"A Modest Proposal"

There were countless impressionable pieces of literature we read in class throughout the school year, but there was one in particular that stood out for its unique style, fashion, and topic. “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift was an unexpected sarcastic essay written originally as a letter to a higher authority in England. One would assume the piece is formally and properly written as it misleadingly begun with such grace, poise, and solemnity. Swift logically begins his essay by stating and elaborating on the problems of poverty and overpopulation in Ireland. He continues by saying that although the Irish are Catholic and they do not believe in the use of contraception, the children should be useful in some manner. Until this point, Swift’s argument sounds reasonable and there is no reason to doubt his intention to better society. At this point, Swift has appealed to logos and ethos, but he still has not provided the audience with a scheme or proposal. Swift proposes that they begin to eat the one year olds by selling them to the rich of England as a delicacy. Although it was aimed to be sarcastic, people took it seriously because he presented so many logical reasons as to why this benefits the English. This piece was my favorite because of the satirical aspect and the misinterpretation of many, although it was such a radical and unreasonable solution to such a large issue. I remember this piece because it was so different from the others; not only did its uniqueness help it to stand out next to the other pieces of literature, but Jonathan Swift’s style was one that was like no other.