Rhetorical Devices In A Modest Proposal

Caitlin Chase
Mrs. Woodworth
AP English Period 5
30 April 2017
A Not So Modest Proposal
In an intriguing satirical piece, “A Modest Proposal” tackles the issues of child welfare, indifference of the wealthy to poverty, and economic class divisions. Through the use of a variety of rhetorical devices, Swift is able to raise awareness with outlandish language, ironic suggestions, and emotional anecdotes. Swift himself is a priest whom cares about the poor and the welfare of children very much, by proposing such a ridiculous solution, his hope is that he can motivate others to find practical solutions. Swift uses appeals such as logical fallacies, metaphors, repetition, parallelism, humor, sarcasm, and a satirical tone that effectively illustrates

The ideas he proposes such as selling children like objects, eating them like food, and murdering them are all illogical thinking. Selling, eating, and murdering children clearly does not solve the problem of poverty, nor would any reasonably sane person propose such solutions. For example, Swift indicates in paragraph five that his proposal will eradicate abortions and the murdering of children by their mothers, “There is likewise another great Advantage in my Scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary Abortions, and that horrid practice of Women murdering their Bastard Children, alas (Swift, 2). There is no logical indication that taking children living in poverty away from their mothers and subjecting them to being bred, cooked, and sold is in anyway going to reduce abortion. Swift tells the reader that he is the sole expert on this subject using an appeal to authority to make his argument contain more validity, however he fails to back this up with any sincere ethical appeals that help further his

It’s also important to note that many pamphlets advocating for action on behalf of the poor were already in circulation and had proved to be largely ineffective. Satire makes challenging societal norms and authority a lot easier and more effective because instead of preaching the issue of poverty and its solutions, it uses humor to ridicule the indifferent while promoting its cause. Swift uses sarcasm when speaking about the methods in which children could be cooked, “I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy Child well Nursed is at a year Old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome Food, whether Stewed, Roasted, Baked, or Boyled, and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a Fricasie, or Ragoust” (Swift 3). This is an example of the sarcasm that Swift uses to alarm his audience. By using the words stewed, roasted, and boiled, Swift proves to his audience that this is a ridiculous concept. He again mentions that good and healthy children will be skinned and that skin will be used to make delicate gloves for women, and boots for gentlemen. He goes as far to assert that children will become a delicacy and their body parts will be used to make ornaments. Finally, Swift