Rhetorical Devices Used In A Modest Proposal

Desperate times often call for desperate measures, and proposals of desperate measures are often met with swift criticism if they are found to be without rational thought and merit. It is unlikely that anyone in their right mind would consider, for any amount of time, the proposal of rearing children, or properly raising them, as food to help alleviate poverty-stricken Ireland in 1729. Yet, Jonathan Swift’s suggestion was satirical brilliance, and it was a modest proposal for illuminating the cause of Ireland’s woes. The proposal was not actually eating children but placing a mirror for the reader to reflect upon. The target audience of landlords, gentlemen, and other people of stature were more than accustomed to stepping on the poor on

To me, Swift challenges the status quo in the story the most by saying how we should eat children. In the story, Swift states that at that time it costed families two shillings a year to raise a child. Jonathan believes that a man would have paid ten shillings for a “good fat child.” Within the same paragraph, he has calculated that one child will amount to approximately four meals that are extremely nutritious. Those four meals would keep the man and one person of company with full stomachs. At one point in the story the author says that an infant's flesh will be in season around march. Throughout the story there are countless examples where the author refers to eating children. In my opinion, it was not okay to eat children then, nor is it acceptable now.

In paragraphs 29-31, Swift mentions several expedients, such as taxes, wearing homemade clothes, rejecting foreign luxury, curing vices among women, instilling the virtues of patriotism, taxing the absentees, and rejecting divisiveness while promoting honest, industry, and skill. Swift’s speaker stated at the end of all his expending, “How preceptors!” Swift’s rhetorical purpose is to make the reader realize that he is ironic as well as understand what he actually stands for. The reader learns that Swift is forced to resort to ironic tone to reveal his true intention, which would otherwise go unnoticed. Swift is ironic because there is no way his expedients could succeed in a time that Ireland was in, he was mainly trying to highly the economic problems affecting the county at the time.

In Jonathan Swift’s satire, “A Modest Proposal”, Swift writes about the starving people of Ireland in the early 1700’s. He makes a wild and absurd proposal to help remedy the problems of overpopulation and poverty. Swift wants to make a political statement by using the “children” as satire to grasp the attention of the audience - the English people, the Irish politicians and the rich – and make them aware of the political, moral, and social problems. In “A Modest Proposal”, Swift’s arguments are presented effectively by using pathos (emotional appeal), ethos (ethics and values), and logos (logic reasoning and facts).

The sarcastic views of Swift’s understanding of the poverty of Ireland leads him to make a proposal for a solution to poverty, where he ignores the concern of human morale by displaying the lacking efforts of England to help. Swift uses methods that work to get or help better understand a situation, for example being sarcastic in a situation where a person wants something out of the situation by satire. The undeniable effect of satire catches the attention of England to further display the poverty of Ireland which is displayed throughout Swift’s Modest Proposal with exaggeration, incongruity and reversal.

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.

In Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” Swift proposes to solve the devastating poverty in Ireland by selling children as food for wealthy families. Swift goes on to explain how this would solve all of Ireland’s problems from domestic abuse to poverty. “... a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled…” (par. 9.)Swift explains his proposal in depth, in many ways treating these children as nothing more than livestock.

In “A Modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift discusses how Ireland is in bad shape. He describes the poor conditions of the economy and society of Ireland. To illustrate the poor state of the economy in Ireland he gives examples of the poverty people in Ireland are living. Swift says, “It is a melancholy to those… when they see the streets… crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags…” To further show the unfortunate state of Ireland, Swift demonstrates how the society is in a deprived

Since its original publishing in 1729, Jonathan Swift’s pamphlet “A Modest Proposal” has endured for its rhetorical complexity (and sheer satirical absurdities). Through judicious use of ethos (ethical appeal), logos (logical appeal), and pathos (emotional appeal), Swift crafts a sarcastic, insincere, overly embellished argument to address Irelands food shortage and economic crisis meant to simultaneously entice and repulse readers. His audience is explicitly asked to accept the intentionally horrifying idea that the numerous children of Ireland’s poorest class can be made useful predominantly as food, but also as footwear, for wealthier citizens.

Although Swift was relatively wealthy his goal was to garner empathy for the poor Irish people, much like people today emphasize with the less fortunate. To do this Swift knows that he must showcase the brutal immorality of the situation. To express the terrible immorality Swift coldly points out that,“But I am not in the least pain upon that matter because it is very well known that they are every day dying and rotting by cold and famine, and filth and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected” (6). Swift points out the already horrific conditions in Ireland. He wants to bring attention to the Irish people's suffering. This is similar to how people try to bring attention to the poor suffering in our county today. Then as now, many of the problems facing society are often worsened by politicians and other leaders. To mock such leaders, Swift satirically explains his horrific plan ignoring its morality: “I profess in the sincerity of my heart that I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country” (9-10). Swift satirically acts like his plan will save the nation, but he does not acknowledge the immorality of his position. He does this to parody Ireland's leaders who leaders falsely believe themselves to be great leaders. Much like our political leaders who do not always do what is best for the

In the 1720’s Ireland and its people suffered through decimal harvests and famine spread quickly spread throughout the land. In “A Modest Proposal”, by Jonathan Swift, the main objective was to draw attention to the plight of the Irish people and motivate readers to find a workable solution. Jonathan Swift’s not so modest proposal was to eat children at the age of one, and although it was an extreme of what should be done, it was a way to gain alert readers of the rising problems in Ireland. He accomplished this task not by criticizing the English, but instead by making a humorous and inspirational proposal; using a persuasive writing technique called satire. Swift was able to strongly influence readers by using various logical, emotional,

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

In 1729, with “A Modest Proposal”, Jonathan Swift raised the argument that, “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” (44), we should rid ourselves of them by our own consumption. We should bake them, fry them, or serve them in a fricassee or ragout. Swift proposes his “humble” thoughts, for which he expects no objection, on the idea that it would be beneficial to the parents, the country, and even the children if they were to be eaten. He also states that anyone who objects should “ask the parents of these mortals whether they would not at this day think it a

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;

Thinking/Talking/Writing Points Swift “A Modest Proposal”Background: Swift wrote this ironic piece in reaction to poverty and overpopulation in Ireland, as