Portfolio reflection

Richards

Tiara Richards

Daytona State College

ENC 1101

04/12/2023

A Modest Proposal: An Analysis of Rhetorical Strategies

A Modest Proposal, written by Jonathan Swift, is a satirical essay that makes a frightening suggestion on how the problem of poverty in 18th-century Ireland may be resolved. Jonathan Swift included this piece, "The Whole Works of Jonathan Swift," in his collection of writings titled "The Complete Works of Jonathan Swift." In order to successfully express his point, win over his audience, and accomplish the outcomes he intends as an author, Swift makes use of a broad variety of diverse rhetorical methods. By writing A Modest Proposal, Swift's primary objective was to bring awareness not just to the widespread poverty that existed in Ireland but also to the indifference that existed among the rich elite about the plight of the poor. Swift's principal goal in writing A Modest Proposal was to accomplish this goal. Irony, hyperbole, and sarcasm are the three devices that he employs throughout the whole of the essay to create the desired effect. In this essay, I will study the author's use of rhetoric to express her meaning inside the body of the text, and I will do so by dissecting the author's use of rhetoric. In doing so, I will analyze the author's use of rhetoric to express her meaning within the body of the text.

The argument presented in this essay begins with the premise that the children of poor people are both a financial and social burden on society as a whole, and that the best way to alleviate this burden is to sell these children as food for wealthy people to consume. This argument is supported by a number of supporting arguments throughout the essay. Swift then continues on to discuss the components of the proposal's execution in a serious and businesslike manner, backed by figures and an extensive cost estimate. Irony is one of the most convincing instances of Swift's use of rhetorical devices, and one of the most compelling examples of Swift's use of irony can be found in Swift's work. Swift's use of irony is one of the most persuasive instances of Swift's use of rhetorical devices. Since it is so severe and ludicrous, fans of Swift's work will most likely identify the recommendation that children be sold as food as satire owing to how silly it sounds. This is because the notion that children be sold as food is so extreme and absurd. Swift's somber tone, in addition to the extensive financial investigation that was performed to prove the hypothesis, both contribute to the absurdity of the circumstance by exacerbating its foolishness (Swift, 6). Swift is bringing attention to the absurdity of the existing situation of poverty as well as the lack of effort that is being put forth to relieve it in a serious way by presenting a stupid concept in a manner that is intended to be taken seriously.

Exaggeration is a technique that is well known in the field of literature, and it is one that Swift used rather often in his presentations. During the whole of the essay, Swift exaggerates the plight of the underprivileged as well as the indifference of the well-off for their suffering. The title of this paper is "The Essay." He exaggerates the negative impacts of poverty by making statements like "the children of the disadvantaged are a great vexation to their moms" and "a burden on the dads of these kids." He also says that "the children of the underprivileged are a significant vexation to their fathers." These two assertions couldn't be farther from the truth. Swift contends that the rich see the underprivileged as nothing more than a game to be hunted and consumed, which is only one more proof of the callous disregard that the wealthy have for the underprivileged. This paragraph from Swift is only one example of the callous disdain that Swift often displays.

In addition to the use of humor, irony, and exaggeration, Swift draws attention to his thesis by using these devices. A kind of sarcastic humor known as satire lampoons societal vices and absurdities in an attempt to make the audience laugh at themselves. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift makes use of humor to bring attention to the indifference of the wealthy toward the condition of the underprivileged and their unwillingness to do action to improve the situation. In addition to this, he is critical of the incapacity of the government to eradicate the issue of poverty. Swift makes use of comedy to draw attention to the absurdity of the situation and encourage his audience to take action to alleviate poverty (Swift, 8). In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift makes extensive use of a wide variety of rhetorical strategies, all of which are essential to the successful communication of his message and the achievement of his objectives. He hopes that through spreading awareness of the grave socioeconomic situation in Ireland, he might encourage others to do something about it. Swift draws attention to the absurdity of the existing condition of poverty as well as the lack of action being done to relieve it by using sarcasm, hyperbole, and satire in his writing. Swift emphasizes the seriousness of the problem and the urgent need to take action by presenting his argument in a straightforward and unpretentious way. This helps to drive home the point that immediate action is required.

In conclusion, A Modest Proposal is an example of satire presented in the form of an essay that makes use of a broad range of language genres in order to express the message that it is trying to convey. With the use of irony, exaggeration, and satire, Swift calls attention to the ridiculousness of Ireland's impoverished position as well as the indifference of the authorities. Swift focuses an emphasis on the time-sensitive nature of the problem and urges his audience to take action in response to the misery of the impoverished by putting forward a remedy that is both bold and comical in character. The piece is still often cited as a shining illustration of the effectiveness of rhetoric in persuasive communication and the skill of swaying an audience's opinion.

Work Cited

Swift, Jonathan. “A Modest Proposal.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature