A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis
Jonathan Swift, author of “A Modest Proposal”, wrote about the starving people of Ireland in the early 1700′s. The purpose of his argument is to raise awareness to the wealthy of the issue. Swift, a priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral composed the satirical essay due to his want for a resolution for the underprivileged people in Ireland. Swift wants to bring the issue to light for the wealthy Irish class. Swift assumes that his audience will be upset and bothered by his suggestion to sell and eat poor children. Swift also assumes that people genuinely care about their fellow Irishmen and will move for a solution. 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
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common belief that the poor are poor because they made themselves that way. He then shows his sympathies for the unprivileged women and children. He then says that the mothers are “forced” to spend “all their time” walking about the streets of Ireland begging for “sustenance for their helpless infant” (220). The robust words “forced” and “helpless” compels the reader to feel sympathetic towards the children and mothers. This shared sympathy creates a strong bond between the reader and the speaker. After the bond of trust is established, Jonathan Swift destroys it by employing several terms and phrases that dehumanize and put humans on the level of an animal. He says “a child dropped from its dam” to dehumanize woman and compare women to animal in how they give birth to many children, presumably that animals tend to have numerous young (221). Another common term used throughout the text is “breeder”. Swift employs "breeder" to depict the idea that the only roles of women are to reproduce and then sell them to the market as a “delicacy”. Along with breeder, Swift continues on that “twenty thousand [women] may be reserved for breed, whereof only one-fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle or swine”(222). Swift compares women to livestock and gives the reader an insight as to how a farmer would assess how to breed their animals. He talks of children and women as animals and dehumanizes them. Not only does Swift dehumanize through diction, but he also makes them seem insignificant. He does this by turning them into data. In the sixth paragraph, he calculates the total children from poor couples; however, while calculating he also submits the couples into categories: couples who cannot care for their children and women who miscarry. Swift begins listing all of the citizens of Ireland and then calculates them to make their numbers shrink to make them seem even more insignificant. Another way Jonathan Swift uses rhetoric to make his proposal less serious occurs when; he describes infant’s meat as a sort of delicacy.
He continues saying that certain parts of a child’s body are exceptionally good to eat, especially for special occasions. Swift also remarks that a child’s skin would make “admirable gloves for ladies” and “summer boots for fine gentleman”, which gives them a sense of a delicacy (222). The words “admirable” and “fine” can be interpreted as aggressive toward to upper class because they prosper from the poor. Swift employments words that further highlight the fact that the “babies” that are to be eaten and used for clothing as more of a delicacy in that they are worth “ten shillings.” Earlier in the essay, Jonathan Swift states that it cost only two shillings to care for a child until it was "one year of age." He later states that a child twelve years of age would cost about twelve shillings to care for them. The price of "the delicacy" is comparably high like most other
delicacies. Jonathan Swift uses a magnificent source of rhetoric to best attract attention to his essay and execute his beliefs. He uses outrageous solutions and ideas to show the upper class that there is a serious problem in their society. When read at face value, Swift is a radical minister with a sadistic way of thinking; however, when closely read, the essay shows that Swift is actually sympathetic for the poor and a man who wants reform in the Irish society.
Work Cited
Barnet, Sylvan, and Hugo Adam Bedau. "A Modest Proposal." Current issues and enduring questions: a guide to critical thinking and argument, with readings. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin 's, 2002. 220-26. Print.
common belief that the poor are poor because they made themselves that way. He then shows his sympathies for the unprivileged women and children. He then says that the mothers are “forced” to spend “all their time” walking about the streets of Ireland begging for “sustenance for their helpless infant” (220). The robust words “forced” and “helpless” compels the reader to feel sympathetic towards the children and mothers. This shared sympathy creates a strong bond between the reader and the speaker. After the bond of trust is established, Jonathan Swift destroys it by employing several terms and phrases that dehumanize and put humans on the level of an animal. He says “a child dropped from its dam” to dehumanize woman and compare women to animal in how they give birth to many children, presumably that animals tend to have numerous young (221). Another common term used throughout the text is “breeder”. Swift employs "breeder" to depict the idea that the only roles of women are to reproduce and then sell them to the market as a “delicacy”. Along with breeder, Swift continues on that “twenty thousand [women] may be reserved for breed, whereof only one-fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle or swine”(222). Swift compares women to livestock and gives the reader an insight as to how a farmer would assess how to breed their animals. He talks of children and women as animals and dehumanizes them. Not only does Swift dehumanize through diction, but he also makes them seem insignificant. He does this by turning them into data. In the sixth paragraph, he calculates the total children from poor couples; however, while calculating he also submits the couples into categories: couples who cannot care for their children and women who miscarry. Swift begins listing all of the citizens of Ireland and then calculates them to make their numbers shrink to make them seem even more insignificant. Another way Jonathan Swift uses rhetoric to make his proposal less serious occurs when; he describes infant’s meat as a sort of delicacy.
He continues saying that certain parts of a child’s body are exceptionally good to eat, especially for special occasions. Swift also remarks that a child’s skin would make “admirable gloves for ladies” and “summer boots for fine gentleman”, which gives them a sense of a delicacy (222). The words “admirable” and “fine” can be interpreted as aggressive toward to upper class because they prosper from the poor. Swift employments words that further highlight the fact that the “babies” that are to be eaten and used for clothing as more of a delicacy in that they are worth “ten shillings.” Earlier in the essay, Jonathan Swift states that it cost only two shillings to care for a child until it was "one year of age." He later states that a child twelve years of age would cost about twelve shillings to care for them. The price of "the delicacy" is comparably high like most other
delicacies. Jonathan Swift uses a magnificent source of rhetoric to best attract attention to his essay and execute his beliefs. He uses outrageous solutions and ideas to show the upper class that there is a serious problem in their society. When read at face value, Swift is a radical minister with a sadistic way of thinking; however, when closely read, the essay shows that Swift is actually sympathetic for the poor and a man who wants reform in the Irish society.
Work Cited
Barnet, Sylvan, and Hugo Adam Bedau. "A Modest Proposal." Current issues and enduring questions: a guide to critical thinking and argument, with readings. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin 's, 2002. 220-26. Print.