A Modest Proposal Situational Analysis

In Class Essay Jonathan Swift, a British Irish writer, played a very significant role in speaking out against the British government. He wrote multiple literary pieces and essays, like “A Modest Proposal”, to show support for his fellow Irish men by criticizing the British rule. Swift, in his essay, “A Modest Proposal” exposes the British government’s atrocious rule of the Irish people by using situational irony and critical language. Satire and irony is a very important part of Swift’s essay, as it is a tool used to deliver his idea of how the aggressive British control is causing the Irish to suffer by drawing attention towards his own shocking proposals. Swift starts off his essay by giving ironic benefits before actually mentioning the real argument he is making. He writes in paragraph one, “It is exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner instead of being...”. By giving an unrealistic solution that calls for one year old children to work to provide for their parents is hysterical. Swift gives the reader the idea that he

Throughout the essay, he refers to the poor women as of the “female sex” instead of just referring to them as women to objectify them. He presents them as worthless objects that hold no significance in the society. Other than that, Swift calls out the fact that majority of the poor children are born out of marriages and are results of infidelity. He names such poor children as “bastard children” to criticize their scandalous worth in the society and communities. Swift calls these children and women useless by using such cruel word to expose how they are actually viewed by the British. They are treated as illegal people and their voice has no say in their own ruling. Swift’s usage of such critical diction for the people is evidence for the British’s unfair rule upon the