Analysis Of Jonathan Swift's Modest Proposal

Jonathan Swift’s “Modest Proposal” is a call to action to the people in Ireland. He states the problem of poverty that the country is currently facing and provides options in how to solve this problem. In order to properly present his argument to his audience, he provides a horrific solution, blames a certain group of people, and lastly provides his actual solutions at the end of the essay. This shows the audience that the argument Swift presents is a logical argument. Swift introduces his essay by presenting the problem Ireland is facing at the moment. He states that many people in his country are facing poverty and no one is doing anything about it. He proposes to his audience that he might have found a solution to fix the problem. He prepares his audience for his solution by stating that he will provide a way for the parents of these poor children to have enough to sustain them properly (Swift 175). Also, as a way to prepare his audience for the solution he

He observed that his country was suffering through a problem at the moment and saw nothing was being done about it. He had to propose the most horrific solution to make others understand that what they are doing is wrong and not helping at all. He had to directly mention those he believed were at fault. His argument may seem like the incorrect way to solve the problem Ireland is facing, but it is logical. The points he makes on how his solution will mostly help the wealthy makes the audience understand that those on top are not helping those at the bottom. Swift could have easily presented the problem and stated the real solutions he believed that Ireland should do, but instead, he called all the Irish to kill and eat babies. By creating this type of solution he allows the audience to comprehend that this is the only way to solve the problem. It allows them to grasp the fact that the problem is a serious matter that needs to be