The Irish Problem
In Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, he addresses the reader in a way that they will react. At the time that Swift is writing this proposal there is a severe problem in Ireland with the Irish people barely surviving due to problems paying their tenants who were British and them not helping the Irish in theis economic and social crisis.
Swift intentionally detracts from the solutions that he thinks would work the most because they had been ignored before. In paragraph 30 Swift refutes himself all the points that he had previously proposed before to help improve Ireland. In this sense it seems as if though he is trying to get back at all the people that chose not to follow his models for reform by coming up with this proposal which any person in their right mind would think is fairly ridiculous.
The style in which Swift writes the proposal is also informal enough to where regular citizens could actually understand it. Back in the time when he was writing the majority of the population was not literate so it seems as if the manner in which he writes it allows different people to be able to actually understand what he is trying to say.
The claims that he makes throughout the proposal though they seem far-fetched are pretty rational. He believes that being able to sell the children less than a year old will benefit the Irish in many ways and he gives six very rational reasons for this. He gives the example of what would be done and how it would benefit the individual on the personal level. This strengthens his argument a lot because it gives exact instances to where this proposal would benefit every single person in Ireland.
Swift is very effective throughout his essay at provoking people and making them believe that he is actually serious in his proposal to eat babies. He addresses the parts that could have been refuted as well as gives examples of how it would help people. Or who knows maybe he was serious??
15 comments:
When I read Swift's A Modest Proposal back in high school I always wondered how the "lower class" people reacted to his proposal. Like you said in your post how most lower class people during that time were illiterate I have always wanted to know how they reacted when they read it for the first time. Were they in agreement with his idea? I doubt it, but considering how most led poor, horrible lives one can only imagine. I really like this reading because of how Swift makes it sound like he is serious about the whole eating babies idea. In my opinion, he is very good at using satire in his writing and it defiantly shows in his Modest Proposal.
I agree with you Kristen because when I read this for the first time it seemed to me that he was being funny and serious at the same time.
I also think that it was a goodidea for him to use satire in his proposal because it gives you something to think about.
I would have not laugh at Swift's proposal if I was a poor person in that era, Kristen. Then again it was all a joke.
Even if he was serious. He was very clever to target a powerless group that couldn't harm him.
Imagine if he made a proposal against the rich, he would have probably gone to his brave early.
I agree with you to an existent. While reading Jonathan Swift's essay I think he is being serious in a non-serious way. For example, I think he is upset about the fact that the British who would not help the Irish. The statement he makes as for as eating the babies, a course he wasn't being for real. I think he just wants the reader to understand that at that time the British was not helping. What did the British really think the Irish people was going to do to fix the problem of being poor by eating babies? Some people joke when they are really upset about something, kind of in the way most woman smile if their not happy.
I think the way that Swift wrote his modest proposal is very interesting and artistic. There was a big issue at hand and like Amanda said no one was addressing it. So he decided to be completely ridiculous to get his point across. I thought it was very funny and amusing. But the way he proved his point was very captivating. If I was present back then he would have gotten my attention. I think it is a very great essay.
I agree with sarah h. I think that Swift was only trying to make a point across by being sarcastic. He was not serious in what he actually said and since no one seemed to care about the Irish problem he decided to get to people through a different way. Swift uses languange that every day person could understand perfectly so that also helped him alot.
I agree with you Latasha. When I first read this I could not help but laugh. I thought the essay was funny even though the topic was very serious.
I too loved the way Swift wrote his essay as if he was serious.When I first read "A Modest Proposal" back in high school the first thing I thought was, " This man is sick!" it took my teacher explaining to me that he was joking that I began to see his point.
I agree with Jamie. Swift is also being satirical in his essay as well. The way Swift uses the eating of the babies. Everyone know or should come to the fact that he does not literally mean that. He is implying the fact that more babies are being born into the samething.
I can sympathize with Swift. Just as Ireland was going through a troubling period during the publishing of Swift's essay so is America going through a troubling time when we read Swift's essay. Swift had previously presented multiple solutions to the Irish government; however, no action was taken. When I read Swift's essay I get the sense of amused digust and weariness he must have felt with the government. Like Swift I feel the same way about America's current situation. And like Swift many authors today have written satrical pieces on our dilemma.
I agree with Edikan, I would'nt be laughing with this modest proposal if I was poor and hungry at that time in that place.
I would rather chew my own leg than eat a baby!
The reason he must be satirical and serious is to gain such attention that is being discussed. I hope no one in that period really considered his proposal. I belive the proposal made sense but was completely immoral of course. It made me think of if I was starving would I eat my own dog or vote someone to be eaten out of my own family. I'm still not too sure what I would do when I'm in a survival situation.
I believe that Swift used this satirical writing style and made a good attempt at trying to catch the attention of the reader. The reader in this case overlooked the whole point that he was trying to make and took his writing the wrong way. I agree that he made this proposal to a powerless group but the bad part is nothing came of it to help the Irish.
I also agree with you Kristen. I think when Swift was writing this paper he meant to tie seriousness and satire together, and i think it was a good idea because it makes the paper flow better.
About the eating babies issue... I think that this was one of the times that seriousness did not play a role in his paper.
He makes some great points about why there is poverty and he is right. If we stopped reproducing so much then there wouldn't be as many poor people because there would be more job openings.
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