A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick is a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift in 1729. The essay points out that the impoverished Irish can ease their economic problems by selling their children as food for the rich people which is a figure of speech but deals a great impact. It also encouraged positive development for those who suffered financial crisis and famishment, and urged the aristocratic lords to lower their taxes, so to put a means to an end of the starvation of the country from both its food and coins. This satirical essay mocked the insensitive attitudes towards the poor, as well as the state of the English …show more content…
policy towards the Irish as a whole. It primarily targets the rationalism of modern economics, and the growth of rationalistic modes of thinking in modern life at the expense of more traditional human values. The essay opens deploring the melancholy fate of the poverty-stricken Irish who spend all of their time feeding their large families. As a solution to the poverty in which these families are forced to live by having so many mouths to feed, Swift suggested that these poor families should fatten their children so that they could be sold as meat to the rich English aristocrats and landlords. He argues that children can be sold as early as age of one, giving these poor families much needed income and to be spared in order to raise their children. According to his calculations, with 100,000 Irish children from the population are set aside for a luxurious meal, it would solve the overpopulation and unemployment issues in Ireland, giving its economy a boost, while making it a way easier for the English to deal with its unruly Irish subjects. He then presents statistical supports and calculations for his proposal and specific data on the number of children to be sold in correlation to their weight and price, and the projected eating patterns of different consumers. He also proposes different recipes to be tried in preparing the meat in order for the innovative cooks to generate an ever remarkable and delicious dish. By this, it would improve and expand the culinary experience of the well-heeled as a whole, resulting a healthier and happier population. The piece then ends with an argument that the practice of selling and eating children will have a positive feedback on the Irish family morality; husbands will treat their wives with more respect, and parents will value their children in ways. His proposes that if it is implemented, it would do more to solve Ireland's complex social, political and economic problems than any other measure that has yet been proposed. A Modest Proposal utilized the satire approach, which is the use of irony, humor, and exaggeration to make a criticism on the ideas of others and to the events happening in the place.
Swift does not want the Irish people to sell their children for income but expresses it with outrageous concepts to convey his message.
According to GradeSaver editors (n.d.), A Modest Proposal is also a literary commentary. Swift makes fun of the similar pamphlets that were being circulated at that time. His diction and word choice throughout the piece, including the word modest in the title highlights this effects by mocking false modesty in the tone of different pamphlets of that time’s contemporary. Their style may have professed deference, but their proposals displayed audacity.
Swift goes to great lengths to support his argument, including a list of possible preparation styles for the children, and calculations showing the financial benefits of his suggestion. He uses methods of argument throughout his essay. To ensure the success of his work, Swift employed several literary techniques that would prove extremely effective to his audience. The following techniques were used in his satire: understatement, hyperbole to evoke humor and makes a point with strong language, juxtaposition that brings two different elements at odds with one another as how he presented the combination of the dire situation of the country to his outlandish
solutions Swift expresses his distress at the incompetence of the Irish politicians and the oppression of the English, the degradation of many of the Irish people living and the irony of the wealthy. As the piece expresses its bemoan towards the country as a subject to the English’s exploitation, he also expresses his utter disgust and disappointment to the Irish for not standing on their own feet and not just the politicians but also the masses are the cause of nation’s lamentable state. The idea that a young child could serve as a snack is just a tad ironic. The narrator "humbly" proposes his thoughts on cannibalism as if they're perfectly legitimate, ignoring the fact that they break every rule in the book. But by using an ironic tone, Swift gives us a glimpse at the terrible conditions in Ireland. The theme of prejudice against the lower classes is revealed in suggestions such as the idea that the carcasses of the poor children could be used for clothing, and women’s gloves. As been told in the piece, as well as his declaration that the landlords have already “devoured” the poor infants’ parents, that the rich live at the expense of the poor which supports the argument on the irony of the wealthy. Swift continues to develop his satire to the upper classes by implying that there are people so disconnected from the lower classes that they might agree with this outlandish proposal. According to Sparknotes editors (n.d.), the main rhetorical challenge of this ironic satire is to capture the attention of an audience whose indifference has been well tested. Swift makes his point, stringing together an appalling set of morally untenable positions in order to cast blame and aspersions far and wide. The satiredevelops through a series of surprises that first hits impact to the reader and then causes the reader to think critically on not only about policies, but also about motivations and values. A Modest Proposal has made a great impact on the world of literature and socio-political and economic themes. It created diverse influences to different culture on solving the different socio-economic problems. The combination of exaggerations and irony makes up its strengths in capturing the reader’s attention and conveying its message on the criticism of current state of the country at that time and to sought ways to and improve the country in general.
