A Modest Proposal Essay, Research Paper
“A Modest Proposal” was a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift depicting the horrific conditions of Ireland and the lives of the Irish people in 1729. The author portrays and attacks the cruel and unjust oppression of Ireland by its oppressor, the mighty English and ridicules the Irish people at the same time. However, Swift’s opposition is indirectly presented. Jonathan Swift is able to do so by using the persona, irony, and wit in order to expose the remarkable corruption and degradation of the Irish people, and at the same time present them with practicable solutions to their unscrupulous and pathetic lives. The author uses a satire to accomplish his objective not only because he is able to conceal his true identity but also because it is the most effective way to awake the people of Ireland into seeing their own depravity. Swift creates a fictional persona because by hiding his true identity he is able to convince the readers of the significance of Ireland’s problem and allow them to see truth and reality. The persona is a concerned Irishman who is very intelligent, sound, and serious. He appears to be a brute and a monster for proposing something evil and immoral very calmly as if it is normal to consume the flesh of another human being. What makes his proposal to be even more depraved is that he proposes to eat the babies. The persona declares, “and at exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them, in a such a manner as, instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding and partly to the clothing of many thousands.” The persona justifies his proposal with numerous reasons. Besides the prevention of voluntary abortions and infanticide, it will also prevent the loss of money for maintenance of children and the abuse of women and children. The number of Papists would be reduced and the children will not become beggars, thieves, or prostitutes. The proposal will aid in the increase in the status of the peasantry, promote love, and care from the mothers towards their children. However the persona alone is inadequate to make the narrator seem too plausible. The persona must utilize irony and wit in order for his essay to be more efficacious. “A Modest Proposal” is so effective and appealing because of the authors’ copious uses of irony throughout his essay. The title itself is definitely ironic. It provides the reader with false expectations of decency and sensibility on the part of the writer. The butchery of innocent babies and the use of their skin for clothing is way beyond being “modest.” It is brutal and insane. The proposal is intended to shock and throw the reader off balance. The narrator also ridicules the Irish. His proposal would be a great incentive for marriage, not because the Irish will marry for the expected reasons, of love and happiness. Instead they will marry for money. As the persona pronounces, “this would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards or enforced by laws and penalties.” Moreover, this proposal if put into effect would aid in establishing love and care in families, between spouses and towards the children. The mother would provide her babies with better nourishment. Since, plump, fat, and juicy babies are worth more than the lean and abused ones. The husbands will become fond of their wives and refrain from abusing them, to avoid a possible miscarriage. Furthermore, normally the child is introduced to Christianity to celebrate his or her birth and introduction to Christianity. However, ironically Christenings will celebrate a baby’s impending death. The baby must be murdered in order for the parents to profit. Thus, the primary motive of the Irish is money. The persona’s ingenious display of irony serves a purpose for attacking, scorning, and exposing the vices of the Irish people. The narrator’s brilliant and clever use of wit is definitely noteworthy throughout “A Modest Proposal.” In order to make cannibalism sound like the most practicable solution, the author wisely uses his wit. He is implying that cannibalism cannot possibly be more barbaric and unethical than what the Irish are already doing to themselves. Swift is reproaching the Irish for their indolence and pride. The people of Ireland are being reviled and scorned for their lack of action in order to mitigate the current circumstances. The narrator proclaims, ” for we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; we neither build houses, nor cultivate land.” The responsibility of being oppressed is blamed on the Irish more than on the oppressors, the English. Incredibly, the narrator is able to enthrall the readers’ attention through his accurate use of sarcasm and mockery. What makes the persona so credible is the precise and skillful use of diction and wit. The author characterizes the mothers as “breeders”, “swine”, and “cattle.” The children are described as numbers, statistics, and debased to mathematical computations. The author does so shrewdly, because statistics are facts and the truth in peoples’ minds. The narrator writes, “the number of souls in Ireland being usually reckoned one million and a half.” Then further goes on, “the question is how this number shall be reared, and provided for.” People are living like animals and are dehumanized. The persona is also plausible because he appears to have everything planned and well researched. He even goes into specific details. The narrator’s states, “a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled, and I make no doubt that it will serve in a fricassee, or a ragout.” The brilliance in the use of witticism and sarcasm by the persona play a critical role in awakening the Irish to the physical existence of their debauched environment. By convincing the people of Ireland to reform, Jonathan Swift proved his satire “A Modest Proposal” to be an effective means for accomplishing his intent. The people of Ireland went through a stage of awakening due to Swifts’ scintillating portrayal of their corrupted, exploited, and dehumanized lives. The satire gave the Irish a better scope on the reality. They were able to see the severity of their crisis and that they were complicit on their oppression. Jonathan Swift fabricated a fictional character in order to persuade the readers to approach his essay and his proposal with endmost seriousness. However once Swift took off his mask, the readers finally realized that they were being derided and scolded. Once Swift took off his mask he stopped his criticism and presented the Irish with applicable solutions. All he wants the Irish people to do is tax their absentees, purchase only Irish goods, become more wise and thrifty with money, and be less haughty, futile, and indolent. Also, Swift asked the landlords to be more lenient on their people. Furthermore, Swift impelled and inspired the Irish into rebelling by presenting them with feasible solutions to cease the anguish of Ireland’s people.
