What Are The Rhetorical Devices Used In A Modest Proposal A Satire

Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift is an example of satirical writing. Satire means using humour to attack an idea or behaviour, ridiculing people or institution to effect change. Modest Proposal was written in 1729 in order to shock English society to be more aware of the unjust of politics towards the Irish community. Swift talks about the poverty-stricken Irish parents who cannot find close to decent jobs to support their kids, but they have to spend their time begging at passer-by for something to be able to feed their kids, whom eventually grow up to become thieves or emigrants. His solution to the extreme poverty is to render the children of Ireland from the poorer families and offer them to the richer families as food. By offering their

At the time A Modest Proposal was written, Ireland was in a state of extreme poverty. The country was significantly overpopulated: people were struggling to make ends meet and provide for the growing population. The author of the text, Dr. Jonathan Swift, was repulsed by the Irish government’s reluctance to institute any major changes to help resolve the levels of poverty and overpopulation present at the time. In response, he wrote this text to criticize the upper class for this level of inaction, as well as their failed attempts at resolving the issue. Through Swift’s use of satirical devices -- such as irony, hyperbole, and understatement -- he was able to convey his message to the public which was criticism about the inadequate actions being taken by the government to solve Ireland’s troubles. He believed they weren’t doing enough to help the situation at the time and wanted them to see their defeat in hopes that they would decide to finally act.

When Swift is describing the use of children as commodities, it is ironic because his intentions are to actually explain that the English view the whole Irish population as commodities. The English landlords are the ones responsible for Ireland’s poverty. The essay shows, through sarcasm, that the English have purposely took everything from the Irish because they view them as commodities. One example of sarcasm used to portray that idea is that the utilization of infants will be “proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children” (804). It is very apparent that Swift blames the English for Ireland’s problems. He also blames the Irish Catholics that allowed English policy to break down Ireland.

Overall, Swift is also using irony by relating this unheard of cruelty to babies to cruelty animals. He suggests that buying children alive and “dressing them hot from the knife as we do roasting pigs” (411) is the best way to serve them. This was intended to tell the audience that the Protestants are basically treating the Catholics like animals with no regard to life. This carefully crafted technique lets the reader see how malicious the Protestants are actually being, and that they are killing Catholic babies alive by ruining any chance at a good life. Swift did not actually mean for people to go out and cook babies like pigs to get the most satisfactory, he simply meant that if you are going to treat them like pigs, you might as well eat them like pigs. If the people of Britain can’t see that through adults, maybe

He suggests that impoverished Irish families should sell their children as food to wealthy landlords and English gentlemen. Swift writes, "I have been assured by a very knowing American... that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food" (Swift, 1729). This outrageous proposal serves as a scathing indictment of the callousness and indifference of the ruling class toward the plight of the poor. Third Paragraph - In "A Modest Proposal," Swift employs satire and irony to drive home his message.

Swift suggests that Irish women should sell their children as food and other necessities to the rich populace in order to benefit the economy and fight the problem of overpopulation. To specify, Swift proposes if the children are sold, there would be many more utilizations of the children instead of having to survive on the streets scraping for money. He uses this ridiculous example in hope that it will benefit the rich population as well as solve the predicament of overpopulation. As he states, “Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass;

“I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs” (A Modest Proposal). Comparing the children to roasting a pig shows that the children do not mean that much to anyone and they can just be burned alive and no one would care. He also uses the word “flesh” generally to refer to the children when they’re being served and eaten which is an animalistic association (A Modest Proposal). Usually human children would not be referred to as “flesh” or “pigs” at all. This, again, reflects upon how England and the Irish ruling classes treated the people of Ireland, especially the less fortunate. Other words Swift has a tendency of using are “breeders”, “males”, and “females” (A Modest Proposal). It’s not common to hear these words in regard to a human being especially coming from a priest. More directly with his wording, Swift speaks of the landlords in a negative manner. “I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents…” (A Modest Proposal). This statement shows the way the English landlords would take every penny their tenants had. England and Ireland’s wealthy class did not care for their people what so ever, and Swift’s satire was very effective in proving these points.

