1) How does Swift want the reader to view his speaker? That is, how would Swift want his reader to describe the persona he adopts?
Swift, for the most part, wants the reader to view his speaker as a reasonable, sympathetic, through man with a interest in solving this ever-growing Irish famine, along with other major problems. It’s very clear that this is the case specifically around the first seven to eight paragraphs, as he observes, quantifies, and explains all in a thoroughly logical manner, his plans to help the Irish people. The speaker’s actual proposal would show itself in paragraph 9, making it that more effective, because of his building of ethos beforehand. Now for Swift, he was almost the exact opposite of the speaker, unreasonable
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By persuading his audience that his proposal will have positive results before actually starting anything, adds a personal connection, so that they would be more likely to support him. Swift constantly states the advantages of his plural, such as when he stated, “There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas!” This striaghety allows Swift to hook his audience into thinking what he wants. Since they were in a time of need, they would be more likely to listen, if someone promised a solution to their problems. If Swift chose to state his actual proposal, the basic essence of human dignity would step in and they would immediately reject the idea of devouring …show more content…
Swift appeals to patriotism by referencing the treachery of supporting “the pretender in Spain.” This was done in a serious tone, as he wanted to leave no room for speculation. Swift appeals to third by arguing that Ireland’s economic woes are caused in part by “instruments that promote foreign luxury.” Swift furthers his appeal to irish patriot by referring to Britain as “a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.” An appeal to economy appears in paragraph 14, where he mentions “four dishes of excellent meat,” as well as in paragraph 23 when he discusses the matter. A more formal appeal to patronal would occur in paragraph 17 when Swift thatstamil that he is “very worthy person, a true lover of this country [Ireland].” Swift shows that with his proposal the economy will grow and become resourceful, by pointing out that the poor will have their own “capital.” Throughout the story, Swift effectively uses appeals to thrift, and patriotism throughout his entire argument, in order to persuade his audience into agreeing with his
The issue that was facing the Irish people was there were numerous Irish women, with their children in tow, begging on the streets in order to put a meal on the table every night. These women could not find work, and so they were forced to beg in order to provide food for their family and starving children. Jonathan Swift is making an argument to have these poor Irish women produce babies that at the age of one would be sold for a profit. The target audience is the poor Irish families that have too many children to be able to feed. This also targets the rich families of Ireland who will be the ones that will purchase the babies from the poor. The main point is to stop all the women in Ireland from raising so many children that they could not have enough means to be able to feed or clothe them all. The purpose is to help these Irish families that have too many mouths to feed and bodies to cloth already, and this will give them the opportunity to be able to sell their babies after one year and to even make a profit off them as well. The argument is structured first by showing the reader that there is a problem with the poor Irish families not having enough food to feed their quickly growing families. Then Swift moves on to talk about selling these babies to the Lords and wealth...
Swift's opposition is. indirectly presented in the report. The author uses 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 deprivation. Firstly, the narrative voice begins the essay by describing the horrible conditions in which the Irish peasants live. He demonstrates there is a serious problem with a great need for a solution.
Explain the rhetorical purpose of such a strategy. In the beginning of the essay, Swift explains the anticipated results before revealing the actual proposal for several reasons. One possible reason is that Swift wishes to have his speaker stimulate positive reactions among the audience by delaying the outrage until later in the essay. Swift first sets up his proposal in a positive light, which makes him less likely to offend the reader several paragraphs later when he introduces a ridiculous solution. Another plausible motivation is that Swift persuades his audience that the proposal will have positive results so that they will become inclined to support this initiative. Swift's strategy in beginning the essay with his anticipated results is meant to immediately sway the reader into supporting his
The issue that Swift is addressing is the fact that there are too many poor children in Dublin and that they are becoming such a huge burden for all the poor mothers or parents of the country. Swift then creates his own solution to the problem. He proposes that all poor children who are around one year of age, be cooked and eaten by the people of Dublin, preferably the poor. With this solution, he argues that it will eventually put an end to the overpopulation of the poor young children and it will satisfy the hunger for all the other people. Crazy right?
His proposals purpose is to mock policies trying to fix all economic issues with thoughtless proposals. As a result Swift has his own proposal by imitating someone proposing to fix the economy by selling children for food. The author explains, “I Profess in the sincerity of my Heart that I have not the least personal Interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary Work having no other Motive than the publick Good of my Country, by advancing our Trade, providing for Infants, relieving the Poor, and giving some Pleasure to the Rich” (Para 33). He deliberately exaggerates his proposal of selling children as food to point out how outrageous policies to uplift the economy have become. In sum, exaggeration helps Swift prove his
Swift's message to the English government in "A Modest Proposal" deals with the disgusting state of the English-Irish common people. Swift, as the narrator expresses pity for the poor and oppressed, while maintaining his social status far above them. The poor and oppressed that he refers to are Catholics, peasants, and the poor homeless men, women, and children of the kingdom. This is what Swift is trying to make the English government, in particular the Parliament aware of; the great socioeconomic distance between the increasing number of peasants and the aristocracy, and the effects thereof. Swift conveys his message in a brilliant essay, in which he uses satire, humor and shock value.
Swift uses sarcasm to make his argument that the Irish should not be ignored by the English. In 1729 Ireland was hit with a potato famine and the commoners were the ones who suffered the most. The elite were never left hungry and did not suffer like the rest; therefore, they took little or no importance about what happen to the commoners and how they lived. He states, “It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country, when they see the...
Swift defined satire as; 'A sort of glass wherein the holders do generally discover everybody's face but their own, which is the chief reason for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that so very few are offended with it. " Swift presents his "Proposal" as an entirely reasonable suggestion to aid the Irish, he enumerates the many benefits, counters the objections many may have, uses rhetoric reasoning and proves his humanitarianism views. Swift has written in considerable detail over the degree of poverty in Ireland, he draws attention to the causes of it obliquely and proves in great detail that his "Proposal" will work and in which ways it does work. Ireland was a colony of England; it was economically, politically and militarily dependent on ... ... middle of paper ... ...
Imagine reading an anonymous work that promotes cannibalism! Swift eventually had to reveal himself and the purpose of his pamphlet, which was to exaggerate the steps necessary to stop the Irish famine and poverty epidemic. A Modest Proposal is almost a scare tactic. It brings attention to the distances people will go to stop hunger and homelessness. The audience of rich, land-owning men were expected to take the text to heart.
Throughout Swift’s proposal, the proposer is created to both identify and ridicule the reader through his persona and tone. The reader becomes identified with the civilized, educated proposer only to be forced to reflect themselves as cannibals. Although the proposal is often viewed as inhumane, it reinforces Enlightenment ideals, including utilitarianism which concludes it maximizes happiness while producing the least amount of suffering. The irony throughout the proposal is, then, not that the landlords are cannibals but that the proposal is actually humane and rational, yet still unaccepted.
During the 1500’s England’s Protestant King, Henry VIII, ruled Ireland. Over the next several centuries Protestant English became the primary landowners and government officials. They made many laws limiting the rights of the Irish Catholic, making it nearly impossible for any of them to advance. The English thought of the Irish as savages and trash, and forced them to live in deplorable conditions. As a result, many fled Ireland. Those remaining were poor and starving. This was the Ireland Swift was writing about.
Swift’s modest proposal includes multiple instances where Swift proudly declares that “I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom” in the face of potential objections to his plan (Swift 187-199). While Swift “can think of no one objection,” the reader can definitely think of millions of reasons why his plan will wipe Ireland off the map. In fact, Swift himself uses this phrase sarcastically in an attempt to get the reader to empathize with the Irish. Because the reader begins to pity the Irish, Swift ensures that he gets the message across that current conditions in Ireland are unlivable. Moreover, Swift ends his plan by vainly proclaiming that “I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country” (Swift 234-236). The narrator clearly does not have any “sincerity of heart” with his intentions, proving that Ireland cannot survive in its current position with people like the narrator in power. Additionally, Swift’s sarcastic remark about promoting “the public good of [his] country” underscores the horrifying effects of his ghastly proposal, solidifying the horrifying fate of the Irish if
Swift wants his readers to interpret his speaker as a kindhearted, sensible gentleman with a sincere concern for resolving problems for the Irish people. In the first eight paragraphs, the reader meets an affectionate man with precise insight into the predicament he will shortly address. By doing this, the speaker establishes himself up as someone who would not make an outrageous proposition. This makes his words even more effective.
Swift begins his argument by stating his view on the situation and displaying his annoyance. He states, "It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country when they see the streets, roads, and cabin 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" (Swift 1). He uses melancholic imagery for the readers to sympathize with the suffering children and to understand their situation. Similarly, Swift displays his disgust for the wealthy by stating that "There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children… which would move tears in the most savage and inhumane beast" (1). He talks about abortion and shows how ghastly and disheartening the practice is. Clearly, Swift makes use of pathos to slowly gain the reader’s confidence in preparation for his appalling proposal. He knows that many will be emotionally affected by his proposal because no one would want their own c...
...lready devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children.” He tried to make the parents realize that the present they are living in will become the future of their children. Swift’s use of these appeals helped his audience to take such a ridiculous proposal as something serious. If one could see through the veil created by all the sarcasm and satirical diction they would see a man who only wants to aid his nation in its time of need