...“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift In Jonathan Swift’s essay “A Modest Proposal” he provides a satirical look at how to address the issue of the poor in Ireland. Poverty, however, is not the only issue of his time as there is also a question of moral issues among the people, both poor and rich. The focus of Swift’s writing is to unburden both parents and the economy of the over population of children, “instead of being a charge upon their parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall on the contrary contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many thousands” (Swift 3). Swift used this theme of unjust behavior to announce how tragic and real these issues were, he brought poverty into prospective and ridiculed society all at once. Swift starts out his proposal with a back ground description of just what it would be like to simply walk down a street in Ireland and see all the misfortune that was surrounding so many people. Poverty here was not a hidden problem it was not something that took investigation to see it was very noticeable yet no one was looking for a solution. It can be inferred that the upper class, a good example would be the landlords, were being greedy and irresponsible governing their land from England. Swift pokes fun at the landlords and England’s mistreatment of Ireland in general when he states “I grant this food may be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have...
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...is horrible. They just want you to understand what they are saying. So when you have someone like Jonathan Swift, who cares deeply for their country, it would only make sense that we would try anything to help out. Ireland was suffering from overpopulation and as it would seem that no one was doing anything about it, Jonathan Swift was hoping that his literary work would start making his fellow citizens think about their predicament. “Fifthly, tis food would likewise bring great custom to taverns, where the vintners...
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...In “A Modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift appeals to his readers with sarcasm, and outlandish ideas concerning the problem of hunger that Ireland was facing. Swift appeals to his readers with many rhetorical devices throughout the entire short story. The tone in this essay is both, academic and intelligent. The readers get the sense that the solution to the problems that the inhabitants of Ireland are facing will be logical, well-informed, and completely reasonable. However what the reader gets instead is an maniacal amount of information on the benefits of eating children. All while suggesting that doing so will provide a substantial food supply as well as economic relief (because there will be fewer mouths to feed). Since it is comprehensible that the essay is becoming more ironic, it is the last thing that any reasonable person would have thought. One of the quotes in the essay that help illustrate the irony in this essay is, “I...
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...pamphleteer, and priest Jonathan Swift takes advantage of the overlooked pamphlets by crafting an absurd, “Modest Proposal.” Swift does this to illustrate the dire situation the Irish people. Swift effectively displays satire by ensuring that the mockery is evident and exposes and mocks the plight of the Irish. In “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift, Swift substantiates his display of satire by employing irony, sarcasm, and appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos. Jonathan Swift uses rhetorical techniques to effectively convey satire in his work of literature. For example, Swift uses sarcasm to ridicule the wealthy elites of Ireland; he writes that smaller babies should be granted to “landowners, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents …” This characterizes the wealthy landlords (who were mostly Anglo-Saxon Protestants) as powerful and unfair people who care less about the well-being of Ireland’s poor population. Moreover, Swift mocks the underprivileged in Ireland in a more direct manner. Jonathan Swift exposes the poor conditions of the Irish working class, describing, “the vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed …” In addition, Jonathan Swift uses irony to further develop his satire. In the conclusion of “A Modest Proposal,” Swift states that his only intention is, “the public good of my county…” This is ironic as it mocks the wealthy Irish landowners, who were only concerned with their personal wealth. Hence, Jonathan Swift uses rhetorical techniques...
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...Vera Obi Prof Sarah Hanks ENG 1213 09/26/2015 A rhetorical analysis of “A modest Proposal”. In 1729 Jonathan Swift, author of “A Modest Proposal,” devised this proposal to show how backwards the social and general state Ireland was in. His proposal was to prevent the less fortunate children of Ireland from becoming a burden to their parents or country. As well as making them beneficial to the public. Jonathan Swift's reasoning behind this proposal is that many women were having children that they were unable to care for. He then suggested that the impoverished people of Ireland should consider selling their offspring to wealthy families as sustenance. He says that this proposal would make the infants, “beneficial to the public” (Swift). In “A Modest Proposal”, Swift uses rhetorical exaggeration, sarcasm, and insincerity to express his aggravation with papists, politicians, and the poverty-stricken citizens of Ireland at the time. In order to make his argument more effective, and to get his message across, Swift uses the rhetorical devices of logos, ethos and pathos. Swift employs the use of logos to help him throughout his proposal. Logos is defined as a clear and logical explanation, or an argument. Swift makes a very logical and persuasive argument that the people of Ireland should eat their children. Swift makes a case that by feeding on the children of the poor, the country would be solving several major issues the country is facing. By eating the...
