Preview

A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
449 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
In “A Modest Proposal”, Jonathan Swift reaches out to the readers about social problems that the great town and county are going through. I believe Swift is trying to tell the readers in a satirical way that the government and political party are not doing anything in the country to solve the social problems. Swift believed the only way to catch their attention was to write the essay “A Modest Proposal”. Swift used satire in his essay to inform people of Ireland how high poverty, hunger, and death rates were not getting any help from the government. Swift was trying to deliver a message to the people of Ireland. There was so many men and women who could not support their child. Also people from Ireland were starving because of crop failure.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    If Swifts ‘Modest Proposal’ is satire, as everyone seems to think, then I am even more repulsed in the writing than I was before. Everyone at the webinar the other day thought the little baby was such a cute, darling, little thing, and I agree, life is beautiful. To find humor in, or joke about, killing and eating babies is quite disgusting actually. Finding humour in something so disturbing, grotesque and violent, is quite assaulting to human dignity. The fact, that the author distanced himself from the piece by writing anonymously points to the fact he knew of its graphic assault, whether satire or not.…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    “A Modest Proposal” is a strongly written satire by Jonathon Swift. In the essay, Swift applies nearly all of the elements of satire. Some of the most obvious elements are his use of creating a persona and his exaggeration. Beginning by analyzing the title, “A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and For Making Them Beneficial to The Public”, it is a reasonable topic for the essay. However it is not at all modest. Swift absurdly creates suggestions to make the poor children beneficial. His primary goal in this essay is to shame the English, bring up the issues of poverty and motivate the Irish.…

    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 264 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    I've read many articles in my day, and I am known to be a very sarcastic person at times but this piece “A Modest Proposal” is next level insane, now I may be wrong, but what I've gathered from this piece is basically cannibalism of young children. “A young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled.” Now i haven't really heard about Dr. Jonathan Swift, nor do I really know about his background, but his use of satire in this article is preposterous. I only hope this is a use of satire and that Dr. Swift hasn't actually considered doing this. Because the thought of this alone, in my eyes, is absurd. This proposal has a very diverse use of satiric devices…

    • 264 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    In his satirical essay "A Modest Proposal," Johnathan Swift examines treatment of the poor in Ireland during the eighteenth century: “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 boiled, and I make no doubt, that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or ragout.” (Swift 763) In his essay, Swift describes a repulsive suggestion for dealing with the children of the poor in Ireland. Swift describes in detail how poor children should be raised and sold to the wealthy at age one. He details how the children should be and how they should be prepared for the wealthy to consume. Swift's abhorrent proposal for the poor children not only points out the awful treatment of the poor in Ireland during the eighteenth century, but also Ireland's inability to devise a more desirable plan for the poor. His use of statistics and graphical depiction of the poor children's lives adds to the credibility of his essay.…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    In "A Modest Proposal", Swift uses several different words to create satire, one of which is the word 'breeders '. He uses the term breeders in reference to the women. In several paragraphs he talks about these breeders and their role. "I calculate there may be about 200,000 couples whose wives are breeders;"(Swift 2) The way that he refers to the women as breeders instead of mothers, wives or women creates satire. Instead of talking about them he talks about what they do. Or what they are supposed to do. This makes good artillery because referring to the women as breeders gives them a significant role and satire is created because instead of being known as women and…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 1172 Words
    • 5 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    Swift effectively satirizes the political situation in which he shines light on England’s unconcerned attitude towards the poor Irish natives. His work contains depth as it depicts Ireland’s submissive condition in the 18th century. Although Swift’s proposals presented to, alleviate Ireland’s poverty, are highly unsettling, a deeper analysis of the effectively expounded satire helps understand both the dwindling political climate of the time and the aim to improve, overcome, and…

    • 1172 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of A Modest Proposal
    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Of A Modest Proposal

