Write a rhetorical analysis of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay

Write a rhetorical analysis of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - Essay Example Without a doubt, the speaker could create a plan to make these children beneficial to the society. Swift uses the speaker to propose eating babies as a solution to the problems of Ireland. Swift uses satire to appeal to the emotions of the Irish people in order to encourage them to help the country. The purpose of this essay is to do a rhetorical analysis of Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal. The reason for doing this rhetorical analysis is to demonstrate how Swift uses satire to draw audience attention to the problem, which is the dire situation Ireland was facing at the time. A satire uses mockery, exaggeration, and irony to reveal and condemn the immorality, corruption, or foolishness of a society within the setting or framework of contemporary politics. The speaker proposes cannibalism of Irish infants as a sensible, rational, and in fact responsible solution to the problems of Ireland. This satire does not aim to inflict damage or harm, but rather it tries to produce a shocking effect to make the causes of major Irish problems revolting so that these causes will be purged or removed from the people and society. It is this shocking effect that makes Swift’s political document controversial and highly effective. Swift’s satire uses three elements—ethos, logos, and pathos. In terms of ethos, or author’s credibility, Swift was known for being a remarkable political essayist and critic. He is also known for being religious, which gives A Modest Proposal a sharp appeal. It is somewhat difficult to reconcile the fact that the ‘religious’ Swift has created a speaker that advocates cannibalism as a solution to Ireland’s major problems. This makes the satire more shocking and, thus, effective. What fascinates audiences from the time of Swift to the present day is the outrageous proposal of the anonymous speaker who combines, in one persona, an indifferent rationality and a methodically coldhearted reaction to the