In Swift’s satirical essay he stated the main issue to be the hunger and starvation of Irish country and their lack of money to support oneself. He said the complication was they themselves don’t have food, to many families in poverty, and that the Englishman took their land and charging high prices for rent. Swift makes this argument because he too is an Irish men and he struggles to see his fellow men parish in the streets. He desires his people to stand up against England and take back what’s theirs. He argues that the Irish...
Swift’s use of these three devices created a captivating and somewhat humorous satire. He used irony and ethos to emphasize the ridiculous nature of the essay, and to show how the practice of eating children would be unethical. He used ambiguity to make the essay a more comedic work rather than a horror about the gruesome practice of child cannibalism. Overall, the satirical essay was
If Jonathan Swift had written a serious piece simply espousing his true beliefs he would not have received as much feedback, due to the fact that there were already informational advertisements at the time and nobody was interested in reading them. The only thing that would get the people 's attention was something that would create a lasting impression, so he wrote a satirical piece with trenchant humor and mochary. “A Modest Proposal” surprised people and got them thinking about the condition of the poor in Ireland and what should be done to solve it. For example Swift states that “those who are thrifty” can use the carcass of the infant for ladies’ gloves or gentlemen’s boots. This itself can help those reading the piece to begin to think about possible solutions to the substantial issues involving the poor in Ireland. He also proposes that children that are fourteen should be consumed as well so the poor don’t have to go hungry and that it would limit the number of breeders, in an attempt to illustrate the extremity of the circumstances. His sarcastic way of joking enlisted fear in the poor and concern in the rich, helping them realise the drastic issue present in the
“The Modest Proposal” is anything but modest. It is actually kind of scary, creepy might just be would be a better way to put it. Johnathan Swift comes off as innocent because he is genuinely sympathetic to the people of Ireland in the beginning of the story. Swift comes off as knowledgeable, confident and caring person when he presents his idea to help resolve the problem occurring in Ireland. Swift uses a scare tactic and then appeals to false authority in order to try and convince the people of Ireland that this could be logically sound proposal.
In the time frame that Swifts’ A Modest Proposal was written Ireland was going through political, economic, and religious struggles. In 1729 England had contrived, with the help of Irish venality, to wreck Ireland’s merchant marine, agriculture, and wool industry. Prostitutes in Swift’s paper are having kids like senseless people, but yet they can’t afford to feed them. Jonathan Swift proposes that his people should sell the babies and eat them. He thinks this would help solve the problem of over population. Swift tried to give his people pamphlets on how to fix the problem that was plaguing their country, but they ignored them. Swift says “These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants.”(1) Swift proposes that the mothers sell the babies for 8 shillings; the rich would find the child to be a delicacy and the extra money would go to the landlord. So everyone would benefit from this proposal. He does this as a way of making his people aware of what is going on in their
First of all, the title is very under exaggerated and under exaggeration is a characteristic of satire. The proposal the narrator makes is very far from modest. The narrator proposes that eating babies will fix the poverty in society. Swift’s purpose in writing ”A Modest Proposal” was to get the reader to make up their own opinions, without telling them what to believe or talking about morals. The narrator says he has “no other motive than the publick good of my country, by advancing or trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich” when proposing this idea. (Swift) The real purpose in writing this is to get the reader to find real solutions to end poverty and help society unlike this
...that the author is sarcastic about his own proposal, any kind of opposing view or counterargument is in reality the voice of reason and intelligence when compared with Swift’s proposal. The argument is in a way weak or flawed because of the sarcasm at hand. Yes, it is full of satire, but in the following argument Swift builds up his proposal only to diminish the value of his argument by blatantly expressing the sarcasm in this piece. This proposal is flawed throughout the text and is in no way a rational or logical solution to the problem as Swift claims it is. In conclusion, Swift’s proposal is a satire filled piece, which he delivers in a dry indifferent style. His arguments, rationally presented, support an irrational solution to the problem and he evokes pathos in his audience by using only logos in his proposal and that is the brilliance of his piece.
