A Modest Proposal Jonathan Swifts Political Statement...

A Modest Proposal† a Political Statement Mouth-watering, scrumptious, and delicious are a few words that come to mind when you think of Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal.† His satire on the conditions of life in 1729 was to draw its readers to serious discussion on the distressing matters that plagued their society. His extreme and sarcastic response to the treatment of the ever-growing poor population of Irish families, by the rich English landowners, was to bring to light a matter that they had come to accept as normal. Apparently, over time English landowners obtained ownership of Irish lands and would lease these lands back to the Irish farmers at outrageous prices. This made it nearly impossible for farming families to make ends†¦show more content†¦Placing the poor in their minds as something of profit showed their lust for riches, outweighed their concern for their fellow man. Jonathan Swift uses satire to express that their conditions were digging them deeper as time passed. In their cu rrent condition, they may have seemed as able body men and women, but as time would pass, he said they would pine away for want of nourishment. He also says that even if they were accidently hired to common labor they would not have the strength to perform their tasks. Jonathan Swift goes on to tell of the domestic violence that was occurring within the homes of the destitute and that these conditions drove many to violence toward one and other when a pregnancy or other stressing situations arose. The title â€Å"A Modest Proposal† was not only to draw the reader but also to show their mindset and attitude toward the poor. The word modest can mean to have moral or humble views towards self or others. Therefore, the use of the word modest encompasses the main idea in an ironic way, which dealt with the rich aristocrats’ treatment of the people they ruled. This treatment was on the same level as his obviously absurd proposal. Written with the intention to spark change, the essay, uses the ironic title to make a point. Never meant as literal, but to show them the shallowness of their hearts he wrote this essay to attack the political complacency inShow MoreRelatedNot Many People Can Write A Proposal Consisting Of Three1396 Words   |  6 PagesNot many people can write a proposal consisting of three thousand three hundred and seventy-six words in which political and economic issues are discussed and given a solution in such a serious yet sarcastic tone, but this is exactly what Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal does. Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland to British parents and as result of this, he yearned to get as far away as he could from the Irish. After he was ordained into the Church of Ireland in 1964, he was exposed to the livesRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s The Revolutionary War 1583 Words   |  7 PagesHannah Rice Schmidt – 1 Research Paper 23 September 2014 Jonathan Swift The Revolutionary War is one, if not the most memorable time of American history. It is what started the beginning of the land of the free. The colonization and tyranny of England was not just felt in the thirteen colonies that became America but also in places such as Ireland. Authors such as Jonathan Swift not only acted as literary geniuses but as a way for modern day historians to see the effects of colonization and the hardshipsRead MoreGulliver ´s Travels by Jonathan Swift: Biographical Summary1982 Words   |  8 PagesGulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift – Biographical Summary Jonathan Swift was born on November 30, 1667 in Ireland to English parents, Jonathan and Abigail. His father, Jonathan, died shortly after his birth, leaving his mother to raise him and his sister alone. In Ireland, Swift was dependent on a nanny for three years because his mother moved to England. The young man was educated because of the patronage of his Uncle, Godwin Swift. Godwin sent him to Kilkenny Grammar School at age six, which