In the early 1700s, poverty struck Ireland physically and spiritually. High taxes, overpopulation, drought, and the famous potato famine drove the Irish out of their normal life. An Anglo-Irish, Johnathan Swift, journeyed through Ireland and witnessed the poverty-stricken conditions the Irish were living in. However, no soul was brave enough to advocate for change. This ultimately angered Swift and incited him to craft “A Modest Proposal.””. Taking on a persona of an impersonal and statistical Anglo-Irish, satirist Johnathan Swift sarcastically blames Ireland government, England, rich landowners, and Roman Catholics for the deplorable conditions in Ireland. He achieves this through the use of statistics, insincerity, sarcasm, and harsh comparisons.
Swift begins his controversial proposal by looking at the statistics of the country’s poor condition with an intention of mocking and blaming all the Irish for the state of their country. He accomplished this by starting of with “one …show more content…
He treats by treating them as foods on the market. He introduces his strong hostility towards them by sarcastically inserts that “Infant’s flesh will in season throughout the year.””. Then, he criticizes the papists by emphasizing that their growth in population is especially high “about nine months after Lent” and are occupying the Irish community “at least three to one.””. Here, he is comparing them as crops as they have a specific season that is most productive for harvest. As overpopulation plays a huge factor in Ireland’s deplorable state, evident by the previously calculated 120,000 children uncared for, Swift sarcastically suggests them to be sold off to the markets. His dehumanization of the Roman Catholics vividly establishes Swift’s belief that the papists play a considerable role in Ireland’s deplorable condition, that is
Swift begins his controversial proposal by looking at the statistics of the country’s poor condition with an intention of mocking and blaming all the Irish for the state of their country. He accomplished this by starting of with “one …show more content…
He treats by treating them as foods on the market. He introduces his strong hostility towards them by sarcastically inserts that “Infant’s flesh will in season throughout the year.””. Then, he criticizes the papists by emphasizing that their growth in population is especially high “about nine months after Lent” and are occupying the Irish community “at least three to one.””. Here, he is comparing them as crops as they have a specific season that is most productive for harvest. As overpopulation plays a huge factor in Ireland’s deplorable state, evident by the previously calculated 120,000 children uncared for, Swift sarcastically suggests them to be sold off to the markets. His dehumanization of the Roman Catholics vividly establishes Swift’s belief that the papists play a considerable role in Ireland’s deplorable condition, that is