A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

Improved Essays
Irony is a broad term for a literary technique that authors use in stories to convey harsh criticism in a light-hearted way. But it is not only a literary technique, situational irony happens all around us everyday. For example today I saw an ironic sign on the highway. This particular sign said “Don’t Text and Drive” but at the bottom of the sign it said to text a number for more information. Even in history you can even find ironic situations. Right before JFK was shot someone asked him “Mr. President you can’t say that Dallas doesn’t love you” to which he responded “That’s very obvious”. Subsequently JFK was assassinated. These situation can occur in our life, history, or in literature. Many of the literary situations in R.K Narayan's …show more content…
At the beginning of the story he uses verbal irony when he says “That selling babies would give the poor families enough money to live off of”. He doesn’t mean this at all, that's why you can tell he is using verbal irony. He is just trying to criticise how the people of ireland do not value their children as much as they should. In the middle of the story Swift uses irony when he says “It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country”. This is ironic because he is talking about babies as objects and this is too much of a serious topic to call “melancholy”. This is also another example of verbal irony and how his idea of eating babies should not be taken serious. In the end of the story he give of solutions that are “not worthy of being considered”. This is the final example of irony in the story because he means the exact opposite of what he says. When he says that these are the ideas that are “not worthy of being considered”, these are all the solutions that he is telling the people of Ireland to consider and eventually put into

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Writing a rhetorical analysis for my article in my opinion had truly made me capable of picking apart the strategies the authors used to construct the article effectively. I was able to recognize what type of strategy the authors used to effectively persuade the readers to lower the temperature of hot beverages. Some other strong points in my paper were the straightforwardness of my paragraphs. I was able to get right to the point without adding and fluff to make my paragraphs flow better. Although I had some strong points, I would like to point out a weakness I saw after I submitted my analysis.…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages

    IPhones and iPods were invented to keep us constantly connected, however they are consuming our lives and isolating us from our surroundings. Both articles, "iPod's Missed Manners" by George F. Will and "Society Is Dead: We Have Retreated into the iWorld" by Andrew Sullivan, discuss the negative impact of iPods and electronic devices have on us as individuals in particular and as a society in general. Both authors, Will and Sullivan, imply that our electronics are controlling our lives and we are becoming addicted to them. Everywhere you go now you see people with, “little white wires hanging down from their ears, or tucked into pockets, purses or jackets,” (Sullivan).…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 238 Words
    • 1 Pages

    My music is all the way up on my headphones, drowning out the rest of the world. As soon as the song is over, I set my phone down and go into the kitchen to get some food. When I enter the kitchen my little brother is playing a game on his tablet, the volume is up and there sounds like guns shooting and there is swearing on the game. I simply ask him to turn the volume off while he plays the game. He told me that he did not care and to leave him alone.…

    • 238 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 216 Words
    • 1 Pages

    A brilliant mind, Ben Goertzel, a Chief Scientist from Brazil, talks in this article about thinking machines and immortality, and how these interesting topics could affect the modern society where we live. He states: “The machines will invent new machines, prototype them, and build the factories, without involving humans” We are evolving to a new era, the age of technology and digitalization. An article from National Geographic states that artificial Intelligence is already integral part of human lives, and we may not be aware of it. This short article gives an idea:…

    • 216 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The pursuit of happiness is a universal concept amongst humans. But is this concept universally believed and understood in the same way? Is happiness really the end goal, or does pursuing a meaningful life lead to a more fulfilling life? In an article from The Atlantic, “There’s More to Life than Being Happy,” Emily Esfahani Smith discusses the misconception of the pursuit of happiness and the difference between those who seek a life of meaning through the use of ethos, pathos, logos, and other rhetorical devices utilized within these methods. First, Smith expertly utilizes ethos throughout the essay to support her research by numerously stating the scholarly sources she uses.…