I have no children by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.” (Swift)

The piece proposes a simple solution to the famine that was wracking the nation: eating children. One of the main ironies that can be seen in the work is the attack on the upper class. Swift suggest the that poor sell their children to the rich so they have enough to eat. This would imply that the rich are so heartless that they would eagerly eat other humans in order to have full stomachs. The way that Swift describes the “meat” makes it seem so commonplace. It makes it seem as though one is reading the description of a high class menu, not about the meat of human beings. The irony in the piece also touches on the disinterest regarding the troubles in Ireland. This plan is showcased as an easy fix that shouldn’t bother anyone. It’s almost like Swift is suggesting that eating and selling children would go unnoticed in Ireland. Amongst all of this there is also an attack on Irish policy in general. By leaping straight to selling children as a solution, it seems implied that the Irish government couldn’t be bothered to think up a better plan. Swift’s satirical take on the situation, while startling at first, certainly makes you think about the travesties that were occurring at the time to inspire his

In his biting political satire called ?A Modest Proposal,? Jonathan Swift seeks to create empathy for the poor through his ironic portrayal of the children of Irish beggars as commodities that can be regulated and even eaten. He is able to poke fun at the dehumanization of the multitudes of poor people in Ireland by ironically commenting on what he sees as an extension of the current situation. Swift?s essay seeks to comment on the terrible condition of starvation that a huge portion of Ireland has been forced into, and the inane rationalizations that the rich are quick to submit in order to justify the economic inequality. He is able to highlight the absurdity of these attempted

A Modest Proposal, an excellent example of a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift in the seventeenth century. This essay presents an issue of the poor people (mostly females and children’s) begging every person on the streets of Ireland for an alms. To counter this issue, the author through the means of satire presents his own proposal in such a way that it would disgust and enrage the readers (specifically the merchants and landlords). He suggest that poor people might ease their problems by selling their fatten children for eight shillings, at the age of one, as a food to the rich landlords, who, as the author points out, “have already devoured most of the parents” anyway by achieving success at the expense of the lower class people. The author states that his proposal would solve the problem of overpopulation in the country, it would greatly lessen the number of papists, whom he addresses as their biggest enemies and it would also

When one thinks of the phrase “A Modest Proposal,” does one come to think of fattening babies so they can sell as meat. In Jonathan Swift’s essay “A Modest Proposal,” Swift uses satirical writing to communicate with the reader to expose the critical situation of the poor people of Ireland. Whom besides going through a tough period of famine have to endure the overwhelming taxation rates of the English empire. The author’s proposal intends to convince the public of the incompetence of Ireland’s politicians, the lack empathy of the wealthy, the English oppression, and the inability of the Irish to mobilize themselves against this situation. Johnathan proposed an outrageous solution that the Irish folks eat their children at the age of one or sell them in the market as meet. Finally, he manifests to be open to other suggestions to help overcome the country’s crisis. The proposal was made strategically using several different parts: the text, author, audience, purpose, and setting to persuade the tax to go lower.

The sarcastic views of Swift’s understanding of the poverty of Ireland leads him to make a proposal for a solution to poverty, where he ignores the concern of human morale by displaying the lacking efforts of England to help. Swift uses methods that work to get or help better understand a situation, for example being sarcastic in a situation where a person wants something out of the situation by satire. The undeniable effect of satire catches the attention of England to further display the poverty of Ireland which is displayed throughout Swift’s Modest Proposal with exaggeration, incongruity and reversal.

Indeed the proposal to eat the poor is a shocking statement, but what adds to the shock value is the delivery. For example, take the last statement regarding a fricassee. This statement is not necessary for the point, but it certainly adds to the appalling nature of the quote. The sarcastic nature puts Swift so far above the poor subjects that it evokes an extremely humorous response. Swift digresses and uses sarcasm numerous times in the essay, to emphasize truisms in a manner that tries to be less than direct, but has the ultimate effect of clarity. For example Swift proposes that some one of the uses for the children would be to