A Modest Proposal Analysis

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The economic crisis in Ireland in 1970s was an overbearing issue for the Irish and became a topic of satire ridicule for writers. Specifically, Jonathan Swift demonstrates mockery in one of his written works, “A Modest Proposal.” The speaker proposes to shift the issues of over population and poverty to a business like mentality by paying women to have children and then after a year, gaining a profit by selling and eat their children. The speaker’s proposal to consume the children of Ireland demonstrates a satirical solution to the Irish’s economic problems since the speaker practices irony, paralipsis, and ridicule to his proposition to the people of Ireland. The speaker uses verbal irony multiple times to describe the poor individuals …show more content…

This tactic is used within this essay when the speaker specifically states that no other suggestions “of other expedients” (paragraph 29) are proposed to save Ireland from it’s crisis. However, he reveals that other solutions like “taxing [their] absentees” (paragraph 29) for “using neither cloaths, nor furniture, except what is of [their] own growth and manufacture” (paragraph 29). The speaker argues further that Ireland should “utterly [reject] the material and instruments that promote foreign luxury” (paragraph 29). However, instead of arguing these politically appropriate solutions, the speaker chooses to propose “buying the children alive and dressing them hot from the knife, as [they] do roasting pigs” (paragraph 16). Furthermore, the speaker is completely ignoring the appropriate solutions to Ireland’s population and economic problems. However by providing the reader a small glimpse of a fitting resolution. Instead, the speaker amplifies his satirical solution from the use of verbal irony, use of paralipsis and also …show more content…

Specifically, the speaker demonstrates ridicule when explaining Ireland’s inability to capture a suitable resolution to the country’s issues. For example, the speaker argues that he is “not so violently bent upon [his] own opinion as to reject any offer proposed by wise men” (paragraph 32) since the speaker has “been wearied out for many years, with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success” (paragraph 31). Therefore, he argues his only option is to suggest this proposal since others lack any recommendations. The speaker further argues Ireland’s inability to provide pleasurable solutions for this issue by stating that the only recommendation that is satisfactory is his proposal that he “humbly offer[s]” (paragraph 9). The speaker then states that “whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound, usual members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation” (paragraph 2). Although, the speaker is only proposing that the people of Ireland have not been able to propose an appropriate solution for their economic

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