A Modest Proposal

Swift takes on a contradictory tone, using seemingly careless and airy words to portray the plight of the Irish poor. For example, the phrase, “Their dear native country,” evokes a sense of nationalism upon first glance. As one reads into the underlying meaning of this piece, one can hear the seething tone that mocks the dear native country that has both repressed and rejected the Irish poor. Another example is the use of the phrase, “her lawful occupation of begging,” to describe the…

”A Modest Proposal” is a satirical writing known by many by Dr. Jonathan Swift. This piece is about the betterment of the county on behalf of the beggars. This story, being a satirical writing, shows much humor. This story, I thought, was going to be lighthearted turned somewhat dark. In the story Swift talks about his own proposal on how to help the children of professed beggars, the beggars themselves and how to make the children beneficial to the rich in a dark and serious. Swift begins his…

A Modest Proposal was written by Jonathan Swift and published as a pamphlet in 1729. The proposal was submitted anonymously by Jonathan in an attempt to find a quick and simple solution to the poverty in Ireland. The author uses a number of rhetorical devise to appeal a rational and or emotional response of the audience. Right from the start of the proposal looking at the title, the author is using irony to introduce his proposal being hardly a “Modest Proposal”. The intended audiences were…

Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is a neo- classical satiric parody narrated by a well-to-do English protestant who views the Irish as a poor and begging people who have no money. In this essay the narrator proposes that the Irish should sell their kids for money, and that these kids that are sold should be killed and eaten for a source of food. Since Swift had little confidence in mans ability to use his own reasoning, therefore he turned to the power of persuasion to convince man of there…

during the year of 1729 is highly apparent when reading “A Modest Proposal” by Dr. Jonathan Swift. From reading this proposal, it is initially alarming how the author states that his solution to Ireland’s significant issue of poverty would be to murder and sell children to rich, Ireland inhabitants who would “give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child” (Swift 7-8). This shocking solution would astound anyone reading the proposal for the first time who did not grasp that this work of…

have yet not found a solution to this complex problem. The genius of Swift in this essay is to propose the most radical proposal possible (Ironically the essay is titled as “Modest”), to eat these unwanted children.…

Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist and essayist who lived from 1667-1745. Born in Dublin, he was part of the privileged social class in Ireland. Ireland was at the time ruled by England. The Stuarts had established a Protestant governing aristocracy amid the country's relatively poor Catholic population. Swift would shuffle back and forth between positions in England and Ireland. In doing this, he became increasingly embroiled in English politics. England’s policies towards Ireland were…

In his satirical piece, A Modest Proposal, Dr. Jonathon Swift’s use of pathos demonstrates that civil neglect has debilitating effects on the poor in Ireland. Swift uses reduction to convey the degraded value of human life. Swift proposes that “the skin [of a child...] will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen” (I. 94-96). Since poor children are an eyesore to the upper class in the streets begging for food and money, Swift proposes that these children should be…

He also wrote A Modest Proposal, both an indictment against the casual contempt of the plight of Irish and a reasonable suggestion to help the Irish 's economic distress. A Modest Proposal seems to endorse the use of Irish babies as a food source for wealthy citizens, in order to eliminate the burden of additional children in poor households and improve the economic status of low income families (Swift 2634-2637). The essay appears at a casual glance to be the monstrous proposal of a sadistic…

For how short Swift’s work is, “A Modest Proposal” gives the reader a very strong representation of several aspects of human progression during the age of enlightenment. Swift gives the readers a very gruesome look at what humans are capable of. Through the age of enlightenment, people show concern for only themselves. Rather than show any concern for their peers or surroundings, the groups mentioned from Swift’s work would turn a blind eye or simply ignore the situation. Without authors such as…