Другие работы по теме:
A Recipe For Murder Essay Research Paper
A Recipe for Murder In his essay A Modest Proposal Jonathan Swift adopts the persona of an economist who is making a proposal of how to make Ireland a better place by getting rid of all of the orphan and pauper children. Through his use of Juvenalian Satire, Swift uses this type of cold-hearted, money minded businessman, to make a convincing argument as he explains the benefits this proposal would bring Ireland if followed, but gives little regard to its de-humanizing, immoral and inhumane characteristics.
College Essay Essay Research Paper It would
College Essay Essay, Research Paper It would be conventional to choose a parent, family member, friend, or teacher as a significant source of influence in ones life. However I am not conventional or at least I try not to be. I am very open-minded and observant. My personality and work exhibit eclectic-laden themes drawn from a chaotic world of sources in which I perceive.
Hard Times Essay Research Paper
“A Modest Proposal”Jonathan Swift wrote this essay as a satirical proposal for the purpose of exploiting social and economic issues in a sophisticated and comic way. Its main purpose is to prevent the poor people of Ireland, particularly the children, not to be burdens on their parents and to their country and for making them useful to society.
Age Of Reason Essay Research Paper The
Age Of Reason Essay, Research Paper The age of reason was a time of Empiricism and of Materialism, which brought out philosophers like John Locke and George Berkeley as well as authors like Swift and Pope. These philosophers and authors belong to the Age of Reason because of their use of anti-emotional thought and the idea of Occam’s razor.
Terms And Conditions Essay Research Paper TERMS
Terms And Conditions Essay, Research Paper TERMS AND CONDITIONS The conditions for the design price quote are as follows: 1) This quote is for the above stated AppleWax Music, Inc. proposal only. Any changes will require a new proposal and price quote.
News Essay Research Paper n an effort
News Essay, Research Paper n an effort to become the nation’s largest cable operator, AOL Time Warner (news/quote) proposed late last week to merge its cable operations with AT&T (news/quote)’s, executives close to the negotiations said yesterday.
Modest Proposal Essay Research Paper Jonathan Swift
Modest Proposal Essay, Research Paper Jonathan Swift s “A Modest Proposal” was written in a time when Ireland was in great need of help due to poverty and over population. Swift wrote this proposal to the English to complain of its horrible treatment and to give some way to try to help Ireland out of being over populated and out of poverty.
Johnathan Swift Essay Research Paper A Modest
Johnathan Swift Essay, Research Paper A Modest Proposal In Swift s A Modest Proposal he discusses how he wanted to prevent the poor children to no longer remain a burden to their parents or to the country, but instead to make them more beneficial to the public. Swift also wanted to expose the economic restrictions that the British had imposed upon them.
Bush Tax Proposal Essay Research Paper IPI
Bush Tax Proposal Essay, Research Paper IPI adresses the tax cut proposal that President Bush is presenting before Congress. IPI feels that althouh Al Gore had a good plan for the national tax cut by decreasing the national income tax, George Bush’s proposal was much better because it not only lowers income tax, but also eliminates estate and death tax (accounting for almost 66% of the 1,437.8 billion dollar cut).