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Today, I learned what it means to exhibit energy and enthusiasm whenever I present to the audience. It was made clear to me the meaning of enthusiasm, which is an exceptional excitement, interest, or devotion expressed through and in the way words is used. If I have excitement about the subject, it will make my speech come alive and therefore captures the attention of my audience. I also learned that enthusiasm could be reflected in my facial expression, voice, gestures and the words I use, while I need energy, zeal to exhibit these enthusiasms. With this I have learned, from now on, the way I present would definitely be different from what it use to be because “nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”- Ralph Waldo Emerson.…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 219 Words
    • 1 Pages

    She warns us about accepting stereotypical assessment of someone to support her thesis. Ultimately, she persuade us to accept ourselves the way we are. 2. Yes, she relate to me by mentioning the common diet methods one by one. Therefore, I as listener was able to associate hers detailed experience with my own.…

    • 219 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Do you want animals to be treated cruelly and forced to do tricks? If we don’t do something it will keep happening at fun places like seaworld. This is a controversial topic. This controversial topic was discussed with a video, “ The use of Animals in entertainment”, an article “Jump to It!” and another article “Should Animals Be used as Entertainment”.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 1228 Words
    • 5 Pages

    What do you think of a world without work? An endless vacation, or wondering how you will put dinner on the table? The possibilities are endless. Derek Thompson, the author of “ A World Without Work” published in the July/August 2015 issue of The Atlantic, brings to light to what may be our future if technology continues advancing. Thompson uses plenty of evidence to cover his article.…

    • 1228 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    We’re all familiar with Satirical literature: literature that mocks or ridicules events, attitudes, and people, with the goal that it will reach out to audiences and influence change. Satirical literature has been around for quite some time, but one of the best and most original examples can be found in the essay, “A modest Proposal” , by Jonathan Smith. This essay hits on some concrete issues that Ireland was facing during the early 1700’s such as famine, poverty, and ridiculous parliament laws passed by England, which only exacerbated the issues. Jonathan Smith uses satire in attempts to shock and influence people, and he succeeds to do so, as he introduces an odd and unorthodox idea for parents to make money off of their children--to raise…

    • 2041 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    A modest Proposal uses an approach called satire to make its point which is the use of irony humor or exaggeration to criticize the ideas of others. Swift obviously to criticize the ideas of others. Swift obviously doesn't sincerely want the people of Ireland to sell their children as food but he's using the outrageous concept to deliver a message. With 'A Modest Proposal,' Swift makes fun of similar pamphlets that were being circulated at the time. His word choice throughout the piece including the word modest in the title highlights this by mocking the false modesty in the tone of many of the pamphlets of his contemporaries.…

    • 224 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The written word and our capacity to remember it is done easier when a picture is presented to align with the message being expressed. This picture’s visual and figurative representation sums up metaphor usage. As we have studied in the particular assignment, one can manage meaning when he can convince others to live the reality he would like to them to pursue. Enigmatic leaders seemingly influence how people perceive reality and therefore act and the language of metaphor is their not-so-secret weapon. “Metaphors are used frequently in everyday life.…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The first instance when the Puritans arrive to the New World where they make a part of the land a cemetery and the other a prison. This is ironic because they came from the Old world to create a new beginning where a city on a hill was going be perfect with no problems, but if they meant that then why would there be any need to build a prison and cemetery first. Another example or irony is when Hester gave money to charity, this part is ironic because Hester is seen as a nut case herself and, people see her as needing help before she can help others. This is true, you need to be able to help and take care of yourself before you can help…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    What is irony? Irony is the opposite of what is expected. Irony is another word for sarcasm or mockery. Irony is most common in stories, novels and even daily conversations. Two common types of irony are dramatic irony and situational irony.…

    • 236 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Like The Sun Paradoxes

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Some examples of irony is when the headmaster expects that Seckar will tell him his singing is wonderful, but he really just tells him that he is bad for the ears, and that he should quit the lessons. One more example is when Seckar’s wife makes food and expects that the food is great and that Seckar is going to compliment her on her cooking, but in reality, he tells her that he didn't like…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays