A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

Swift’s use of dehumanizing language is used to make the reader oppose Swift’s modest proposal. For example on page 2 Swift says “so as to render them plump, and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends.” statements like this make Swift’s proposal even more outrageous. This is a sarcastic attempt by Swift to make the proposal look attractive, but his statement has an underlying meaning of making the idea look repulsive. Additionally on page 2 Swift states “That a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food.” Swift’s use of food imagery is an attempt to lighten the mood but gives off a abhorrent effect. This is exactly what Swift wants; Swift starts the sentence by saying, “a young healthy child well

Satirical writing is effective at challenging ideas and inciting change in issues society faces. Satirical writing has a powerful influence on ethical and moral issues or flawed ideas; satirical writing is used when there is a need to point out ideas and issues. Satirical writing as seen in A child’s summer in Newfoundland by Rex Murphy and a Modest proposal by Jonathan Swift uses sarcasm and metaphor to challenge social and political issues.

What should be done about the poor? This question has brought about many differences in opinion, as well as proposed solutions. By using Pathos, Ethos, and Logos we are able to analyze the writer’s effectiveness. When comparing “A Modest Proposal” written by Jonathan Swift and “Life Boat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the Poor” written by Garrett Hardin, we are able to determine which is the more effective piece. The effectiveness of a writer’s work plays a key role in the ability to keep the reader involved.

Jonathan Swift, one of the greatest writers in the world, used lots of satires in his article “A Modest Proposal” in order to criticize the disability of the ancient hierarchical society in the Ireland, the anti-human behaviors, the tyranny of the wealth English and the superior method of Irish Catholic. Although the tone and the words used in the article all show the ironies, the examples narrator used most strongly showed the irony.

Ever thought about consuming a one-year-old baby with nice plump features? Most people will not consider such an immoral act; however, desperate times may force people to make difficult choices. This is the case in Dublin, Ireland in the late 1720’s. The attainment of human rights in the fullest sense cannot be achieved so long as hundreds of millions of poverty-stricken people lack the necessities of life. As a call to reform, Jonathan Swift wrote “A Modest Proposal.” Dr. Jonathan Swift uses rhetorical devices, logical, ethical, as well as emotional appeals to highlight the difference between Swift’s satirical attitude and the narrator’s serious attitude concerning poverty and starvation.

It can be said that society has always been quite judgmental, and at times misguided when it comes to women. The negative perceptions that society has towards females are often times directly related toward her actions. What a female does seems to degrade her identity and capabilities in the eyes of some men. In the poems “The Lady’s Dressing Room” and The essay “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift, we can see both authors use of tone, form and style to develop their works. These poems are mainly driven by men’s attitudes towards women. A man’s perceived opinion about women can negatively shape society’s views and perceptions of them.

Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” excels at displaying the purpose by using a high skill level of craft. Jonathan Swift was known for his very successful book Gulliver’s Travels; however, “A Modest Proposal” goes above and beyond that in terms of craft. “A Modest Proposal” is a satirical article mocking the ridiculous ideas on how to improve Ireland’s condition given by the English. If there are too many children and there is not enough food, why not fix both and eat the children? Swift does not just place his plan out in the open, he leads up to it in a very elaborate way. He uses strong vocabulary and leads your mind to his idea without stating it. Once his idea is heard, the shock sets in. The plan stated seemed too over the top; no way

Jonathan Swift satirizes the incompetence of Ireland's politicians, the hypocrisy of the aristocrat, the heartless attitudes of the English, and the unpleasantness in poor Irish people’s living. Swift brings the social state of Ireland to the attention of selfish politicians, by suggesting Ireland's socio-economic troubles would be quickly solved by putting the children in the food market. Swift's contempt for the irresponsibility, greed and moral indifference of the aristocrats are matched only by his disgust at the failure of Ireland's leaders.

“I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys.”(Orwell) All of the writes of rhetorical papers weather it be Thomas Jefferson; with The Declaration of Independence, Jonathan Swift; with A Modest Proposal, or George Orwell; with On Shooting an Elephant. They all talked about different ways to handle situations and go about running government. In Orwell’s On Shooting an Elephant Orwell was writing about imperialism and how it was changing him as a person. Showing how bad it can be. In A Modest Proposal Swift’s purpose was to show how poorly the British government was treating the poor Irishmen. Even though it was morbid thought. In The Declaration of Independence Jefferson purpose is to

The full title of Swift 's pamphlet is "A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick" It is an oddly imagined effort to "find out a fair, cheap, and easy Method" (Greenblatt, p.1200) for transforming the starving children of Ireland into "sound and useful members of the commonwealth" (Greenblatt, p.1200). Through this paper the value of goodness and appreciation for beauty, beauty as associated with humankind, will be highlighted because even though Swift’s writing is sarcastic, he draws attention to a large problem in Ireland during his lifetime.

In the seventh hundredth, Irish face an economic depression and out control population growth. Jonathan Swift saw that the country of Ireland was going to suffer the greatest economic depression because at every corner in Ireland, he would see a woman bagging for money and some woman had children with them. He decide to propose a modest proposal to how society can end poverty in Ireland. Swift believed in selling children to the rich people and ending poverty for the commonwealth.

When I was in high school, my English class took home the assignment to write an ironic essay. Irony, for those a bit rusty on their literary terminology, is the use of words and imagery in a way that conveys a meaning quite the opposite of the meaning that those images and words would seem to convey literally.

Swiftly in to the Bizarre History of Ireland “Swift himself wrote that "the chief end I propose to my self in all my labors is to vex the world rather then divert it” (qtd. in Phiddian). Johnathan Swift was born in 1167, Dublin Ireland, to English parents. His father died before

Satirist, Jonathan Swift in his essay, “A Modest Proposal”, argues that there needs to be a change in the economy in order to reduce and fix the problems with the amount of poor in Ireland. He develops his claim by first bringing up the number of poor children and beggar mothers, then giving his analysis of the problem, then giving his sarcastic plan of child farming in order to give these poor children a usefulness to everyone, and finally stating that he is not so inclined to his own plan that he is willing to hear the plan of others that will resolve the issue. Swift's purpose is to bring about change with his satire in order resolve the issue of the poor and hungry in Ireland. He creates a sarcastic and satirical tone for everyone in Ireland

Supply did little to meet demand, so students regularly plundered graves in the name of learning. Fortunately for students of literature there is no need to go to such macabre extremes in order to further knowledge in their specialist field. Students of English Literature need only burgle the bank of literary treasures left to us by esteemed authors. One of these authors is Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), writer, poet and Dean of St Patrick’s, Dublin. Amongst the gems Swift left for dissection by literature students, is an essay published as a pamphlet in 1729 called A Modest Proposal. Through analysis of the text it becomes apparent that A Modest Proposal is a valuable piece of literature for study by an English Literature student. When first published it caused some minor ripples but the true value of A Modest Proposal, has been realised in later years and is now acknowledged as one of the greatest works of satire in the English language. By studying Swift’s life, the themes and characters he introduces into this work and the literary approach he adopts, it will become clear why this essay is of great value to the student of English