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...Assignment 1: Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” Dr. Anthony McCormack Strayer University World Culture II Gladys A. Reyes July 25, 2015 In the satire “A Modest Proposal’, Jonathan Swift expresses his feelings of frustration with regard to the aggravation and political issues in Ireland. He describes being frustrated with the indifference of Ireland politicians, the wealthy, the English tyranny, and the degradation and poor conditions in which many poor, Irish women and children have been forced to live in. Swift is embarrassed for those that come to the towns and travel the country, only to see the streets full and crowded with beggars. Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” satire is a reality called for the politician, the wealthy, and the people of Ireland to look for way to improve the lives of the poor, to stop the English social oppression, and to ultimately end the indifferences and life inequalities in Ireland (Levine, 1995). Jonathan Swift was born of Protestant, English parents in Dublin, Ireland on November 30, 1667. He was a man that was immersed in the secular world of men and woman, of politics and political intrigue. He was a devoted friend to those he loved as he was an implacable enemy to those he disliked. He lived in London most of his life, but after the death of Queen Anne in 1714, he was offered a position as Dean of St. Patrick’s in Dublin. He held his position until his death in 1745 at the age of seventy eight. He was buried in St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Glendinning...
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...there was a shift in literature. The Restoration period was during the 17th century and during this time Jonathan Swift wrote “A Modest Proposal”. “A Modest Proposal” is a satire that discusses the issues and solutions of poverty that occur in Ireland. The Romantic period occurred during the late 18th century. A novel that was written during this time period was Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Considering that each piece of literature is from a different time period, they both express similarities and differences. Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland on November 30th, 1667. Swift grew up fatherless because his father died two months before he was born. Being a single mother, his mom struggled to care...
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...A Modest Proposal In the story, A Modest Proposal, the author, Jonathan Swift, begins with the title by saying, “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.” This was said to be used as “an ironically conceived attempt to "find out a fair, cheap, and easy Method" for converting the starving children of Ireland into "sound and useful members of the Commonwealth." (SparkNotes Editors). There is famine and poverty all throughout England and they are not receiving money to help with this problem. The author then gets ideas and possible solutions to handle this problem. His proposal, is to fatten up these undernourished children and feed them to Ireland's rich land-owners. (SparkNotes Editors). In this story, you will find that there are issues with suffering, power, and greed. In this story, suffering is one of the biggest issues. In this story, Swift calls out many of the landlords who are greedy and only cares about their well-being instead of the poor families who are not able to feed their children. 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 for sustenance for their helpless infants, who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbados.” (The Norton Anthology...
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...Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” name English 301 December 3, 20xx In “A Modest Proposal” (1729), Jonathan Swift used satire for a double purpose: to attack those that he considered responsible for the financial situation of Ireland, and in the same time, to push those who were in a position of power to take rational measures against poverty in Ireland. In his poem, Swift made use of the image of the Projector; a character whose role is that o designing plans that would lead to some improvements being made in the society. Swift’s narrator in “A Modest Proposal” is an Economic Projector who imagines the entire plan from the point of view of a cold and objective individual. The impersonation’s result is that most often, critics see the Projector as a person who sounds just like Swift when in fact, the truth is that Jonathan Swift was brilliant in making himself sound like a projector(Lockwood 1974). The present paper examines the role of the Economic Projector in the paper, arguing that he does not represent a projection of Swift’s own persona but rather, he is a character through which the author realizes his satirical purpose. The paper further holds that the projector has a central role in creating the meaning of the work. Literary critics and commenters of Swift’s work placed great emphasis on the role of Swift’s economic projector, the narrator who imagines the entire cannibalistic plan described in the poem....
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...Running head: A MODEST PROPOSAL A Modest Proposal children of poor in Ireland Countries Tracey Green Grubbs Strayer University Abstract A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift was about how he had an idea of preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden on their parents or country by showing how they could be beneficial to the public. This would be done by breeding their children for profit I would have thought it would end one way and it ends in a different way this would be called a surprise ending. I intend to show what the surprise ending was. A Modest Proposal children of poor in Ireland Countries The surprise ending of how Jonathan Swift professed the sincerity of his heart on how he had no personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work and that he had no other motive but the public good of his country by providing for infants, relieving the poor and giving pleasure to the rich. Swift, J. (1729). I realized at the point in the story he was telling that he was talking and said “Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients ‘till he hath at least some glimpse of hope. He did not want this to take place he was suggesting that the way the poor people are in Ireland was symbolic equivalent of what was actually happening in Ireland to Irish families and their children.(Sayre,2011 p.775) This scheme of breeding for profit and because the parents were to poor to take care of them was...
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...A Modest Proposal was a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift depicting the horrific conditions of Ireland and the lives of the Irish people in 1729. Swift writes the satire disguised as a social planner of the time who as Swift satirizes were known to be overly rational rather than compassionate. The author portrays and attacks the cruel and unjust oppression of Ireland by its oppressor, the mighty English and ridicules the Irish people at the same time. However, Swift's opposition is indirectly presented. Jonathan Swift is able to do so by using the persona, irony, and wit in order to expose the remarkable corruption and degradation of the Irish people, and at the same time present them with practicable solutions to their economic problem Swift uses the false persona in order to satire the social workers of the time as he saw them. Swift creates a fictional persona because by hiding his true identity he is able to convince the readers of the significance of Ireland's problem and allow them to see truth and reality. The persona is a concerned Irishman who is very intelligent, sound, and serious. He appears to be a brute and a monster for proposing something evil and immoral very calmly as if it is normal to consume the flesh of another human being. What makes his proposal to be even more depraved is that he proposes to eat the babies. The persona declares, and at exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them, in a such a manner as, instead of being...
