For a Rhetorical analysis

Guide for “A Modest Proposal” Analysis

Introduction

· Background Whenever an author makes an argument, he or she is usually responding to some sort of problem or issue. Give an overview (at least 2-3 sentences) of the issues surrounding “A Modest Proposal.” What problems were occurring during the time of the text? When and where were these problems?

· Try avoiding starting your paper with “hooks” (“attention-grabbers” like questions, quotes, statistics, anecdotes, etc.). These hooks are usually cheap tricks – you won’t get a reader interested in the topic simply by asking them a question or offering a “shocking” statistic. Go straight to the background instead to offer some context for the reader.

· Also avoid starting your introduction with some vague/philosophical statement like “Throughout history, people have been faced with many problems” or “In society, there are many issues.” We already know all of this. Plus, these statements don’t do anything for identifying the texts you’ll be talking about.

· Introduce the author and the text. You should connect the problems you mentioned in the beginning to the author (“In order to address these issues, [author] writes [text]…”).

· Present author’s project and argument (use the word “argues”) and give a brief overview of the text – some of the author’s main points.

· Conclude with your thesis. Remember, the thesis is a sort of roadmap for your reader – a way to let your reader know what you’re going to discuss in your paper. Since you will be analyzing Swift’s claims, evidence, and strategies, you should use the words “claims,” “evidence,” and “strategies” in this thesis sentence.

· Example: If you were analyzing a movie, you might focus on the movie’s characters, setting, and soundtrack. So, your thesis statement could be something like “[Movie title] effectively combines the characters, setting, and soundtrack to create an enjoyable experience.”

Body Paragraph 1

· Introduce Swift’s first claim. (“To support his argument, Swift claims…” or “Swift asserts that…”)

· Provide the evidence Swift provides to support his claim. (Quote him.) Depending on the claim, there may be multiple pieces of evidence—explain the significance of the quote when possible.

· Analyze the strategy (or strategies) Swift uses to present the claim/evidence by addressing the what, how, and why.

· What is the strategy?

· How is the strategy present? (Include a quote to show the strategy being used.)

· Explain why that strategy is used. Again, avoid general statements like “He uses this strategy to persuade his audience” or “to make his argument stronger and more credible.” That’s the purpose of ALL strategies – but what is important about the specific strategy he identifies? For instance, why does he mention the 8-shilling profit parents can expect (logos/statistics)?

Body Paragraph 2

Follow the same outline as Body Paragraph 1.

Conclusion

Offer a quick recap/summary of your body paragraphs. You could note the claims and strategies discussed. Finish with a statement on why all of this information is significant – in other words, why does all of this information matter when looking at “A Modest Proposal”?

Sample Body Paragraph

Claim

Evidence (and explanation)

Strategy identified

Proof of strategy (how it’s being used)

Explanation of strategy (why it’s being used)

In one such claim, Swift asserts that infants of impoverished families could be used as a source of culinary exploration. He opens up to the idea of selling children in poverty to the wealthy by explaining, “a young, healthy child, when nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled,” thereby demonstrating just how versatile and appetizing infants’ flesh could be for both the rich and the poor (2). However, even with such a description, Swift realizes that many would still find his proposal unappealing. To combat this perception, Swift draws on the ethos of people outside of Ireland who engage in cannibalism. He casually remarks how “a very knowing American of my acquaintance,” as well as “the famous Salmanaazor, a native of the island of Formosa,” engage with the selling and eating of human carcasses (2, 3). By referencing these figures, Swift’s purpose is twofold. First, he attempts to appear sane in that he is not the only person with such thoughts, and second, he wishes to make cannibalism seem more common. Thus, by downplaying the severity of his proposal, Swift works to make his suggestion much more appetizing.