High School Cuts Essay Research Paper Our
High School Cuts Essay, Research Paper Our principal recently asked for the student?s opinions on the ?school cuts? proposal. This proposition proposes that all extra curricular activities be cut until the money
Mali Essay Research Paper Developing a CountryThe
Mali Essay, Research Paper Developing a Country The country of Mali is considered an under developed country. Our group had to think of a proposal that would help a town in Mali stay well off on their own. The
Treatment Of The Prisoners In The Concentration
Camps Essay, Research Paper Interdisciplinary Research Research Proposal The Treatment of the Prisoners in the Concentration Camps The topic that I plan to focus on in my research paper is treatment inside different concentration camps during the Holocaust. I plan to focus on three different camps, but I have not narrowed down my choices yet.
The Satire And Criticism Of Voltaire And
Swift Essay, Research Paper 1999-09-10 Complicated censorship during the Enlightenment forced many philosophes to use satire as a tool to express their criticism towards European society. Through great works of literature, the philosophes were able to effectively use ridicule and satire to criticize many aspects of European society.
Literary Analysis Of Jonathon Swift S Modest
Proposal Essay, Research Paper Literary Analysis of Jonathon Swift s Modest Proposal Jonathon Swift writes an enthralling essay full of sarcasm and bitterness. He rips apart the upper class and his concern for the common people of his nation spills forth from his written words. He writes sarcastically of how Ireland could recover if they eat their very own children.
A Modest Proposal Essay Research Paper An
A Modest Proposal Essay, Research Paper An Ironic Proposal Unlike most essays, Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” is written for the reader to see through what the narrator is expressing. The narrator does not want the reader to agree that the solution to overpopulation and poverty in Ireland is to eat babies, he wants the reader to see there needs to be a practical solution.
Jonathon Swift
’s A Modest Proposal Essay, Research Paper Jonathon Swift’s A Modest Proposal Jonathon Swift assumes a few key ideas throughout A Modest Proposal. It is unquestionably assumed through the essay that anyone would be willing to give up and sell his child as nourishment. It is presumed that the reader would not hesitate to accept the ideas of cannibalism and barbarism.
Jonathan SwiftS A Modest Proposal Essay Research
Paper Jonathan Swift- ?A modest Proposal? Confusing, misleading, intriguing, and yet to the point. What do all these words have in common? They are what come together to make the essay ?A modest proposal? so good. When I first began to read this essay I found my self very confused and even after two or three times of re-reading I still could not make out many different parts of the essay.
Criticism On A Modest Proposal Essay
, Research Paper ?A Modest Proposal? by Jonathan Swift challenges his audience, the affluent Englishmen, to decide for themselves to act as humans with rationality or as animals with basic survival instincts. Swift brilliantly orchestrates the methods of satire, tone, and imagery to create an exaggerated portrait of Ireland?s situation in the eighteenth-century.
Literary Critique Of A Modest Proposal Essay
, Research Paper A Modest Proposal Jonathan Swift In very simple terms, A Modest Proposal is a satire of the social and economic events in Ireland. It was written in the early eighteenth century in an attempt to shame England and to shock Ireland. Jonathan Swift lived in an Ireland which was a colony, politically, militarily, and economically dependent on England.
Three Excerts From Jonathan Swift
’s A Modest Proposal Essay, Research Paper Through Jonathan Swift’s mastery of satire, his pen continually stings the wealthy class of Ireland and England. The idea of the wealthier oppressing the poor is shown by the following passage from “A Modest Proposal.” “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.” In this passage, Swift satirically implies that the children should be quite useful since the landlords have already “devoured”, or used up the parents.
Jonathon Swift Essay Research Paper In Jonathan
Jonathon Swift Essay, Research Paper In Jonathan Swift?s essay, ?A Modest Proposal?, Swift proposes that the poor should eat their own starving children during a great a famine in Ireland. What would draw Swift into writing to such lengths. When times get hard in Ireland, Swift states that the children would make great meals.
