Understatement In A Modest Proposal

The idea of discrimination is an odd one. A human being has to look at another human being who, in some way is a little bit different, and think “This person is of lesser value than me”. Despite how strange that may sound it has played a frightening role in the history of human beings. Most notable examples are Nazi Germany’s treatment of the Jewish during World War II and the treatment of black people in America throughout its history as a country. These are not the only example of discrimination however, during the eighteen hundreds the Irish faced discrimination against the British. In Jonathan Swift’s essay “A Modest Proposal” is about a not so modest proposal meant to ridicule the way of life for the Irish and the British control over

The first example of understatement can be seen in the title itself. “A Modest Proposal” is not a exactly a modest proposal, a proposal stating that people should eat babies would not be considered modest by most people. Swift’s choice of the word modest is meant to emphasize how so far removed the British are from the Irish. The British are indifferent to the feelings and problems of the Irish, so the proposal that Swift has made would seem actually modest to them. This removal from the struggles of the Irish continue in the essay when near the end of the essay after stating his reasons for the proposal he writes “I fortunately fell upon this proposal…” (280). Swift uses the word fortunate to dismiss the harm that it would bring to the Irish, the ones who would have to give up their children for the sake of living for another day. The speaker does not acknowledge this he believes his plan is fortunate. There is a lack of regard for how this plan will affect the Irish, and Swift’s word choice and use of understatement emphasize that. Detachment is necessary in order for discrimination to occur, many groups use dehumanization as mention previously in order to detach themselves from the problems and concern of those they are