A F A Modest Analysis

by the government or exists through ineffectiveness. Next, that there is a general readiness of the educated class to take part in political affairs, as well as confidence from the writer that they can actually create an impact; and lastly, an audience that enjoys the “graces of literature.” All these criteria are filled throughout the essay, which contributes to its effectiveness.

First and foremost, the simple fact that he makes the rhetorical decision to devise a plan consisting of eating children to serve as his medium for conveying his true proposal blatantly lays out his confidence in his writing. While this demonstrates Hodgart’ s third criteria, it also leaves the reader at a loss for words. Immediately, you realize that this is not a normal essay. e pure confidence shown through his style builds his credibility as a satirical author, and his syntax and diction throughout the essay serve to construct his fake ethos as a rich Irishman. His underlying arrogant tone exists to demonstrate how the rich treat the poor: at they all pretend to display some sort of urgency to aid them, but in reality, are only benefiting themselves and putting in the most minimal and useless effort in actually helping. e barbaric proposal stirred controversy for many reasons- the elites that saw through the metaphor were provoked by his witty criticisms, some people were fueled by the emerging enlightenment ideas and were inspired to create change by his essay, and some people thought Johnathan Swift actually wanted to commit mass genocide on babies and eat them. He predicted this, and initially published the pamphlet anonymously, further displaying his confidence in the strength of his writing. Moreover, in numerous parts of the essay Hodgart’ s second criteria is fulfilled by the creation of the idea that his proposal is not the first and that the “wise men” have been tirelessly trying to devise a strategy of this caliber. Swift explains that he has been “wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle” and “visionary thoughts,” which is humorous to the reader that recognizes this is from head to toe a concoction of bologna (761). e Einstein discovering the theory of relativity-esque image he creates with

this statement is pointing out how the educated class has such a stronghold over political affairs that they can pull the strings behind the curtain. So, Swift is claiming that the aristocracy certainly have the “general readiness to take part in political affairs,” they are just abusing it. Furthermore, while exploring a logos tangent consisting of the numerous benefits of eating babies, Swift rhetorically implies that the rich degrade the poor to less than pigs. He explains that turning the poor babies into a new dish at the dining table will slow down their “great destruction of pigs” (760). is small sentence has a tremendous impact on his argument because it subtly implies the magnitude of the disrespect the common people receive from the elites. After building up his ethos as a rich Irishman, throwing in that poor children and swine that eat garbage and live in filth destroys any argument that sympathy genuinely exists for the lower class.

Additionally, Swift purposely creates a hole in his plan to extend his elaboration on the false assurance the upper class provides. He states at the beginning of the essay that his proposal is to help the common people by relieving their responsibility of having to provide for many children, which in turn will allow them to get off their backs. He makes sure to point out that any plan he devises will benefit everyone at the expense of no one. en, he goes on to mention that there is no reason to have a “great concern about that vast number of poor people who are aged, diseased, or maimed” because they are “dying and rotting by cold and famine, and filth and vermin, as fast as reasonably expected” (759). is contradiction symbolizes the conflict in the minds of the elites concerning the balance they have of providing fake effort towards helping poor people and exposing their true feelings towards the subject. On one hand, they want to provide a persona for the public that displays them hard at work to create a better society while on the other hand, their true selfishness shines through. ey truly feel no remorse for the poor suffering through inhumane conditions, and this whole in the proposal directly represents this.

Moreover, Swift alludes to American slavery. By rhetorically juxtaposing eating babies with slavery, Swift is implying that the elite abuse their power to such an extent that it is plausible that they would start eating their babies. He brings up that the Americans justify themselves by exclaiming that they adopted the concept from another country, which demonstrates how the upper class continually pass on the blame to relieve societal pressure from themselves. He carefully picks apart the aristocracy of Ireland by exposing their phony attitude towards helping the poor. Swift mentions that cruelty “hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project,” meaning that his outrageous baby devouring economic plan encompasses fair treatment to the poor (759). is is exactly his point- the rich pretend that they truly possess a genuine care for the lower class and that they intend to help them. But instead, they end up producing a bogus solution comparable to that of baby stew being served at a tavern. His compilation of rhetorical moves is what makes his message well rounded and clear to the reader, and is the basis of his intention for the essay ’ s impact. By building up the double ethos as a satirical writer and an arrogant aristocrat, and following that with his underlying claims, the persuasiveness is further broadened.

A “Not So Modest” Proposal

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Jonathan Swift’ s

“Modest Proposal” was written in the eighteenth century during an economic decline in Ireland. Swift discusses, in thorough detail, how superior his idea is and the many ways eating children would help the poor Irish to sustain themselves. is idea seems very odd at first until you realize the underlying meaning of Swift’ s words. Swift is actually attempting to call attention to the problems going on in Ireland by directing his essay towards the English who caused this, the wealthier people. He wants the English to do something for the Irish that will fix what they did to cause them such economic despair. He uses a lot of rhetorical style to persuade his audience of his ideas. Along with using rhetorical style, Swift incorporates the four criteria from Richard Hodgart to help increase his amount of credibility. e four criteria include a degree of free speech either through design as in Greece or England, a general readiness of the educated classes to take part in political affairs, confidence on the part of writers that they can actually influence the conduct of affairs, and a wide audience that enjoys wit, imagination,and the graces of literature. Swift uses all four of these in his writing to overall persuade his intended audience of his goal, and to add credibility to his argument, given that he needs