    An Anglican priest known for his political pamphlets, Jonathan Swift, in his essay, “A Modest Proposal”, suggests that the infants of poor mothers should be sold as food on the market. Swift’s proposal is to call attention to the horrid living conditions in Ireland to convince the English to stop exploiting the Irish. He accomplishes this by encouraging the audience to believe he’s creditable, using statistics and the advantages of his proposal to appear logical, appealing to the emotions of the reader.…

    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Satire In A Modest Proposal
    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Satire In A Modest Proposal

    In “A Modest Proposal”, the theme of the short story is all but modest. The proposal is that the people of Ireland should start eating babies in order to dilute the population and to provide money (to, for example, the renters) for the poor who cannot afford food. John Swift uses this ironic satire in order to catch the reader's attention. It is his way of saying ‘here is a ridiculous idea, now think of an actual solution’. The solution that Swift proposes is one that would work but is deemed immoral.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    “A Modest Proposal” is accurately called one of the most effective satires in the English language. There are a few key moments of satirical success that should be mentioned. Swift’s decision to put off the actual suggestion of eating babies until several paragraphs into the piece makes his idea all the more arresting when it does come. Also, naming population decrease as the one potential objection to his proposal, Swift heightens the irony of an already ironic piece. The reader is expecting this objection to be that it is morally wrong to kill babies, but Swift subverts our expectations once again, suggesting that there are people so cold to reality that they could be swayed by merely practical economic arguments and cannot even see the outrage of…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    Swift uses an assorted system of rhetoric in “A Modest Proposal” that gives readers a “love-hate” relationship with the speaker. In the opening paragraph, the reader is sympathetic towards the speaker because of the language used by Swift to demonstrate not only his sympathetic views of the poor, but that he does not share the…

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    Johnathan Swift writes this satirical proposal to "prevent the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or the country" and to make them "beneficial to the public".…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

    (Swift, 1729) He goes so far as to suggest different ways of preparing the children as meals. (Swift, 1729) He claims that this is the only answer for all the children born into poverty. (Swift, 1729) He claims that under their present day conditions, it is impossible to solve the problem by any other means. (Swift, 1729) The poor cannot be employed in handicraft or agriculture, or build houses and cultivate land. (Swift, 1729) Children can’t make a living as thieves until around six years of age so that isn’t an option. Nope, all that can be done with them is to eat them. (Swift,…

    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Satire In A Modest Proposal
    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Satire In A Modest Proposal

    After voicing his frustrations to his government to no avail, he saunters down an alternate route. While digesting his most influential and recognized piece, all readers nod along with the author’s point: a change needs to occur in order for the Irish poor to end their suffering. That is until Swift mentions his plan, which involves raising babies, harvesting them at the ripe age of one, and selling their carcasses as a delicacy to the rich. Until the man reveals the details of his proposal, a majority of the readers nod along, eager to see Swift help the poor that plague the nation. Though no laughing matter like Lichtenberg suggests of satire, the poor do not realize the “hit” against them until they are too deep in their support for Swift. Instead of “[rousing] laughter”, the satirist rouses support from those “who are hit”, as he leads the poor and downtrodden along, appearing like he possesses a true solution to their problems. “A Modest Proposal” exists to criticize the Irish government for its lack of action in helping the poor improve their status, but first, Swift mockingly hits the poor by suggesting the sale of poor…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    A Modest Rhetorical Analysis
    • 1520 Words
    • 7 Pages

    A Modest Rhetorical Analysis

    • What does the title suggest to you? From the title, what do you expect this essay to be about?…

    • 1520 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis
    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis

    Well-known Sci-fi writer, Ray Bradbury, in his novel, Fahrenheit 451, illustrates that relationships reflect who individuals are and who they want to be. Bradbury’s purpose is to promote the idea that a person should have the courage to listen to their own beliefs and thoughts of happiness rather than to blend in with society. He adopts a disoriented and poetic tone in order to appeal to similar feelings and experiences on a non-realistic scale in his young adult readers.…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics