He suggests an extreme solution to draw attention to a real problem
A motif in "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is the idea of using logic and reasoning to justify extreme or absurd actions. Swift uses this motif to satirize the cold-hearted and dehumanizing attitudes of those who view people as mere commodities.
He creates a distinction between what he says and what he really means.
He creates a distinction between what he says and what he really means.
Irony. Swift uses irony to highlight the absurdity of his proposal by presenting it as modest and reasonable when it is actually quite extreme and outrageous.
Jonathan Swift is criticizing the intellectual elitism and impracticality of the Laputians. He uses their obsession with abstract theories and neglect of practical matters to satirize the shortcomings of the Enlightenment era thinkers and scholars.
Swift's main purpose in "A Modest Proposal" is to satirize the British government's treatment of the Irish people and highlight the economic and social injustices faced by the Irish. He uses irony and exaggeration to critique the oppressive policies imposed by the British, suggesting a "modest proposal" to alleviate poverty in Ireland by proposing Irish infants be sold as food to wealthy English landlords.
Swift uses verbal irony throughout his essay "A Modest Proposal" by proposing a satirical solution to the Irish poverty issue by suggesting that poor families sell their children as food for the rich. This extreme proposal is meant to highlight the absurdity of the English landlords' treatment of the Irish people. The use of verbal irony creates a darkly comedic tone to convey Swift's criticism of the exploitation and neglect faced by the Irish.
Lilliput and Blefescu -novanet
Swift's tone towards the Lilliputians in "Gulliver's Travels" is often satirical and critical. He uses their small size as a way to comment on the absurdities and flaws of human nature, particularly in politics and society. Swift uses the Lilliputians' petty behaviors and ridiculous rules to satirize the corruption and hypocrisy he observes in his own time.
He causes the reader to distrust the narrator.
Jonathan Swift uses inversion in "A Modest Proposal" by presenting a seemingly outrageous solution to the problem of poverty and hunger in Ireland in a calm, rational tone. By flipping the expected approach to these issues, Swift forces readers to confront the absurdity of the situation and reflect on the true root causes of the problem. This rhetorical device allows Swift to satirize the indifference and cruelty of those in power towards the suffering of the Irish people.
Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is a satirical essay published in 1729 that suggests solving Ireland's poverty and overpopulation issues by selling infants as a food source to the wealthy. Swift uses irony and exaggeration to criticize British exploitation of the Irish, highlighting the absurdity of the inequities faced by the Irish people at the time.