Social And Economic Themes In Jonathan Swifts A Modest...

In A Modest Proposal, by Jonathan Swift he discusses a solution to poverty in Ireland during the 18th century. Swift’s bizarre, yet well thought out plan for helping families of Ireland, who were in poverty and desperately in the need of money, was fattening children and selling them to the wealthy landowners. He thought that this would be an excellent way for children not to be a burden on their parents but be beneficial. Swift even went on to write a pamphlet telling the parents just how they could fatten their babies and the perfect age and weight for the kids to be before selling them. One of Swift’s friends goes on to give some helpful/ tasty ways that the kids can be cooked before eaten. Swift’s proposal does not only financially†¦show more content†¦There only remain a hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents who are annually born†(5). By Swift including these statistics shows that he has well thought out this plan, and Swift ha s done plenty of research before coming to his conclusion. Swift later gives credibility to his friend from London by saying, â€Å"a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food†(9). All three rhetorical devices that he used were great ways to persuade the people of Ireland ,that were in poverty, that this was the best option to help them prosper. Swift expresses upon the issue that merchants would rather the parents sell their children as babies because they are then more valuable. Swift then adds some credible information proving that he has done his research, â€Å"I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or girl before twelve years old, is no saleable commodity, and even when they come to this age they will not yield above three pounds.† Swift uses his statics to prove that his solution was well thought out by saying, â€Å"computed the charge of nursing a beggar’s child to be about two per annum.† This shows that swift had done his research for finding out not only the population of the city, but he found out the pricing for nursing a child that was soon to be sold and eaten. Swift’s uses some content to get an emotional reaction from the reader so that they can be more on board with his proposal. 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