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“A Modest Proposal” written by Jonathan Swift is without a doubt superior to the satire “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson. In order to master the intense task of writing a satire the author must put the reader in admiration, and that is exactly what Swift does. “A Modest Proposal” is an excellent piece, and shows Swift’s piercing wit and biting sarcasm. Although this satire was composed within 1729 it still holds the bite and shocking analogies in which we still are in awe upon. “A Modest Proposal” is without a doubt one of the world’s foremost examples of genius, because of the fact that Swift couriers his mastery of his wittiness and how Swift executed expressing the satire was immense. The satire is formatted and organized engages the reader excellently. In “A Modest Proposal” Swift formatted it to engage the reader as if the reader and he were sitting transversely a table and partaking in an enjoyable talk. Opposed to “The Lottery” in which contains an excessive amount of dialogue. An effective satire needs to be engaging and consuming the reader with every word. With dialogue it seems as if you are just presenting a reader something. Swift used the correct decision using the first person view. Especially due to the fact that he is trying to persuade the reader to propose an application to help the poor become middle class. The decision by Swift was exceptionally well done when choosing how to format his satire. In addition, the wit that is contained within “A Modest Proposal” is astonishing and superb. Although some have taken “A Modest Proposal” seriously and actually thought that Swift was trying to propose to boil infants and eat them. The reader cannot yield that seriously and if the reader does then it would co... ... middle of paper ... ...e needs to contain closing to make the reader feel as if the writing is finished. Such that Swift did within “A Modest Proposal” he concludes the satire expressing that he understands that is proposal is ludicrous, however Swift states that this is his approach to solving the problem. This concluding paragraph of the satire contains a strong closing, and does not leave the reader fathoming, such that Jackson does in “The Lottery”. In closing, “A Modest Proposal” is superior to the satire “The Lottery”. This is due to the fact that Swift shows a prime example of using wit and the formatting was spot on. Although the ending was not spectacular; the ending left the reader knowing where Swift stands in the situation he proposes, unlike in “The Lottery” where it keeps the reader guessing. “A Modest Proposal” is foremost a prime example of a near perfect example satire.
The essay “A Modest Proposal” written by Johnathan Swift takes a satirical view on how to solve the starvation issue in Ireland. Swift suggests an obviously satirical solution to eating children around the age of one. He used irony, ambiguity, and ethos to emphasize the satirical nature of the essay and present a captivating idea to the audience. Swift used irony throughout the essay, beginning with the title, “A Modest Proposal”. The irony of the title gives the audience a false idea of what the essay will be, later on he gives his argument and the title serves as an ironic statement.
Johnathan Swift wrote Modest Proposal with the idea to better humanity.. When you first read it you miss what the true message is. You think “Man this guy is a monster!” or “He’s sick!”, but once you reach the end the true meaning of the proposal hits you. When Jonathan Swift wrote a Modest Proposal he tried to get his audience to see the problem by taking it and providing an unethical and inhumane solution then using rhetorical devices to bring out people’s emotions.
The work is a great example of how a text can have more than one thesis, depending on how it is read, or who reads it. In it’s time, A Modest Proposal was taken as serious by the audience of rich men. It caused some hysteria and confusion in upper class communities. Imagine reading an anonymous work which promotes cannibalism! Swift eventually had to reveal himself and his 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 planned to take the text to heart. It should shock them into lowering taxes and decreasing the cost of shelter. Jonathan Swift uses irony and sarcasm to hint at his essay not being serious, and uses his writing skill to try and solve a serious problem. And of course, the solution Swift is actually looking for, is not about eating
Although Alexander Pope's, The Rape of the Lock, and Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal are both witty satires, they differ on their style, intention, and mood.
A modest proposal by Dr. Jonathan Swift demonstrates acts of satirical devices which help develop and better his piece. Swift uses sarcasm throughout his piece, which keeps you hanging on and makes you want to keep reading to see why he does this. Swift also uses invective, he uses this in his piece by saying things that are contradicting, only to add strength to what he is supporting. Lastly and most important, Swift uses understatement and minimizes the situation of cannibalism and makes it seem like it is an everyday thing and that it isn’t a big deal.
