The Satirical Nature of Jonathan Swifts A Modest Proposal...

A Modest Proposal The satirical essay â€Å"A Modest Proposal† written and published in in 1729 by an Anglo- Irish man named Jonathan Swift, in response to the worsening conditions of Ireland, was one of his most controversial and severe writings of his time. The narrator in Swift’s essay â€Å"A Modest Proposal† argues for a drastic and radical end to poverty in Ireland. Swift’s proposal suggests that the needy, poor people of Ireland can ease their troubles simply by selling their children as food to the rich and make them useful, benefitting the public. With the use of irony, exaggeration and ridicule Swift mocks feelings and attitudes towards the poor people of Ireland and the politicians. However, with the use of satire Swift creates a†¦show more content†¦When he presents his proposal in a ludicrous manner, he states that from a known friend in London, that a young child whether â€Å"stewed, roasted, baked or boiled† is the most delicious. In †Å"The Modest Proposal† he also uses ethos in order to persuade his reader that his sources are credible. A child as an infant is said to cost more than a â€Å"boy or girl before twelve years old† because by being â€Å"assured by our merchants†, Swift proposes that being no â€Å"saleable commodity†¦they will not yield about three pounds.† He describes one of his acquaintances as a â€Å"true lover of his country† whose qualities he supports, was happily pleased with Swift’s proposal. Swift also makes the reader feel as if he is a man who will do anything to help and save his country. Furthermore, Swift also creates a strong argument throughout this essay, with the use of logos; appealing to logic and his use of statistics. Swift states that the â€Å"number of souls in this kingdom†¦of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couples who wives are breeders†; furthermore proposing that an infant can be sold for â€Å"two shillings per anun† and â€Å"with eight shillings net profit the mother will also benefit and be fit for work to produce another child.† Another quote that implies the reader of his logic and reason , is when he states in these lines that an infant’s flesh can be seasoned throughout the year â€Å"with a little pepper or salt†¦especially in the winter.† He also states that the carcassShow MoreRelatedSatire of a Modest Proposal Essay1331 Words   |  6 Pagesused by Jonathan Swift in his pamphlet â€Å"A Modest Proposal.† The main argument for this mordantly ironic essay is t o capture the attention of a disconnected and indifferent audience. Swift makes his point by stringing together a dreadfully twisted set of morally untenable positions in order to cast blame and aspersions on his intended audience. Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† employs despicably vivid satire to call for change in a world of abuse and misfortune. The entire proposal stands asRead MoreJonathan Swift s A Modest Proposal1859 Words   |  8 Pagesand economic decay (wiseGEEK). Satirical works often highlight ideals of reason, order, and social awareness, and thus these works contain a persistent undertone of civility (Holmes). The author superficially uses a faà §ade of conventional traditions, edicts, egotism, and moral codes to incite a new sense of moral and political superiority (Holmes). The satirical literary device was at its peak during the Neoclassical Period in which the enlightenment writer, Jonathan Swift, was exceptional at thisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article A Modest Proposal 1482 Words   |  6 Pages The article â€Å"A Modest Proposal† is a proposal made by a man named Jonathan Swift who is also known for Gulliver’s Travels which is another well spoken essay of satire. When the people of Dublin are suffering from poverty and overpopulation, Swift writes up a satirical hyperbole that mocks the heartless Irish attitudes towards the poor. The bottleneck effect of people was so dreadful that all the Catholic families of Dublin were not able to support their own children. Due to these conditions SwiftRead More Self Representation and the Self-Defeating Speaker in Jonathan Swift1735 Words   |  7 Pagesself-defeating narrator; in cases where the narrator’s errors in morality or logic project on to someone or something else, I consider this to be an indirectly self-defeating narrator. While â€Å"Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift† eventually moves into satirizing Swift’s friends and readers, Swift opens the text by satirizing himself. The poem begins with Swift as a directly self-defeating speaker, in the sense that it is truly against himself that Swift is wagering satire. In the following lines, we see Swift presentRead MoreEssay about A Modest Proposal, by Jonathan Swift1165 Words   |  5 Pagesused by Jonathan Swift in his pamphlet â€Å"A Modest Proposal.† The main argument for this bitingly ironic essay is to capture the attention of a disconnected and indifferent audience. Swift makes his point by stringing together a dreadfully twisted set of morally untenable positions in order to cast blame and aspersions on his intended audience. Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† employs despicably vivid satire to call for change in a world of abuse and misfortune. The entire proposal stands asRead MoreEssay about A Swift Change Is Imminent1714 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst glance, a misogynist’s paradise is apparent when perceiving Jonathan Swift’s The Lady’s Dressing Room and a cannibalistic one in A Modest Proposal. However, Swift’s intricate feelings do not depict Ireland’s crude social convention, but rather for Swift’s revolutionary vitriolic satire, which permeates humanity’s blindness through political stand points. By using grotesque metaphors, to open the figurative eyes of the public, Swift’s poetry forced society to analyze the ways of living in order toRead MoreSwifts A Modeste Proposal1955 Words   |  8 PagesJonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† name English 301 December 3, 20xx In â€Å"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 oRead MoreJonathan Swift’s Essay A Modest Proposal, and Voltaire’s Novella, Candide999 Words   |  4 Pageslong or short, essay or novella. In these two works, the authors bring light to ongoing social, political, and philosophical issues of their time and age. The two works I am referring to are Jonathan Swift’s satirical essay, A Modest Proposal, and Voltaire’s novella, Candide, or Optimism. In both A Modest Proposal and Candide, there is a portrayal of irony, cold logic and reasoning rather than emotion, and misguided philosophy. Exploring the issues within thes e texts can implement a better understandingRead MoreEssay about Jonathan Swift894 Words   |  4 Pages A Hardly â€Å"Modest† Proposal Jonathan Swift is regarded as one of the most famous satirical authors in history. He uses his wit, intellect and unfortunate past as tools for projecting his words in an attempt to baffle the unknowing. He achieves this by making humorous and farfetched situations that really resemble the ridiculous things people do. In â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† Swift addresses his feelings of England’s outlandish behavior towards the quot;less fortunate.quot; Swift is trying to help theRead MoreSummary Of Gullivers Travels And A Modest Proposal1450 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Gullivers Travels and A Modest Proposal: Satire Authors often use satire to ridicule peoples behaviors or societys institutions, with hopes of bringing social change. One of the most influential satirical authors of all time is Jonathan Swift, who uses these techniques so effectively, that he has been called â€Å"the greatest satirist in the English Language† (Holt 620). Swift’s use of satire to address controversial concerns is one of the reasons this story is still relevant and analyzed