Craft In A Modest Proposal

Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” excels at displaying the purpose by using a high skill level of craft. Jonathan Swift was known for his very successful book Gulliver’s Travels; however, “A Modest Proposal” goes above and beyond that in terms of craft. “A Modest Proposal” is a satirical article mocking the ridiculous ideas on how to improve Ireland’s condition given by the English. If there are too many children and there is not enough food, why not fix both and eat the children? Swift does not just place his plan out in the open, he leads up to it in a very elaborate way. He uses strong vocabulary and leads your mind to his idea without stating it. Once his idea is heard, the shock sets in. The plan stated seemed too over the top; no way

For example, Swift states, “. . . a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout ”. This gives the reader a feeling of discomfort. The idea of eating children just wouldn’t happen in the current time period. This is considered incongruity because it is something that isn’t normal. It is not likely to be walking down the road to a holiday dinner consisting of children. Another example of incongruity in Swift’s writing is, “He said that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well supplied by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not exceeding fourteen years of age nor under twelve . . .” (Swift). If there was a large craving for venison and there wasn’t enough for all, most minds wouldn’t jump to the idea of replacing venison with the local youth. Not only is Swift’s writing unusual, but when he describes something, he describes it to the largest

Swift states, “Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither cloaths, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury” (Swift). This is a parody because it is mocking all of the reasonable solutions to the struggles Ireland is facing. All of the ideas that Swift is dismissing, are very logical and rational. Swift’s idea is very over the top and seems very irrational.
Jonathan Swift has many little stories that have impacted English literature in many ways. “A Modest Proposal” gives a glance into the struggles of the Irish during the early 18th century. The despondency of the people from the lack of food, and the drastic measures they were willing to take to survive. Jonathan Swift uses a nice mixture of incongruity, exaggeration, and parody to place himself high up on the list of strong