The timeless satire A Modest Proposal by J Swift is an influential piece of literature that created an imprint that has withstood a vast amount of time. Today any list compiling the greatest modern satires is incomplete without Kubrick’s work Doctor Strangelove or: how I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. It arguably is one of the most groundbreaking modern satires. Considering the contextual differences and comparing the two pieces, it becomes evident that Swift's work is more effective in addressing the follies of society and sparking action, despite their structural similarities.
In his satire, A Modest Proposal, Swift utilizes hyperbole and sarcasm to bring awareness of the unacceptable conditions of the Irish poor in the 18th century.
Author of A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift has a different writing style than most writers. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift has a sarcastic tone. He is tired of the U.S. government not taking poverty seriously and takes a different approach than anyone would expect. His “proposal” is to eat children under two years old to prevent them from becoming a burden to their parents. A Modest Proposal shows a different perspective on the government and selfish people with money.
Humor can come in many different forms. Many people are aware of the blatant humor of slapstick, but it takes a keener mind to notice the subtle detail in sarcasm or satire. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift was able to create a piece of literature addressing the faults of the Irish culture while embedding in a humorous essay. Swift’s satire allows for the gravity of the Irish standings to be exploited under the disguise of a proposal for economic benefit.
If Jonathan Swift had written a serious piece simply espousing his true beliefs he would not have received as much feedback, due to the fact that there were already informational advertisements at the time and nobody was interested in reading them. The only thing that would get the people 's attention was something that would create a lasting impression, so he wrote a satirical piece with trenchant humor and mochary. “A Modest Proposal” surprised people and got them thinking about the condition of the poor in Ireland and what should be done to solve it. For example Swift states that “those who are thrifty” can use the carcass of the infant for ladies’ gloves or gentlemen’s boots. This itself can help those reading the piece to begin to think about possible solutions to the substantial issues involving the poor in Ireland. He also proposes that children that are fourteen should be consumed as well so the poor don’t have to go hungry and that it would limit the number of breeders, in an attempt to illustrate the extremity of the circumstances. His sarcastic way of joking enlisted fear in the poor and concern in the rich, helping them realise the drastic issue present in the
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. Yet taking into account the persona of Swift, as well as the period in which it was written, one can prove that through that same use of sarcasm and irony, this proposal is actually written to entertain the upper-class. Therefore the true irony in this story lies not in the analyzation of minute details in the story, but rather in the context of the story as it is written.
Although Alexander Pope's, "The Rape Of The Lock" and Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" are both witty satires, they differ on their style, intention, and mood.
Irony is a beautiful technique exercised to convey a message or call a certain group of people to action. This rhetorical skill is artfully used by Jonathan Swift in his pamphlet “A Modest Proposal.” The main argument for this mordantly ironic essay is to capture the attention of a disconnected and indifferent audience. Swift makes his point by stringing together a dreadfully twisted set of morally untenable positions in order to cast blame and aspersions on his intended audience. Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” employs despicably vivid satire to call for change in a world of abuse and misfortune.
When used correctly, satire has the ability to capture an audience and persuade their beliefs and ideas. In “A Modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift does just this. Through his use of rhetorical appeals, Swift is able to present an idea, shock his audience, and convey both his argument and purpose of the piece. While Swift is not serious about eating Ireland’s children, he is serious about addressing Ireland’s problems. The poverty, famine, and way of life in Ireland are all clearly addressed. Swift does achieve his purpose of motivating his audience to create change and establish his argument that change needs to occur, in his piece, “A Modest Proposal.
In “A Modest Proposal” several forms of satire are demonstrated throughout the story. Satire is defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose or criticize people’s stupidity or vices. (Google) In "A Modest Proposal" Swift uses parody which is a form of satire. Parody is primarily making fun of something to create a humorous feel for it. In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift uses parody to make fun of the people and children of Ireland, expressing the children as delicious food to be eaten.