Commentary on Jonathan Swift's Essay "A Modest Proposal"
Commentary: Moral Responsibility
Jonathan Swift cleverly illustrates a very “humble” solution to the crisis in Ireland in his personal essay, “A Modest Proposal.” His voice urges annoyance and frustration, evoking a tone of sarcasm. Through the use of cynical language, he creates an intense and informative response. He uses language to create imagery which he intends to elicit a response of shock and moral responsibility. His intention is to mock Ireland and the economic crisis they have got themselves in.
Swift appropriately chooses strong imagery and describes a “melancholy object” that comes from walking through Irish streets and seeing “beggars of the female sex” and “three, four, or six children, all in rags.” Swift wants this image to convey the severe challenges that Ireland is facing. These women are panhandling for food, instead of working “for their honest livelihood,” and that influences their children to do the same or leave for the “Pretender in Spain.” The “deplorable state” of Ireland is causing grave situations for the impoverished. The English Protestants have been mistreating the Irish, and England has “consumed” Ireland. Because of England, Ireland faces a lack of power, and Swift uses this verisimilitude in order to take advantage of his satire and to present the “devouring” of poverty-stricken infants of Irish born mothers. The circumstances in Ireland at that time, the key parallel between both situations are their shared consequence: a country destined to collapse.
Swift’s arguments against their current “schemes” of Ireland are well constructed and convincing. The children or the mothers will no longer beg for “charity” on the streets. “A child will make two dishes,” and will be offered in sale to people. This will bring quality and fortune, through the nation. He has “maturely weighed the several schemes of other projectors.” He believes that these “schemes” are much miscalculated in their “computation.” If the previous
Jonathan Swift cleverly illustrates a very “humble” solution to the crisis in Ireland in his personal essay, “A Modest Proposal.” His voice urges annoyance and frustration, evoking a tone of sarcasm. Through the use of cynical language, he creates an intense and informative response. He uses language to create imagery which he intends to elicit a response of shock and moral responsibility. His intention is to mock Ireland and the economic crisis they have got themselves in.
Swift appropriately chooses strong imagery and describes a “melancholy object” that comes from walking through Irish streets and seeing “beggars of the female sex” and “three, four, or six children, all in rags.” Swift wants this image to convey the severe challenges that Ireland is facing. These women are panhandling for food, instead of working “for their honest livelihood,” and that influences their children to do the same or leave for the “Pretender in Spain.” The “deplorable state” of Ireland is causing grave situations for the impoverished. The English Protestants have been mistreating the Irish, and England has “consumed” Ireland. Because of England, Ireland faces a lack of power, and Swift uses this verisimilitude in order to take advantage of his satire and to present the “devouring” of poverty-stricken infants of Irish born mothers. The circumstances in Ireland at that time, the key parallel between both situations are their shared consequence: a country destined to collapse.
Swift’s arguments against their current “schemes” of Ireland are well constructed and convincing. The children or the mothers will no longer beg for “charity” on the streets. “A child will make two dishes,” and will be offered in sale to people. This will bring quality and fortune, through the nation. He has “maturely weighed the several schemes of other projectors.” He believes that these “schemes” are much miscalculated in their “computation.” If the previous