Essay On Swift's A Modest Proposal

The Effectiveness of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift "A Modest Proposal 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" - Jonathan Swift 1729. In reading this you will discover the answer to the above question in three parts; · How effective is it as an argument · How effective is it as a piece of information · How effective is it as satire "A Modest Proposal" first appeared in public in 1729, Swift wrote this article after all of his previous suggestions had been rejected by the Irish authorities. Swift felt the English government had psychologically exiled him and this greatly added to the rage he felt over

From Swift’s perspective using the children as food is the most efficient and cheap way to make the children a contribution rather than a burden. Swift realizes that there is a downfall to this approach. That downfall is a sharp decrease in population. Although that is part of the goal, it could create too much of a decline in the population than wanted. However, this is the only con that Swift mentions. Swift goes on in great detail to explain his many pros for this idea. Swift feels that since most of the children born into this poverty grow up to be thieves and beggars that it would be doing society a favor in the long run.

After reading Swift's "Modest Proposal", I have to say I am completely appalled, disturbed, and offended of considering to consume a little baby to solve the nation's problems. With this intention, I am not an advocate of Mr. Swift's suggestion, considering all the pain my child and I have experienced; including our connection, and love that we have shared it breaks my tender heart that there might be people who would be willing to take a baby's life to save their selfish motives, only because life is beginning to get troublesome and severe. More importantly, announcing that a mother breeder should feed their child milk for their first year and then sell them. Could this be a joke? For weeks my innocent baby has been naked, cold, and no longer

Swift was said to “declare at one stage in his life: ‘I am not of this vile country (Ireland), I am an Englishman’” (Hertford website). In his satire “A Modest Proposal,” he illustrates his dislike not only for the Irish, but for the English, organized religions, rich, greedy landlords, and people of power. It is obvious that Swift dislikes these people, but the reader must explore from where his loathing for the groups of people stems. I believe Swift not only wanted to attack these various types of people to defend the defenseless poor beggars, but he also had personal motives for his writings that stemmed from unconscious feelings, located in what Sigmund Freud would call the id, that Swift

Jonathan Swift, 18th century writer and political activist, published “A Modest Proposal” in 1729 in the midst of turmoil in his home country of Ireland. Under British rule Irish citizens were left destitute and neglected, giving Swift the inspiration for “A Modest Proposal”. Jonathan Swift’s use of Aristotle 's modes of persuasion and straight-faced satire broke Ireland 's silence, calling out affluent members of British society and religious hierarchy alike, creating one of the most influential pieces of political satireism to this day.

Jonathan Swift constructs a ridiculous essay which he titled “A Modest Proposal”. He wrote this proposal to illustrate how backward the economy and standard of living are in Ireland, but also how his proposal could improve the economy and standard of living for the Irish people. Swift proposes that the babies of the poor will help the wealthy of Ireland, these babies will be used to supplement their food source by being eaten. Now they will no longer be a burden on society but now they will help contribute to the feeding of society. Swift makes this proposal because of Ireland’s current sub standard living standards. Within his proposal Swift is offering a way to rid the county of its excess children and in turn using them to contribute to society so they do not “grow up either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native

Since money and power will help gain respect, surely this plan could lead to the protestants acknowledging the Catholics as equals, if not right away, then eventually. “Secondly, the poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own, which by law may be made liable to distress and help pay their landlords rent, their, corn and cattle being already seized, and money a thing unknown” (A Modest Proposal, Line 22). Swift is referring to a win win situation for both parties. Swift is pushing in the right direction of giving Catholics a little more authority, even if it is only over their own life.

Upon reading, A Modest Proposal, by Johnathan Swift I was absolutely speechless. Inside were mixed feelings of disgust, sadness, and confusion. Yet somehow still, I was intrigued to know more about the author and the time period in which he lived. What stood out to me the most of the proposal were the different ways given by Swift to cook a child. Swift states, “a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled.”

Through Johnathon Swift’s satirical piece, “A Modest Proposal” one can see many ways at which the British were abusing the Irish people. Wealthy British landowners owned most of Ireland, forcing farmers to rent from them at outrageous prices. The Irish people were often times treated as if they were animals. They were shown no compassion and were misunderstood. Swift uses some rather dark satire to portray his strong disapproval towards the way things were and suggests a “solution” to the crises by proposing that the poor sell their children as a delicacy to the rich.

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.

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

He then tells us that a young healthy child at a year old is a most

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift explains an idea about a society who can’t take care of children. Swifts explains that families who cannot provide food to their children and provide an economical future, should just sell their children as food. He convinces his readers that his proposal can solve the prevalent issue during his time. Most of his ideas could be inspired by Swifts background and it could have influenced his point of view of the issue. However, Swift ideas are just too harsh and people may never be able to accept them. Even though the idea sounds gruesome, Swift uses a witty and comical tone of voice. Yet, readers mistake Swift’s tone with the narrator tone making it difficult for reader to understand the argument Swift is trying to present.

Another status quo talked about in “The Modest Proposal” is about differences of Religion and Culture. Swift suggests that Religion causes an animosity between the poor and rich. Swift is shown to have hatred towards the Roman Catholics. He mentions that he wants to get rid of these babies, to lower their population in the country.This can be seen in paragraph 13. “For we are told by a grave author […] that there are more children born in Roman Catholic countries about nine months after Lent than any other season; therefore, reckoning a year after Lent, the markets will be more glutted than usual because the number of popish infants is at least three to one in the kingdom, and therefore it will have one other collateral advantage of lessening the number of papists among us.”(Swift Johnson) Throughout the paper Swift mentions that the Catholic Church has a lot of control over the Irish economy. The church believed that these Irish people were uncivilized, barbaric, savage, and cannibals. This is why they viewed them as less, and could influence them and rule their territory.

Poverty has been a problem not only in Texas or the United States, but all over the world. Many types of individuals have addressed this topic for years, raised money, volunteered, but still, as much as there’s said and done, the issue hasn’t been fazed a bit. From Jonathan Swift’s Modest Proposal, he clarifies the poverty issued throughout Ireland in the early 1700’s and how one suggestion could change it all. Elaborated from the Literary Reference Center, “A Modest Proposal, like Gulliver’s Travels, transcends the political, social, and economic crisis that gave birth to it, woeful as they were. Packed with irony and satirical revelations of the human condition…” Swift wasn’t just writing a masterpiece, but an intended, informational