A Modest Proposal
I believe that Swift wants the reader to view the speaker as a caring and compassionate man with the simple interest of solving of problem in his country because he is just that patriotic about his country and wants to see it prosper. In the first couple of paragraphs, it sounds as if he really wants to make a proposal that will change Ireland forever and will definitely help it economically until there is an unexpected change of events, tone and even idea and at about paragraph 9 is where the real outrages ideas come in.
Swifts diction to me sounds kind of cold and harsh because it doesn't exactly sound like he likes the things hes describing, kind of like when you don't like someone and you refer to them as “girl,” “boy,” or “that person.” First, instead of starting of with saying “women” he says “the female sex” as if it was a sort of martain species. What had really caught my attention was in paragraph 5 where the abortions, to him, where “voluntary” abortions came into play, which if you think about it, he’s kind of like mocking this voluntary abortion thing because
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Any sensitive reader could pick up in the sarcasm in Swifts tone here because it goes from “Let no one judge me until they have come up with a better plan than me” to “I have this vain and cruel thought that I have ‘fortunately’ come upon, *wink* *wink.*
The final paragraph of the essay contributes heavily to his rhetorical purpose because of the simple fact that he excludes himself from his own proposal and sparking some emotion in the reader. At this point, after he excuses himself, it is to have the reader say something along the lines of, “You just made this proposal.. Your proposal.. And YOU the one who made it, won't even participate. What the heck
The main rhetorical challenge of this ironic essay is capturing the attention of an audience. Swift makes his point negatively, stringing together an appalling set of morally flawed positions in order to cast blame and criticize
At what point in the essay did you recognize that Swift’s proposal is meant to be satiric? Do you think a modern audience would get the joke faster than Swift’s contemporaries did? It becomes obvious that the author was employing sarcastic and humorous ideas in his proposal when
Swift wants his readers to interpret his speaker as a kindhearted, sensible gentleman with a sincere concern for resolving problems for the Irish people. In the first eight paragraphs, the reader meets an affectionate man with precise insight into the predicament he will shortly address. By doing this, the speaker establishes himself up as someone who would not make an outrageous proposition. This makes his words even more effective.
The issue that Swift is addressing is the fact that there are too many poor children in Dublin and that they are becoming such a huge burden for all the poor mothers or parents of the country. Swift then creates his own solution to the problem. He proposes that all poor children who are around one year of age, be cooked and eaten by the people of Dublin, preferably the poor. With this solution, he argues that it will eventually put an end to the overpopulation of the poor young children and it will satisfy the hunger for all the other people. Crazy right?
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...
The obvious lack of ethics and morals in this passage cements that this essay is satirical and should not be understood as a legitimate solution to the starvation issue. He later listed the advantages of a system that breeds children for food, these advantages are all very unethical simply based off the fact that they are benefits of eating infants. Swift mentioned ideas including the murder of Catholic babies, eating humans as a fun custom, and giving the poor something of value (their own children). His use of ethos shows the audience that the essay is satirical and emphasizes the extreme ridiculousness of his ideas. Swift’s use of these three devices created a captivating and somewhat humorous satire.
One of the other voices that is present throughout the entire story is that of sarcasm. In order to understand this further, a reader has to comprehend that Swift, becoming infamous after Gullivers Travels, was a member of the upper-class. Right from the first paragraph Swift attempts to fool his readers by the sarcasm of the dreary scene that Swift presents. For example, he mentions that it is a melancholy sight to see beggars and their children on the street. The sarcastic paradox in this statement is whether it is a melancholy object for him, having to see homeless people every day, or for the beggars lifestyle? Upon first reading this one may be led to believe that Swift is a compassionate writer attempting to feel the pain of the beggars. But as the story continues, a reader can look back and note that he is using a sarcastic tone and the only sad sight that he sees is the fact that people of his status have to deal with commoners.
...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.
In his satire, A Modest Proposal, Swift utilizes hyperbole and sarcasm to bring awareness of the unacceptable conditions of the Irish poor in the 18th century.
The story itself is ironic since no one can take Swift’s. seriously consider the proposal. This irony is clearly demonstrated at the end of the story; Swift makes it clear that this proposal would not affect. him since his children were grown and his wife unable to have any more children. They are all children.
...lready devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children.” He tried to make the parents realize that the present they are living in will become the future of their children. Swift’s use of these appeals helped his audience to take such a ridiculous proposal as something serious. If one could see through the veil created by all the sarcasm and satirical diction they would see a man who only wants to aid his nation in its time of need
As Swift speaks about the situation he uses poignant words which allude to his satirical
Swift begins his argument by stating his view on the situation and displaying his annoyance. He states, "It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country when they see the streets, roads, and cabin doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms" (Swift 1). He uses melancholic imagery for the readers to sympathize with the suffering children and to understand their situation. Similarly, Swift displays his disgust for the wealthy by stating that "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… which would move tears in the most savage and inhumane beast" (1). He talks about abortion and shows how ghastly and disheartening the practice is. Clearly, Swift makes use of pathos to slowly gain the reader’s confidence in preparation for his appalling proposal. He knows that many will be emotionally affected by his proposal because no one would want their own c...
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...
Swift establishes these tones as his proposal of killing impoverished infants through the shock of this idea and by exaggerating the viability of this argument which causes his proposal to evoke laughter. To aid in the creation of tone Swift uses understatement which helps to add subtlety to a crazy idea which makes the argument, of killing babies, more accessible and relatable to the audience. It is a sarcastic tone as he clearly knows that this is a crazy idea. However there is still a sense of seriousness in his tone as it is about poverty and the living conditions of the Irish. “nor offer to beat or kick them (as is to frequent a practice) for fear of miscarriage” appealing to the emotions of the reader and also showing how domestic violence is an issue within Ireland. Prior to this quote Swift also establishes a likeness in the treatment of animals and the treatment that the Irish have received. This shows the fact that while Swift is making jokes and being satirical he still recognizes the issues faced by the Irish community as he stops cracking all these jokes to recognize the fact that many women are abused by their husbands. There are several tones that are working together (the sarcasm as evidenced by the preparation and uses of infants create a comical tone and serious tones like the women facing abuse) to make the argument less harsh and angry which makes people more receptive to his ideas but also draws a reader in to later reveal a sadness and shock that makes a reader