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A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

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Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” examines the proposal of consuming human flesh in order to solve the dilemma of the Potato Famine, in which drought was exacerbated by crop failures, and this tribulation of the Irish was largely snubbed by English landowners. His ironic persona (speaker), is one of confidence, reason, and worth. In addition, this persona presents a multitude of rhetorical strategies to prepare the audience for this overly deranged proposal, ranging from juxtapositions, to using emotion, reason, and credibility, to persuade the reader. Therefore, the ironic persona in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift illustrates a wide assortment of rhetorical devices to convey the solution to the Potato Famine, and more broadly, Swift intended this ironic platform to serve as an expository of the avarice of landowners and their gain for self-interest. In “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift constructs a well-reasoned and confident speaker who proposes this notion of cannibalism in an ironic, satirical conveyance, in which he rationalizes, to defend the assertion, suggesting one of the moral right of the proposal, in order to expose the selfish interests of the people of Ireland. For example, when Swift states, “There is likewise another great Advantage in my …show more content…

However, the ironic nature and satirical tone by the author is evidence to the true purpose of the work: to expose the avarice of landowners and their gain for self-interest. Despite the persona of the work to be one of immovable and confident in stance on his proposal, in which he sees no counter to. This clever conveyance was done by using irony and satire, along with reasoning, stylistic devices of comparisons, associations, and emphasis, and the use of credibility, logic, and emotion to persuade the audience to preferring the

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