Irony in Swift's A Modest Proposal Essay

Furthermore, Swift also creates a strong argument throughout this essay, with the use of logos; appealing to logic and his use of statistics. Swift states that the “number of souls in this kingdom…of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couples who wives are breeders”; furthermore proposing that an infant can be sold for “two shillings per anun” and “with eight shillings net profit the mother will also benefit and be fit for work to produce another child.” Another quote that implies the reader of his logic and reason , is when he states in these lines that an infant’s flesh can be seasoned throughout the year “with a little pepper or salt…especially in the winter.” He also states that the carcass

According to Jonathan Swift a plump baby on the dinner table is better than pork. Swift made this proposal to the people of Ireland in the form of a pamphlet named A Modest Proposal in 1729. Swift use many tactics to persuade his audience such as satire, ethos, and logos that eating babies was the way to go.

Initially, Swift starts by using ethos to gain credibility from the audience. Swift gathers information from a friend who has experiences that may help control the number of children in poverty as he states, "that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food" (Swift, 2), he shares his acquaintance's knowledge of eating children. Towards the end

Throughout Swift’s content, he uses rhetorical devices such as pathos, logos, and ethos. Jonathan Swift intelligently uses pathos to play a huge roll on people’s emotion in an effort to convince them of the legitimacy of his argument, “… and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting, although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs,” (689). Logos appeals to the logical thinking of the audience is introduced in support of his case. Swift gives the logical portion by using numbers to show how many unfortunate babies would meet their demise yearly, “… the hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed, twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one fourth part to be males… one male will be sufficient to serve four Females. That the remaining hundred thousand may at a year old be offered in sale,” (689). Ethos was shown when he talked to high authority people about the situation, “Infant's flesh will be in season throughout the year, but more plentiful in March... For we are told by a grave author, an eminent French physician… there are more children born in Roman Catholic countries about nine months after Lent,”

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

A Modest Proposal was written by Jonathan Swift in the 1700s. During this time, Irish people were begging and starving along the streets, so Swift wrote the proposal because he wanted to help the poor Irish and make the country rich, although the ones who could actually help turn it around, like the ruling class, had no interest into doing so. He uses strategies such as pathos, imagery, and satire to highlight his points that cannibalism isn’t right. Jonathan Swift uses pathos in his proposal very well. He states that “butchers we may be assured will not be wanting, although I rather recommend buying the Children alive, and dressing them hot from the Knife, as we do roasting Pigs.”

Swift suggests that Irish women should sell their children as food and other necessities to the rich populace in order to benefit the economy and fight the problem of overpopulation. To specify, Swift proposes if the children are sold, there would be many more utilizations of the children instead of having to survive on the streets scraping for money. He uses this ridiculous example in hope that it will benefit the rich population as well as solve the predicament of overpopulation. As he states, “Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass;

We should eat babies in order to survive a food famine. That is the gist of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, a great example of satire. Satire is when someone pokes fun at an issue to grab your attention so you can see the issue for yourself. When read today, A Modest Proposal is seen as funny, outrageous, and a little disturbing, but there is a deeper underlying meaning showing a “. . . hidden truth”.

English Parliament had even passed laws that limited the rights of the Irish in their own country. Swift certainly means to attack the practices by which the English figuratively “devoured” the Irish by suggesting that they might as well go ahead and literally devour them too.

This piece written by Swift may be satirical and a horrendous idea to the common people, it would fix the problems that Dublin is having. By selling off their newborns, which they can’t afford anyway, they can make quite a bit of profit, helping with the poverty problem. Soon, they won’t have to worry about the little thieves running around because all of the children that have been stealing will have grown up and there won’t be any new children coming into the business. Lastly, with the new generation being butchered and devoured, there would be a rapid decrease in the

“A Modest Proposal” is a written as a satire, with the author claiming that the impoverished Irish should sell their children to wealthy elites for food in an attempt to alleviate their financial troubles. Most of Swift’s work is a hyperbole and mocks the callous attitudes towards poverty and the Irish in general. Swift begins the essay by examining the impoverishment of the Irish and then delves into his satirical idea about using infant Irish children as food. Swift uses examples of what he believes would be proper technique for eating children when he says, “I HAVE been assured by a very knowing American of my Acquaintance in London; that 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 Ragoust.” Swift is obviously not serious about eating Irish children, and this is evidenced by his excessive use of the listing of cooking techniques. Because Swift is being so nonchalant about the preparation of children, the reader can easily realize that the essay is

A Modest Proposal by Johnathan Swift is all about Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Public. “A Modest Proposal” is considered to be verbal irony due to the fact that its neither modest nor should it be a proposal for something like this, but it was not meant to be one. Swift starts this proposal of by highlighting the problems Irish families face, and then proposes his solution, which is eating the poor family’s children. When he says, “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 fricassee, or a ragout,” he is not serious about what he said but

He talks about how these infants would give nourishment to the general population of Ireland, and also garments since the skin could "make commendable gloves for women, and summer boots for fine men of honor" (Swift 251). He influences his audience to trust that he really assumes that cultivating these poor children will decrease the issues of overpopulation,hunger, destitution, and so much more. Through these sarcastic, yet legitimate, remarks, he is demonstrating his assumption that nobody has had relevant ideas that could help lighten the various social issues that have been devastating Ireland.

In the subtitle, Swift states "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 492). This quote is referring to fixing the problems in Ireland. Swift attacks the youth in his subtitle. He is hoping that the country as a whole would be emotionally affected if he put the spotlight on the financially unstable youth of Ireland. Swift wants everyone to realize that Ireland is in a poor state of condition and that a change needs to be made. The subtitle immediately grabs the reader’s attention and it brings awareness that there is a problem that needs to attend to. Swift then continues on by saying, "I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child, well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food..." (Swift 493). It is in this sentence that Swift justifies the food side

Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” was written in 1729, in Dublin, Ireland. During this time period, poverty, overpopulation, and starvation are major problems. This town was experiencing major overpopulation, which led to malnutrition. However, Swift decides to turn a problem into an issue that will solve itself. Basically, Swift proposes that the malnourished children could be fed enough to become a meal for other people. This proposal is mainly directed to the little income families. Swift believes that it would be beneficial to give the children away instead of having an extra financial burden. According to Swift, this will not only solve the hunger and poverty issue, but also the overpopulation. Giving the children away will decrease the population and allow for better living. Swift gives many pieces of evidence that supports the proposal. For example, Swift gives statistical information including the weight, price, and nutritional facts behind the argument. Based on Swift’s use of the rhetorical triangle, I am leaning toward Swift’s idea to eat the children in order to solve overpopulation, starvation, and poverty problems in Ireland.