Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal Essay

A Modest Proposal was a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift depicting the horrific conditions of Ireland and the lives of the Irish people in 1729. Swift writes the satire disguised as a social planner of the time who as Swift satirizes were known to be overly rational rather than compassionate. The author portrays and attacks the cruel and unjust oppression of Ireland by its oppressor, the mighty English and ridicules the Irish people at the same time. However, Swift's opposition is indirectly presented. Jonathan Swift is able to do so by using the persona, irony, and wit in order to expose the remarkable corruption and degradation of the Irish people, and at the same time present them with practicable solutions to their economic

Swift develops his argument by using the rhetorical devices such as ethos. He uses ethos to add credibility to hi plan to save Ireland from poverty. For example, “I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom is very great additional grievance” (Swift pg. 1). He uses mothers and fathers to validate his point that young children are a big burden to them during this time. He uses the poor parents as credibility for his intentions to save his country.

In “A Modest Proposal” Swift makes fun of rich British leaders who believe that they are better than the lower class as they see them as inconvenient and useless, Swift exaggerates their disdain for the poor by suggesting that their women should become breeders and their children a food source. Swift exaggerates the rich British leaders' feelings towards the poor to place emphasis on the absurd feeling that they are an inconvenience to the higher class. Swift makes fun of the British leaders because of their wrong and absurd feelings towards the lower class and homeless people in Ireland. Swifts’ exaggerations push the feeling of shame and wrong onto the British leaders’ to show that their feelings towards the poor are just as absurd as his exaggerations. He suggests that their women become breeders and their children a food source because if they are already an inconvenience, why (they should, or something other than why) not make them into something useful.

Throughout Jonathan Swifts essay, A Modest Proposal, there seems to be a tone of satirical bitterness towards the English government for colonizing Ireland and then neglecting its citizens to live in such dire conditions. This bitter tone seems to suggest that the English’s unwanted interference and neglect has not transformed the Irish people into “civil” citizens, but instead that it has evolved them into the “barbaric” and “animalistic” people they were once accused of being.

It's clear that Swift is committed to relieving poverty, and while he may not have the most humane proposals, his intentions are clear, for their community to prosper. There is a monumental breakthrough in the passage, more specifically the Italicized section near the end of the passage, where his irony appealed to logos rather than humor. Here Swift became more comprehensive of the situation, as he mentioned that perhaps landlords should have a small amount of mercy toward their tenants. Despite his satirical appeals, this segment reflected his true intentions and proposal. All the irony and satire Swift appealed was simply the foreground of the truth, and the truth was that Swift considered the source of poverty to be the system of their society: landlords, honesty, industries, shopkeepers,

In the literary work of A Modest Proposal, one of the better examples of satire in literature by Jonathan Swift he writes as a concerned citizen to the Irish poor, which he describes in detail about their suffering. Swift often refers to the economy of Ireland as being unsutible for its people due to the fact that Ireland is over populated. Swift argues that the problem they are having is poverty in Ireland and describes his remedied on how it can be stopped. His work shows how savage, insane, and frightening it could be for the people of Ireland. From his work he allows many details about alienation. One of the points where this becomes about is how he takes the stand for the poor Irish people and shows how in society they have been alienated

The issue Swift attempts to solve is the over population of children and the lack of food in Ireland. Ireland in the 1720s was fairly poor especially in Dublin, where Swift lived. The Irish government begged for help from Britain but they did nothing to aid. Dublin’s issue was to feed millions with the little food they have grown. Swift believed he had an excellent idea to solve the poverty in Dublin’s streets. Since he

Swift demands the audience to recognize the narrator's purpose "having no other motive than the public good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infant's, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich." (Swift 489) The speaker optimistically believes that his idea is for the best. If Swift did not believe that his idea would not have a positive outcome he would not have suggested. Regardless of Swift's inhumane suggestion, which is negative, he only tries to reveal the positive of the situation. This feeling of insecurity is his way of disparaging the Irish and English government.

Swift refers to his essay as unserious by becoming more insincere in order to show how horrific his proposal is. He late uses his dishonesty and insincerity to his benefit to show what his true meaning behind his proposal. He states that he, [has] the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work” (Swift 7). Swift discusses about having a low personal interest in killing all the children because of how might the audience think he’s untrustworthy and insincere. His audience must think that of him due to the fact of how easy it is for him explain that killing children would be the best solution. He shows how he has no personal connection to his proposal because of the fact that he is still assumed to be insincere and untruthful. Swift also might not have any personal relationship to his proposal since his children are above the age he provides people when insisting they sell their kids. In addition, Swift suggests that through his insincerity there will be another problem presented although not as major as the problem at hand. He still continues on with his proposal keeping in mind that there will be conflict in the future. Swift states that, “it will have one other collateral advantage, by lessening the number of papists among us” (Swift 3). He expresses that there will another collateral

The poor in the country comprise of beggars and their children, and cottagers and laborers; if the government decides to provide for them, it will result in a serious debt spanning myriad years. Swift’s indication that his proposal is rather cheap, innocent, effectual and easy to adopt is also an indication that the end of the story will be different from what the readers expect. Swift asserts that even the parents of the children who have developed to adolescence would have seconded his idea to solve the problems that they have faced trying to provide for them. In comparison to how the essay concludes, this is an indication that Swift (2007) was also speaking for himself as at the end of the essay he regrets not having children whom he could sell for benefit.

Swift’s proposal attempted to do so with the same logic and motivation that he considered to be the cause of the melancholy that could be observed traveling through Ireland. He aims his observations and remarks as sympathetic for the people, but more importantly empathetic because, as a prosperous traveler, one does not want to see such things while

His use of diction relating to livestock as well as his cold, calculated tones and constant appeals to foreign authority mirror and comment upon the elite?s absurb rationalization for their abuse and exploition of the dredges of society. He constantly likens beggers to animals, even comparing children to ?sheep, black cattle or swine? and even speaking of them interms of ?fore and hind quarter?s. His tone is so disturbingly uninvolved and methodical that he is able to calculate exactly how many meals a baby will serve and even pictures cannibalism as a socially acceptable occurence when ?entertaining friends.? Throughout the piece Swift constantly seeks to jusify his proposal by mentioning the suggestions he has received from his influential friends in foreign countries. This illustrates that the narrator?s mind is even farther removed from the immediate crisis and famine. As people read through the passage, Swift is able to sneakily encourage people to question the authority of their elitist leadership.

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

But this tribulation cannot be blamed solely on the British. Swift cleverly condemns the British aristocracy for their mistreatment of the Irish people while also criticizing the Irish people for allowing this exploitation.

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