attention with the first words of his essay; and led the reader through it in a playful manner, keeping the reader tense and curious – every sentence sounded even more ridiculous than the previous one. Yet besides entertaining the reader, the author was able to make the reader think about the true point of the essay - dreadful poverty and hunger that thrived in Ireland. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift begins by discussing the dreadful poverty flourishing in Ireland.

In ‘A Modest Proposal’ the author, Jonathan Swift utilizes techniques such as satire, sarcasm, and irony to create a bigger picture to the reader. Within the poem, Swift not only presents a humorous approach to social and economic issues but does so in a well-constructed and carefully composed manner. A closer reading of the text reveals a deeper critical analysis of the social perceptions of the poor at the time. Through Swifts’ use of irony, he creates a proposal that is so extremely absurd that some may believe the piece to be genuine. By taking an issue and providing a corrupt and merciless solution, the writer uses a unique approach to catch the attention of the people of Ireland and presents them a proposal they cannot ignore. Through the use of irony, Swift creates a poem that not only criticizes social perceptions of the poor but also remarks upon the issue without directly addressing the reader.

Celeste Salazar Block 1 “A Modest Proposal”-Jonathan Swift 1. When does Swift move from believable to fantastical? Add the quote that first made you realize this was a satire and not genuine. Explain “A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in Winter.”

In a “Modest Proposal” Swift expresses his grief as well as irritation of Ireland’s politicians, the hypocrisy of the wealthy, the tyranny of the English, and the degradation in which he witnesses the Irish people living. While Swift explains how England continuously exploits Ireland, he also expresses the utter disgust he finds in the inability of the Irish to help themselves. Swift mourns and shows compassion for the Irish people but critiques both for the issue at hand. (Sparknotes). Through this ironic essay of surprises and shocks, swift challenges the reader consider and critically analyze policies, motivation, and moral values. Jonathan Swift states in the essay that

Swift is clever as he manages to lure the reader into a 'Fake sense of

In his biting political satire called ?A Modest Proposal,? Jonathan Swift seeks to create empathy for the poor through his ironic portrayal of the children of Irish beggars as commodities that can be regulated and even eaten. He is able to poke fun at the dehumanization of the multitudes of poor people in Ireland by ironically commenting on what he sees as an extension of the current situation. Swift?s essay seeks to comment on the terrible condition of starvation that a huge portion of Ireland has been forced into, and the inane rationalizations that the rich are quick to submit in order to justify the economic inequality. He is able to highlight the absurdity of these attempted

Ireland has had a population problem for many years now. Swift proposes a way to reduce the number of an abortion and infanticides. He speculates that woman undergo these highly immoral practices to avoid the shame of a "unwanted child". He believes raising children for food will give Ireland the economic boost it needs. About 170,000 women in Ireland can bear children. They're are quite a few different ways you can cook as a child, whether it be stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled. Young lads between the ages of 12 and 14 would make a good substitute for deer meat. One poor Irish citizen will finally have something valuable of their own. Having a spare child could come in handy when