The Outcasts Of Poker Flat 2
The Outcasts Of Poker Flat – John Oakhurst Analysis Essay, Research Paper John Oakhurst is the main character in ?The Outcasts of Poker Flat?. John is an outstanding person and has some phenomenal traits. Such as that he is unusually calm, courageous, and modest.John has shown numerous times in ?The Outcasts of Poker Flat?, that he is an extraordinarily calm person.
18th Century Literature Essay Research Paper 18th
18th Century Literature Essay, Research Paper 18th Century Literature The 18th century is a period of great literary works. The styles are different throughout the period, but the unity of the work is still present.
Our Life Is Effected By Music Essay
, Research Paper Research Proposal: Our everyday lives are effected by music. People listen to it in the car, while grocery shopping, in the movies, at home, and practically anywhere else possible. There are many different types and styles of music such as: rock and roll, classical, rap, hardcore, Christian, jazz, reggae, country, and the list goes on.
Jonathan Swifths Proposal Analysis Essay Research Paper
Jonathan Swift?s ?A Modest Proposal? (1729) is one of the greatest satires written in history. It deals with overpopulation and undernourishment problems in Ireland. Swift makes a very interesting proposal, to put an end to all this problems. As the reader starts reading several questions pop into his mind.
Analysis Of Swift
’s Essay “A Modest Proposal” Essay, Research Paper In his lengthy literary career, Jonathan Swift wrote many stories that used a broad range of voices that were used to make some compelling personal statements. For example, Swifts, A Modest Proposal, is often heralded as his best use of both sarcasm and irony.
Modest Proposal Essay Research Paper Not So
Modest Proposal Essay, Research Paper Not So Modest Proposal In 1729, with A Modest Proposal , Jonathan Swift raised the argument that, For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public (44), we should rid ourselves of them by our own consumption.
A Spin Off Of A Modest Proposal
?? Essay, Research Paper Can??t We All Just Get Along: A Proposal for Peace Based on ??A Modest Proposal?? There is a grave national crisis occurring all across the nation. Children everywhere are committing acts of hostility in their schools. Schools are no longer a safe haven for children but are now considered war zones where victims are abundant and violence is the enemy.
Writing Techniques Essay Research Paper Writing TechniquesAfter
Writing Techniques Essay, Research Paper Writing Techniques After reading Katha Pollitt?s essay ?It Takes Two: A Modest Proposal for Holding Fathers Equally Accountable? and Patricia Mainardi?s essay ?The Politics of Housework?, several writing techniques become apparent in both essays.
Satire Amodest Proposal Essay Research Paper Satire
Satire Amodest Proposal Essay, Research Paper Satire A Modest Proposal Brian A Modest Proposal is everything that a satirical story should be. It includes sarcasm and irony as Jonathan Swift takes us through a roller coaster ride to show us how the poor are treated miserably.
What Is Irony Essay Research Paper Irony
What Is Irony? Essay, Research Paper Irony is a method of assertion used by authors in literature and poetry. Although many writers have employed this literary technique for centuries, the meaning of the word can be difficult to understand. This essay will help to describe the correct meaning of this diverse word and illustrate how it is used.
Chaucer 2 Essay Research Paper Chaucer already
Chaucer 2 Essay, Research Paper Chaucer already summarizes the characteristics of the Knight as making up a perfect gentle-knight, and the many deeds of valor add more credence to Chaucer s summary. The modest bearing is contrary to the “lad of fire” and although the Squire had “wonderful strength and agility”, he did not use it to the full extent that his father used his own.
Practical Proposal Essay Research Paper Practical ProposalFor
Practical Proposal Essay, Research Paper Practical Proposal For my practical I will be the stage manager for the Finningley Interhouse play. This, I think will help me greatly in discovering what happens behind the scenes. I haven t really been involved with the plays before, except a for backstage and a small part as a fireman, so this will give me a chance to do something for the plays and for my drama class.
Oscar Wilde Essay Research Paper This statement
Oscar Wilde Essay, Research Paper This statement is pronounced by Gwendolen Fairfax, when Jack Worthing proposes to her by standing on his knee. Oscar Wilde tries to demonstrate in this phrase the young woman?s obsession with social acceptance. The mere fact that she is getting a marriage proposal from a good man that adores her is not satisfying enough.