“A Modest Proposal” was an effective satire written by Dr. Jonathan Swift in 1729. Ireland was facing hard times during this time period due to the laws and taxes in England. Ireland was becoming the land of poverty and hunger. Swift felt like people weren't doing anything about it and ignored it like it wasn't happening. He felt like something needed to be done. Therefore, he wrote this satire in hopes of opening the eyes of the Irish and making his point known. He uses cannibalism and a questionable title to intrigue the Irish and pique their interest. Swift was very clever in proposing an idea involving grotesque suggestions that he knew would shock people. Swift also uses logic and statistics throughout her piece to support her ideas which will get others' attention even more. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "That the remaining one hundred thousand may, at the age of one year, be offered for sale to persons of quality and fortune, throughout the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suckle abundantly in the last month, so as to make them plump, and fat for a good table. Child will prepare two dishes during a reception with friends, and when the family dines alone, the front or rear quarter will be a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, it will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter." Above is a great example of how Swift described he would help Ireland. He states: “Only a child would prepare two dishes for family and friends. It would help everyone." When you read Swift's proposal, this would actually convince you that it might be possible. Swift uses various literary elements and techniques throughout her writing to get her point across to her audience. Irony plays an important role in this piece. He wants to make Ireland a better place and a better place for people to live. They wouldn't have to worry about food shortages and this would help ensure a better future for this country. However, Swift refers to child consumption as the answer to solving this problem. Cannibalism is completely illegal and breaks every rule. There is irony even in the title itself. The title contains the word “modest” as a descriptive word of the proposal. Dictionary.com states the exact definition of modest as “having or showing a moderate or humble estimate of one's own merits and importance; have or show respect for decency in behavior, speech, dress, etc.”. However, to propose an idea of cannibalism and grotesque ideas as Swift did, is not modest. There was nothing modest or humble in his proposal, although he states: "I will now therefore humbly propose my thoughts, which I hope will not be subject to the slightest objection." There is also exaggeration used a few times throughout the piece. Once it struck me was when it was said, “I think the benefits of the proposal I have presented are clear and numerous, and of the utmost importance.” For starters, the benefits aren't obvious. Swift must clearly state the benefits of his proposal because they are not obvious to the public. The next use of exaggeration is when he says it is of the utmost importance. It's ironic because this isn't of the utmost importance. However, these are ideas that were extremely important for Swift to incorporate in order for her to successfully realize her motives. Even if Swift's proposal is absurd, he incorporates parts of his argument based on emotion or logic'
tags