Essay on Rethoric in A Modest Proposal by Johnathan Swift

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

Swift portrays his views in his political satire called A Modest Proposal, he stresses that it is hard for mothers to provide for their children and it is not getting any easier. He feels that this is due to an overpopulation and lack of food.

From the beginning, irony is immediately displayed through the title of the text, A Modest Proposal. Modest means to be moderate and the proposal stated is anything but. The irony of this title serves to display to the audience how “moderate” this plan is in comparison to what the government was presently doing which was basically nothing in Swift’s eyes. Throughout the introduction, the speaker introduces the problem -- overpopulation and poverty -- and presents a solution. He mentions children in passing, which later on becomes a large part of his “proposal” to help Ireland. Swift cites that a significant part of the problem in Ireland is the struggle to provide for the evergrowing population and in order to solve this, children -- specifically newborns to a year old -- should be sold to the upper classes as food. He describes that “a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food..” (Swift, lines 70-71). This solution would lessen the pressure for the state to provide for them in addition to other benefits that Swift later expresses. This hyperbolic suggestion serves to express Swift’s viewpoint on the actions of the upper class to solve the issues that Ireland was enduring. He was implying that their

He then goes on to say that his solution to this problem “…will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! Too frequent among us! Sacrificing the poor innocent babe I double more to avoid the expense than the shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhumane breasts” (Swift 2). He uses these “inhumane” images to draw emotion.

Swift estimates that there are 120,000 children of poor parents born annually. These children are a burden on society because " . . .we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture "(2183), they have no practical skills or uses. To deal with this problem, Swift makes his "modest proposal," using a device that is timeless in its effectiveness-shock value:

The problems talked about in “A Modest Proposal” are not so different from the problems we face today. We still have poverty, people living on the streets and families with kids who can barely pay rent. I don’t agree with Swift’s idea and don’t think it would work very well. It would greatly damage the population and greatly the future of people because if we eat

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

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.

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.

Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" can be said to have a satirical surprise ending, even though the reader is well prepared for it based on the tone and style of Swift's writing and any prior knowledge of the author's intentions. Swift's final solution to the problem of overpopulation is for the poor to sell their children as food for the rich. He introduces this proposition quite early into the document "A Modest Proposal," which is why the ending is not so much as a surprise as it is an intriguing rhetorical argument. The reason why the ending might seem surprising is that it seems as if Swift may indeed be presenting a realistic argument of what can be done about overpopulation, in spite of all evidence to the contrary. A reader not used to inferring messages based on tone or style might be forgiven to misread the beginning of Swift's document. For example, a person who has never heard a sarcastic tone could very well believe that Swift was being serious; in which case the reader would continue to view Swift's proposal as reasonable and either consider him a monster or a genius. Generally, Swift uses the surprise ending to alert the readers to the absurdity of the original problem that reveals social injustices and inequities. One of the biggest surprises in Swift's document is when he states, "I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the

In A Modest Proposal, Swift presents a solution for the economic crisis in Ireland, which mocks the beliefs of the society completely and through reason he attempted to change the ideals of the Irish

In the disturbing essay ”A Modest Proposal”, Jonathan Swift suggests to have a solution to the “deplorable state of the Kingdom,” and “preventing children of poor people being a burden to their parents or country,” as well as the overpopulation of Ireland. He satirizes dehumanizing attempts to make bastard children from poor family useful to the commonwealth, through imagery “young healthy child ... delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled...” and diction ”Barbadoes, alms, computation” Jonathan develops the text to in a way to make the idea of his to sound better than previous proposals. In order to show some the severity of the outcomes in countries that became colonies of the British Empire.

Jonathan Swift wrote A Modest Proposal in response to the Whigs political party attempting to further devalue the existing third-world economy of Ireland through absentee landlordism. The Whig Party was originally founded in 1678, at the start of Britain’s modern political history. The key principles of the Whigs were to defend the people against tyranny and to advance human progress. Swift sought to expose the English complacency and hypocrisy as well as Irish 's unwillingness to fight back against injustice. The way A Modest Proposal is written, it is obvious it was made of people of higher class. Swift show those who are privileged a glimpse of what life is like for poverty struck Ireland.

The Irish have done nothing to halt the terrorizing nature of their domineering counterparts. Swift uses this proposal to describe the wretched situation in Ireland. By “rigorously underplaying the aspect of fantasy in his proposal,” Swift suggests the Irish have arrived at a condition in which such a plan may actually be seriously considered (Lockwood). Ireland is in such a dismal state that “the advantages by the proposal,” which Swift presents, are of the highest importance” (Swift). Merrily pitching his own ludicrous idea, Swift is mockingly attempting to elucidate the seriousness of the state of Ireland. Every detail of the proposal reveals the terrible conditions of Ireland through the eyes of a normal citizen. Through Swift’s vividly appalling arguments, the audience is “never allowed to forget that Swift hates the evil conditions more passionately than the speaker who describes them” (Booth). In essence, the ostensible anger against the English in the proposal is used merely to heighten Swift’s own dismay over the way Ireland has conducted itself (Booth). Swift craftily causes readers to question whether he is being serious or just poking fun at the sad situation.

            Swift estimates that there are 120,000 children of poor parents born annually.  These children are a burden on society because " . . .we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture "(2183), they have no practical skills or uses.  To deal with this problem, Swift makes his "modest proposal," using a device that is timeless in its effectiveness-shock value: