A Modest Proposal Rhetorical Analysis

During the early 1700’s, Ireland was in a deep state of economic distress. Before the writing of A Modest Proposal, Ireland was in the midst of a famine due to three unsuccessful harvests. Homelessness was a problem amongst the whole country. During this time, Jonathan Swift was working towards a position in the government, but was unsuccessful. While feeling lost and a sense of complete hopelessness in Ireland, Swift became more and more involved in English politics. As the 1720’s rolled around, Swift became more actively involved in Irish politics. He started to respond to these issues by writing essays and other literary works. Likely the most popular of the time, A Modest Proposal, suggested a way to end the current state of poverty and famine. However, what he suggested was quite peculiar. In this essay, Jonathan Swift challenges the status quo of the time period by in which it was written by proposing that families living in poverty sell their young children off as food. Jonathan Swift challenges the norm in Ireland during the early 1700’s with his use of sarcasm in his work. During this time period, sarcasm was used in written works as entertainment for the upper class. He made his ideas about selling and

Just as sarcasm was used, irony was entertaining to readers off Swift’s works in the upper class. The whole essay in itself is ironic. No reader could possible believe that Swift was serious about his proposals. However, there are several specific instances. For example, Swift listed off several reasons as to why his plans would greatly benefit society. He says, “I can think of no one objection that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it be urged that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom.” He then stated that his family would not be affected because his children were already grown, and his wife was past the age of childbearing. Is that a