A Modest Proposal Analysis 4ng1l

Ali 1 Yawar Ali Mrs. Wilson English IV B 10 May 2013 A Proposal: Satire At Its Best Many at times, the world’s most obvious problems are the ones least cared for. Poverty has plagued society since its earliest stages to modern day – very rarely is such a problem tackled, and even more rarely on a monumental scale. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift incorporates stinging Juvenalian satire, unrelenting usage of rhetoric as well as a disdainful tone towards British colonialism to express the pitiful state of the Irish people stricken in poverty under the rule of the English crown in order to convey his proposal to fixing Ireland’s economic burdens. Swift’s obvious far-fetched solution attempts to stir up his people in dealing with the rampant problem plaguing the country. Swift wastes no time to point out the blatant problems holding back Ireland: he quickly sets up the situation to the reader, using careful diction to draw them in. With words such as “deplorable state of the kingdom” (Swift 14) and “helpless infants” (Swift 8) he proceeds to appeal to the emotions of his audience. Yet, he quickly dissipates the air of sincerity with his solution to the problem: quite simply - eat the babies. They shall “contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many thousands” (Swift 35-36) he says. It’s indeed very clear that Jonathan Swift is either a crazy cook or an impressive satirist; by drawing on the alarm and surprise of his audience to his proposed solution he makes them that much more aware of the problem facing their country. Quite frankly the proposal put forth by Swift is hardly the panacea for Ireland’s ills; it seems to cause more ethical complications on top of the multitude of

Ali 2 economic dilemmas afflicting the nation. He goes on to state that “this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords” (Swift 101-102). Not only does he provide incentive for the poor to carry through with his plan (not having to provide for the child but also making money off it), but also appeals to the wealthy classes’ taste buds. By placing emphasis on the “[i]nfant’s flesh” (Swift 104) and the primary “season throughout the year” (Swift 104) it will be fresh, he’s attempting to make human meat a hard sought commodity. Lastly, he completely disregards other possible proposals to cure the problems of the Irish. He refuses to recognize the “taxing our absolutes at five shillings a pound: Of using neither cloaths, nor household furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture” (Swift 256-257). It’s easy to see his satire is at full power in these ages since his entire presentation of his proposal is based off his “economist” perspective, yet he rejects the fundamental principles of supply and demand that other economists will overwhelmingly approve of. Instead, his close-minded argument seeks no rebuttals (since he quickly presents and disproves their validity). Juvenalian satire is at play as he utilizes harsh and quite cruel remarks in regards to the slaughter of innocent children in order to provide for the masses while at the same time criticizing the very same people for their lack of awareness of society’s problems. Throughout the essay, Swift appeals to the pathos of the people reading his pamphlet. Right in the beginning, Swift paints the picture of streets “crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every enger for alms” (Swift 3-5). Clearly ages such as these are trying to appeal to the emotions of the reader, to draw them into the problem at hand – to get them more involved with the problem’s inner working in order to hopefully get them to accept his solution. Yet, he repulses his audience with the gruesome details of “sacrificing the poor innocent babies” (Swift 40). Later, he uses

Ali 3 ethos in order to establish his credibility, since he starts to sound like a lunatic as he continues with the specific points of his argument. Swift references merchants in order to bring sense to his argument such as when he says “I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or girl . . . is no salable commodity” (Swift 68-69). Hoping to garner the respect of the reader by using professionals of their field, Swift establishes his own credentials. Soon after, he states, “I have been assured by a very knowing American . . . that a young healthy child . . . is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food” (Swift 77-79). By taking time to mention someone overseas, the reader might think that Swift has taken his ample time to assemble his argument and consolidate his source where in reality these credentials are merely figments of Swift’s storytelling. He incorporates neoclassical reason as another technique in order to persuade his audience while using satire and wit from the time period to entertain and convey the argument more effectively. Through the combination of both these traits, his pamphlet reflects the fundamentals of Augustan literature: satire and personal exploration of individuals and society which was very effective art style of the early 18th century. Finally, the tone Swift uses exemplifies his distaste towards English rule over Ireland. Although born as an Anglo-Irishman he longed for a career in England rather than carry out his priestly duties in the Church of Ireland for the rest of his life. Though later in his life, Swift published anonymous pamphlets and became an “Irish patriot”, defending Ireland against the “oppressive policies of the English rulers”. His dislike of England is depicted clearly in the first paragraph when he talks about how helpless infants grow up to either “turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain” (Swift 8-10). The “Pretender” undoubtedly refers to England’s monarch, James Stuart, and his wars overseas which the Irish people were obliged to partake in. Further on, he proceeds to criticize the Catholics of

Ali 4 the “Pretender” as the “most dangerous enemies” (Swift 191-192). His hate for England had many facets: economic, political, and religious all of which he believes the English should refrain from involving themselves in Ireland’s affairs. With the usage of stinging satire, copious amounts of rhetoric and disdainful tone Jonathan Swift is successful in illustrating Ireland’s problems of poverty and social despair in A Modest Proposal. By incorporating universal human principles and structured argument, he is able to convey his point and pique the interest of the reader to bring about change.

Work Cited CUNY. "Introduction to Neoclassisism." Introduction to Neoclassisism. The City University of New York, 17 Aug. 2000. Web. 09 May 2013. Lovelock, Julian. "Restoration and Augustan Literature." University of Buckingham. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013. Nestvold, Ruth. "The Augustan Age." The Augustan Age. N.p., 2001. Web. 09 May 2013. Swift, Jonathan. “A Modest Proposal.” 1729. Quotidiana. Ed. Patrick Madden. 19 Dec 2007. 09 May 2013 .