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...Satire Throughout “A Modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift is one of the greatest satire writers of all time. He demonstrates satire through mathematical proposals and multiple quotations throughout a “A Modest Proposal” to focus on the deplorable situation in Ireland that is caused by the English all while engaging the reader with his own barbaric proposal that he makes seem realistic through description. The readers must understand that Jonathan Swift is using satire because through his satire, Swift illustrates issues in society and announces blame to the rightful owners rather than just the obviously bizarre proposal he is making. Swift’s modest proposal is created “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 Publick,” (2028). More simply put, he introduces the idea of cannibalism to the Irish people. He suggests that the lower class Irish citizens sell their one year old children to the upper class so they can have them for meals. Swift explains the advantages to his proposal as being that the Irish will have property of their own, it will help bring an end to the overpopulation problem, and that his proposal will solve the food shortage problem. Swift lays the framework for his satire to be effective through his unnamed narrator. The unmanned narrator is important because he seems to be sensible and well educated. Yet, he is removed from the situation because he does not...
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...in The Modest Proposal A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is a satirical story with lots of sarcasm. This proposal was written to shock or force the government into a reaction. As the government read his proposal it should bring about a response. This proposal suggests a “barbaric solution” that amounts purely to cannibalism. Mr. Swift’s idea is to help end poverty and decrease the amount of women beggars by eating babies of the poor. He devised a plan where he would take 20,000 babies and decide how many would be sold, how many would be breeders thus creating a balance between rich and poor. Mr. Swift’s plan would give the poor a means of income and the wealthy would get a fine and delicate meal. He stated that feeding on Irish babies was a treat and the English should be honored to feast on the babies. Swift based his proposal on facts and figures of many years of analyzing the situation. He does seem well educated and well versed on his proposal. He noted several benefits and advantages to his proposal. Some of those benefits included women being more loving towards their children. Another benefit would be more marriages happening with men catering to their wives while they were pregnant. Swift also quoted a friend that was a modern day swindler. The friend was supposedly from Formosa and told a story where 18,000 young boys were sacrificed to the Gods’ and Priests’. The Gods’ dined on the hearts and the Priests’ dine on their bodies. Swift suggested...
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...Professor Walton “A Modest Proposal” 5QX Q1. True or False: Jonathan Swift enjoys making his audiences seem uncomfortable while reading his works. A1. True. (See Page 2027, Paragraph 1.) Q2. Three years after receiving his M.A. from Oxford University, Jonathan Swift became a ________. A. Clergyman in the Anglican Church B. Catholic priest C. King of England D. Professor at Cambridge University A2. A. (See Page 2027, Paragraph 2.) Q3. True or False: Statistics indicate that there are only about 100,000 children born to poor parents each year. A3. False. There only remain one hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born. (Page 2029, Paragraph 5.) Q4. Which of the following statements is false about Jonathan Swift? A. He lived from 1667-1745. B. He spent the final years of his life suffering from Senility. C. He is best known as the writer of Gulliver’s Travel. D. His work “A Modest Proposal,” was a piece of work that expressed his attack on the economic oppression of the English by the Irish. A4. D. (See Page 2027, Paragraph 3.) Q5. After reading “A Modest Proposal,” how is Jonathan Swift’s attitude towards the poor? A5. After reading the essay, I feel that Swift show’s a great deal of sorrow for the poor people. However, at the same time, he feels that they should blame themselves for their problems since they put themselves in that predicament. Swift throws out different...
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...Three years after Gulliver's Travels was published, Jonathan Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal," a work grounded in thoughtful satire. Swift describes the destitution that characterized the life of Ireland's poor in the 18th century then renders a brazenly inhumane solution to their problems. He shocks the sensibilities of the readers then leads them to consider the inhumanity of the destitution in the first place. Although he was born in Ireland, Swift considered himself an Englishman first, and the English were his intended audience. Swift used the good reputation afforded him by previous works to expose an otherwise indifferent English public to the circumstances of Irish misery. Unfortunately, many of the English were so predisposed to hatred of the Irish that they would disregard the point of Swift's essay and might go so far as to endorse Swift's proposal. For the people of Ireland, "A Modest Proposal" built upon Swift's earlier Drapier's Letters and made Swift a national hero (Bookshelf). "A Modest Proposal" begins with a description of the state of 18th century Irish life. Ireland was a place where children too often became beggars or thieves to sustain themselves or their families, women had abortions because they could not afford to raise children, few jobs were available to the workforce, and landlords abused poor tenants. As miserable as the picture Swift painted of Irish life was, the brushstrokes of history were even harsher. Actions of the English in...
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