Swift defined satire as; 'A sort of glass wherein the holders do generally discover everybody's face but their own, which is the chief reason for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that so very few are offended with it. " Swift presents his "Proposal" as an entirely reasonable suggestion to aid the Irish, he enumerates the many benefits, counters the objections many may have, uses rhetoric reasoning and proves his humanitarianism views. Swift has written in considerable detail over the degree of poverty in Ireland, he draws attention to the causes of it obliquely and proves in great detail that his "Proposal" will work and in which ways it does work. Ireland was a colony of England; it was economically, politically and militarily dependent on ... ... middle of paper ... ...
Even though the sarcastic tone isn’t always explicit, a reader who knows the intended purpose of the essay is able to find examples. For starters, in line 28 Swift writes about the horrors that overpopulation causes. He says, “There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! Too frequent among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to avoid the expense than the shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast.” This line is written as serious. It calls the death of babies a crime, and describes the “savage” and “horrid” infanticide; yet the thesis of the essay is about the systematic murdering and consuming of one year old children. The sarcasm in this line is that it intentionally misses the point of the thesis it supports, in a way that is almost
His very different tones throughout “A Modest Proposal” helps the reader realize that the essay’s idea is absurd. Swifts tone at the beginning of the essay is very sympathetic towards the people of Ireland, but his sympathy hastily goes away when he suggests his idea. Swift changes the tone of the essay so drastically it shocks the readers by making “A Modest Proposal” very ironic to its name.
...ture the attention of the audience by means of “political pamphleteering which is very popular during his time” (SparkNotes Editors). The language and style of his argument is probably why it is still popular till this day. By using satire, Swift makes his point by ridiculing the English people, the Irish politicians, and the wealthy. He starts his proposal by using emotional appeal and as it progresses, he uses ethos to demonstrate credibility and competence. To show the logical side of the proposal, he uses facts and figures. By applying these rhetorical appeals, Swift evidently makes his argument more effectual.
This essay will have no value unless the reader understands that Swift has written this essay as a satire, humor that shows the weakness or bad qualities of a person, government, or society (Satire). Even the title A Modest Proposal is satirical. Swift proposes using children simply as a source of meat, and outrageous thought, but calls his propo...
The entire proposal stands as a satire in itself; an analogy paralleling the tyrannical attitude of the British toward their Irish counterparts and the use of babies as an economic commodity. In short, Swift suggests that Irish parents are owned by the British, and babies are property of their parents, therefore, England has a right to consume the Irish babies. Swift uses this syllogism to show the British that their despotic reign in Ireland has left the miserable nation in poverty and disarray. Historically, it has been evidenced that England first colonized Ireland for security against, at that time, the Irish barbarians that inhabited the land. Thus, England continues to justify their power over Ireland as “restraining the temptation to consume among England's enemies” (Mahoney). Along with “the assurance of English military power to defend the colony from threat,” the degree of “English political and economic control that the colonists deeply resented,” grew exponentially into a full blown autocracy over Ireland (Mahoney). Swift writes, “Some persons of a desponding nature are in great concern.” This is not simply a concern ...
Jonathan Swift, a well-known author, in his essay “A Modest Proposal,” implies that the Irish people should eat children so that they can better their chances of survival. Swift supports his implication by describing how his proposal will have many advantages such as, eliminating papists, bringing great custom to taverns, and inducing marriages. He comes up with an absurd proposal to eat and sell the children to the elite so the Irish can have a brighter future. His purpose is to show that the Irish deserve better treatment from the English. Throughout his essay, Swift uses sarcasm, satire, and irony.
The issue Dublin is suffering from is the problems of overpopulation, beggars, and young thieves roaming the streets. Jonathan Swift is giving a speech to the public of Dublin, which carries a proposal to solve all of the problems. Swift has no other motive than the public good of his country, by advancing their trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. The targeted audience of the proposal being the people of Dublin, Ireland. The main point of this proposal is to get people to open their eyes and do something to...