by Alicia Hollenbeck

Created on: May 07, 2009

For Ireland, the seventeenth century was a time of abject poverty and oppression by the English rulers. Under the severe conditions, political pamphlets suggesting solutions to Ireland's problems flourished. Jonathan Swift responded to these pamphlets with "A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick." It is a scathing attack on the tyranny of England, the indifference of the wealthy and the pathetic condition of the impoverished. With his style, Swift appalls the reader but also causes the reader to think seriously about realistic solutions.

From the beginning, Swift uses style to lead the reader to believe that the narrator is a member of the higher class who is well-educated and seemingly sound of mind. The first sentence, "It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets...crowded with beggars," starts the piece off with high diction. Combined with the perspective seen here, it is clear that the narrator is a member of a higher class than the beggars he sees. However, by being aware of the condition of these people, Swift also shows compassion. In paragraph 3, Swift states that, "...[his] intention is very far from being confined to provide only for the children of professed beggars." It is clear Swift would have expected the upper class to be his audience. By stating that his plan will benefit everyone, Swift ensures that he will keep the interest of his audience. In paragraph , Swift continues with, "...I calculate...about 200,000 couple...from which number I subtract 30,000 couple, who are able to maintain their own children..." The statistics gives the impression that this an educated, expert opinion and that the plan is well thought out. This line also sets the analytical, dense mood that continues through most of the essay. For the most part, the first seven paragraphs give the impression that the narrator is sound of mind and his suggestion will be rational. However, Swift's use of words and phrases such as "breeders" and "dropped from its dam" make the reader uncomfortable and bring about the questioning of the author's sanity.

As the essay continues, the reader discovers that this is piece is actually a well-crafted satire, attacking the poor and wealthy of Ireland, as well as the English landlords. In paragraph 9, Swift tells the reader that he has

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