A modest proposal analysis. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift 2022-11-07

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"A Modest Proposal" is a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift in 1729. In it, Swift proposes a solution to the problem of overpopulation and poverty in Ireland: the wealthy should purchase and eat the children of the poor. This shocking proposal is meant to shock the reader and highlight the absurdity and inhumanity of such a solution.

Swift's essay is structured as a letter addressed to a wealthy friend, in which he presents his proposal as a logical and reasonable solution to the problems facing Ireland. He begins by discussing the difficulties faced by the poor, including the high cost of living, the lack of employment opportunities, and the burden of supporting large families. He then goes on to argue that the solution to these problems is to sell the children of the poor to the wealthy as a source of food.

Swift uses a number of rhetorical devices to make his proposal seem more reasonable. He uses statistics and data to present his argument in a logical and scientific manner, and he uses rhetorical questions and sarcasm to mock the idea that there could be any other solution. He also uses irony and satire to highlight the absurdity of his proposal, making it clear that he does not actually believe that the solution to poverty is to eat the poor.

Despite the fact that Swift's proposal is clearly meant to be satirical, it is still a powerful and thought-provoking work. It highlights the harsh realities faced by the poor and the way that the wealthy often turn a blind eye to their suffering. It also exposes the cruel and inhumane ways that people have sometimes tried to solve problems of poverty and overpopulation.

Overall, "A Modest Proposal" is a classic example of satirical writing that uses wit and humor to expose the injustice and absurdity of a given situation. It is a powerful work that continues to be relevant and thought-provoking today.

Free “A Modest Proposal” By Jonathan Swift

a modest proposal analysis

Swift notes that mothers are unable to work as they must spend their time begging in order to feed their children. The total cost needed to bring up a child for the first year is no more than two shillings. Summary of 'A Modest Proposal' 'A Modest Proposal,' written by Jonathan Swift in 1729, begins by deploring the sad fate of the poverty-stricken Irish who have to spend all their time trying to feed their large families. Yet from the ideas presented in coherence and the technique of presentation and its satire make Swift the master of prose writing. This part is called confutatio. After thinking it over, I have come to realize that only a true genius could write something as emotive and realistic and be taken seriously.

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A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: Critical Commentary

a modest proposal analysis

Though the Proposer refuses to entertain the many other plans that have circulated among politicians, he proceeds to list them anyway. The nation would have relief from foreign loan. The constant breeders, besides the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year. This is not, of course, Swift's own assumption; he presents a shockingly extreme case of cold-blooded "rationality" in order to make his readers reexamine their own priorities. There is no possibility of work and therefore, there is a class of beggars as well as the problem of overpopulation. The author of this essay, Jonathan Swift, is regarded as one of the best satirists in English Literature ever. His ludicrous scheme is to plump up the children and feed them off to the wealthiest.

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A Modest Proposal Analysis

a modest proposal analysis

He argues that the proposals presented by others regarding this problem are insufficient to solve it. It is after this relatively undemanding first year, therefore, that Swift's proposal will go into effect. By the time Jonathan Swift penned A Modest Proposal, poverty and famine were widespread in Ireland, and many of the poor Irish had resorted to begging in the streets. It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. He compares abortion with his proposal, and says eating children is similar to an involuntary abortion, so it would save the poor people from the shame of having an abortion. Out of these two hundred thousand breeders, around one hundred and seventy thousand will be poor. Argues that, in modern culture, Swift as the author of A Modest Proposal represents the epitome of the artist as hero, presenting truths that polite society finds offensive.

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Analysis of "A Modest Proposal" Written by Jonathan Swift: [Essay Example], 1056 words GradesFixer

a modest proposal analysis

During this time the Protestant minority English was ruling Ireland neglecting the poor Irish Catholics. He says that among the 1. When England became a Protestant country under Henry VIII in the 16th century, the vast majority of Irish remained Roman Catholic, and English rule became much harsher. This kind of off-the-cuff number crunching was common in political writing of the time period. As the reader evaluates what the speaker is actually saying in this numerical data, they see his illogicalness arise again. There was no synthesis needed in this essay. Jonathan Swift skillfully used different styles of writing, such as imagery and irony, to show why the Analysis Of Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal 1163 Words 5 Pages Ever thought about consuming a one-year-old baby with nice plump features? Furthermore, these teenagers are living a miserable life and are unable to find any employment.

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A modest proposal Analysis (600 Words)

a modest proposal analysis

Jonathan Swift places himself as a villain who is willing to do evil deeds to answer hard questions. The author says that the reduction of the population is among the goals of the proposal as the population of Ireland is well above the limit. The inhumane speaker of the essay is the caricature of the followers of utilitarian philosophy. Among these children, the author proposes to leave twenty thousand for breeding and to butcher the remaining one hundred thousand for eating. The message of the essay is that the ruling class should be more conscientious and deliver better performance when dealing with social problems. The taxes were turning into what once was a glorious place into ruins.

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A Modest Proposal Summary and Analysis

a modest proposal analysis

Rather, he is depicting the potential outcome in sacrificing the those who are draining the resources of the community, instead of implicating the make-up of said community. He states that the wealthy landlords would be the likely buyers. Swift 763 In his essay, Swift describes a repulsive suggestion or dealing with the children of the poor in Ireland. His proposal, he argues, will, if implemented, do more to solve Ireland's complex social, political and economic problems than any other measure that has yet been proposed. These kids cannot be given employment in the country that neither cultivates lands nor builds new houses. His idea originated from the large number of women who kept having children even though they were not able to provide for them.

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A Modest Proposal Themes

a modest proposal analysis

By simply living in their own country, the Catholic Irish are supposedly committing treason—and by evading taxes, Protestants are merely obeying their conscience. Jonathan Swift and Popular Culture: Myth, Media, and the Man. At long last, the Proposer finally unveils his own plan. This strategy will persuade England to stop taking the little bit of what Ireland has because when they see that they literally have nothing else to give except for their kids just so they can survive it will cause people of England to rise up and take act to stop this imperialistic bullying that Britain has imposed on Ireland. It becomes clear fairly quickly that this will be an economic argument, although the proposal will have moral, religious, political, and nationalistic implications.

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A Modest Proposal

a modest proposal analysis

Therefore, they become a burden on the country and their families. This proposal, he says, can solve the problem of beggar children. The child's parents would have better treatment from the rich and the landlords. The modest proposal is of course anything but modest: it is savage, frightening, perhaps even insane. The author claims that no substitute plan can equal his plan even if they are similarly easy, innocent, and cheap.

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A Modest Proposal Summary & Analysis

a modest proposal analysis

The first part of the argument introduces the subject and is called exordium. It is not only the English, but the Irish themselves, he declares, who are responsible for their nation's poverty-stricken state. His proposal can benefit society at the cost of a few humans. He attended Trinity College, Dublin, received a Master of Arts degree from Oxford, in England, and was eventually ordained as an Anglican priest. His main objective was to illustrate how deplorable the state of Ireland was, and to show how the distinction between different social classes was abysmal. In this way, the author does exactly what he wants to tackle. It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms.

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Free Essay: A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

a modest proposal analysis

He gained notoriety for his impassioned essays on religion and all matters of domestic and foreign policy, and for his works of biting satire. At this point, the author starts describing the authenticity and merits of his proposal. In spite—although sometimes because of the outside world, communities go through cycles of hardship and regeneration. Moreover, the business of taverns will also shoot up as the poor people will have pennies in their hands. To raise awareness about this issue, two very brilliant writers, Jonathan Swift and Fred Grimm used different forms of satire to get their points across.

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