Analysis Of Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal

Words: 620

Pages: 3

Open Document

Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is one of the most famous literary works of the eighteenth century. The essay begins with offering a useful proposal to help the poor children of Ireland so that it benefits the commonwealth. Later, the proposer suggests that poor families should sell their children as food for the rich. In order to support this ironic proposal, the narrator uses statistical data to suggest the number of the babies to get sell, plus their proper weight and price. Furthermore, Swift delivers many examples that prove the advantages and the importance of his suggestion. One example suggests that the proposal will increase the income of the unfortunate families and it will allow them to pay their rents and other expenses. Also, the good economic profit will encourage people to get married and take care of their children. Another …show more content…
Swift’s solution to solve the problem of poverty is not logical as he proposes. In fact, the suggestion provides the opposite and it benefits the rich as the narrator say, “I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children” (Swift 2433). This reflects the continuous issues of the poor that caused by the greed and dominance of the rich. The narrator closes the essay with saying, “I have no children by which I can propose” (Swift 2437). These words reveal that the proposal does not truly support such a proposal, instead the author is teaching the readers about the hard situation of the poor families. In conclusion, Swift’s A Modest Proposal is a very powerful essay. The use of satire in displaying the suffering of the poor of the 18th century, shocks the reader and makes the work lasts for decades. This essay encourages the reader to help other people and always respect those who are

Essay on Jonathan Swift and Swift

Binta Bojang Sarah Setnes Dale Comp. II-M February 27, 2015 Analysis of “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift In Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”, he discusses a solution for the problem of overpopulation in Ireland. At the time “A Modest Proposal” was introduced, babies were being produced at an exponential rate which negatively impacted Ireland’s economy. Ireland, because of the country being crowded, suffered tremendous economic problems and quickly went into debt. Swift proposed that everyone…

Words 1004 - Pages 5

Modest Proposal Essay

argue that both Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) and Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) deliberately place the reader within the predicament of trying to decipher what irony is and how it is tolerated and concealed. The two texts I will be exploring and deconstructing are ‘A Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or Country, and for making them beneficial to the publick’1 (1729) and ‘The Shortest-Way with the Dissenters: or Proposals for the Establishment…

Words 2791 - Pages 12

A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Angel Younghanz Mr.Pitts AP Lang November 13 2016 “A Modest Proposal” Rhetorical Analysis A pamphlet was introduced in the late seventeenth century that mocked Ireland's backward ideology with satirical ideas that reflect the system's attitude towards the lower class citizens . Jonathan Swift the author of “Modest Proposal” addressed the upper class with realistic, but harsh ideas that consist of inhuman thoughts and intentions. He often refers to eating children and exporting their parts…

Words 546 - Pages 3

Modest Proposal paper

Hirte Mark Tabone English 355 11 June 2015 Rhetorical Analysis: A Modest Proposal In the seventeenth century, people made habit of distributing political pamphlets in Ireland to promote intellectual ideas. Many people threw these pamphlets away and did not pay attention to them. In 1729 Jonathan Swift, author of “A Modest Proposal,” devises this proposal to show how bad and backwards the social class and general state Ireland was in. His proposal was that the infants of the desolate and poor should…

Words 1096 - Pages 5

A Modest Proposal Essay

In his essay “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift provides a quick and satiric analysis of the economic problems Ireland in the early 1700s faced and offers a “solution” to the problem: serving the children of the poor to the rich as a delicacy. As his earlier reasonable proposals failed to garner any real attention, Swift attempts to shock his audience in a way that both outlines the true dimensions of the problem as well as forces action to be taken to rectify the poverty, starvation, and inability…

Words 923 - Pages 4

Diction In A Modest Proposal

An Anglican priest well known for his political pamphlets, Jonathan Swift, in his essay “A Modest Proposal” addresses the over population of poor people having children and its effects on Ireland. Swift’s purpose is to induce anger in the readers by making an outrageous proposal to deal with the poor population of Ireland. He creates an ironic tone in order to point out the horrible living conditions in Ireland to the wealthy landowners who are exploiting them. Swift begins his essay by emphasizing…

Words 1564 - Pages 7