A Modest Proposal Ap Language

The satirical essay “A Modest Proposal” written and published in in 1729 by an Anglo- Irish man named Jonathan Swift, in response to the worsening conditions of Ireland, was one of his most controversial and severe writings of his time. The narrator in Swift’s essay “A Modest Proposal” argues for a drastic and radical end to poverty in Ireland. Swift’s proposal suggests that the needy, poor people of Ireland can ease their troubles simply by selling their children as food to the rich and make them useful, benefitting the public. With the use of irony, exaggeration and ridicule Swift mocks feelings and attitudes towards the poor people of Ireland and the politicians. However, with the use of satire Swift creates a

He addressed the English by giving them a scenario in the form of a “Proposal” in order to show them their exploiting nature. Swift proposed an idea to help escalate the country’s economic condition and lower its poverty rates. The core of his proposal was the children. He argued that poor parents should no longer bear the burden of children. Instead the children should provide for themselves and their parents by being a commodity. He explained the process similarly to that of raising and selling cattle; mothers should provide their year-old child with nourishment until he or she is fattened, then rich people would buy that child for multiple purposes. Either for feeding or luxurious purposes, those children would eventually provide for the economy. Such proposal intended to camouflage the actual exploitations practiced by the rich English. The reader then was expected to look deeper and untie the knots to discover how in fact he was exploiting the Irish. “The audience is never really let in on the joke - they're supposed to figure it out for themselves that Swift is kidding. Of course, not everybody did.”

When Swift is describing the use of children as commodities, it is ironic because his intentions are to actually explain that the English view the whole Irish population as commodities. The English landlords are the ones responsible for Ireland’s poverty. The essay shows, through sarcasm, that the English have purposely took everything from the Irish because they view them as commodities. One example of sarcasm used to portray that idea is that the utilization of infants will be “proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children” (804). It is very apparent that Swift blames the English for Ireland’s problems. He also blames the Irish Catholics that allowed English policy to break down Ireland.

Throughout this piece Swift uses ethos, pathos and logos to further prove his point of children being a burden to their poor parents and country and by getting rid of them great things can come out of it such as food, clothing and accessories for people. He uses the rhetorical devices to add logic, emotion and credibility to his plan. Johnathan Swift’s purpose for writing “A Modest Proposal” is to inform the public of a solution to Ireland’s poverty in a comedic way.

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

“We can incur no damage in disobliging England.” “First as things now stand how will they be able to find food and raiment for a hundred thousand useless mouths and backs.” By telling the people that his plan can solve Ireland's problems without hurting England and also calling Irishmen useless. Swift says these things to appeal to the citizens emotions of hatred. Swift also uses Ethos in this essay. “As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years, upon this important subject.” By telling the people that he has been observing what was going on in Ireland for many years it gives him credibility that he knows what he is talking about. “As I have been informed by a principal gentleman in the county of Cavan.” “I am assured by our merchant,that a boy or a girl before twelve years old is is no saleable.” In order to give himself and what he is proposing more credibility, the speaker enlist the help of other people who have either witness or are involved with what he is proposing and all of them say that the proposal has benefits.

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;

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.

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.

In the early 1700s, England was strangling its sister colony through mercantilism and religious persecution; these events inevitably lead to an intense famine that ravaged Ireland. During this time, Irish born political satirist Jonathan Swift proposed a number of boycotts against British oppression but was not heeded. Published in 1729, Swift, released a “modest proposal” after all his other proposals had been neglected. On its face, the ironically titled Modest Proposal suggests a seemingly ludicrous solution of cannibalism to the crisis of famine. Swift tackles the concept of the English devouring the Irish literally, through the satirization of his proposal. His theoretical plan allows him to approach the the issue sardonically, as he comes through the text as a hopelessly naive-- yet, well meaning-- humanitarian. Calling upon the aid of hyperbolic sarcasm, Swift crafts an explicit argument that relies on blatant irony to clue the audience into his implicit claim that Ireland tolerated the destruction and barbarization of Irish infrastructure and society. The cavalier manner in which Swift addresses both the current state of fragmentation and proposed anthropophagic scenario, provokes a stunned reaction in the audience.

Not many people can write a proposal consisting of three thousand three hundred and seventy-six words in which political and economic issues are discussed and given a solution in such a serious yet sarcastic tone, but this is exactly what Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal does. Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland to British parents and as result of this, he yearned to get as far away as he could from the Irish. After he was ordained into the Church of Ireland in 1964, he was exposed to the lives of the poor population. He could not have guessed that in a few years, he would write one of the most political satire pieces in history. A Modest Proposal is so iconic because of its unique tone, the in-depth discussion of the blatant abuse of

Swift wrote his proposal for those that were tired of looking at poor children of Ireland. He starts out explaining the situation in Ireland regarding single poor mothers that have three to six children and cannot afford to feed or clothe them. The children of the poor are a burden and a disgrace

Satire is a genre of literature that uses wit and irony for the purpose of social criticism. It has been used throughout history to “ridicule problems in society, government, businesses, and individuals in order to bring attention to certain follies, vices, and abuses, as well as to lead to improvements” (Satire Examples). Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is one of the most famous satirical essays ever written. Swift utilizes satire as the primary element to attack leading opinions of his day in Ireland about poor people and suggests a barbaric alternative for “fixing” the poverty issue. He begins by criticizing the miserable fate of the poverty-stricken Irish who have to spend all their time trying to feed their large families.

Swift’s essay “A Modest Proposal” sums up the shift in societies thinking by highlighting the plight of Ireland and the disregard of it by England in an exaggerated, over the top way much like satirical websites and television shows such as The Onion and Saturday Night Live do with current issues today. Just as Swift pointed out