Pathos In A Modest Proposal

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Jonathan Swift shares with his audience a satire entitled "A Modest Proposal." Swift’s purpose of his writing is to enlighten his audience of the situation of his people and to bring about the seriousness of their situation. Within Swift’s community poverty and starvation are rampant. Through his satire he discusses the "consumption" of the children as a solution to the poverty in Ireland. He shares with his audience, the members of his community, "benefits" of his solution as well as how they would go about performing such an act. Swift’s use of the rhetorical triangle is noticeable and well done, but he focused on certain aspects of the triangle more so than others. Logos seems to be the path he chose to take in his writing strategy for his piece, as well as pathos. He presents his “solution” in a sarcastic manner all while drawing out the fact that there is a large problem in their area. His overall strategy of shock and use of ethos, logos, and pathos is very effective in the end. …show more content…
Once past his ridiculous suggestions and his sarcastic tone the real issues he is trying to bring awareness to is seen more clearly. Swift goes on to mention all of the positives to his proposal, “There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas!” (Swift 417) Swift does a great job with his use of pathos. Though his words are seemingly morbid and catch one quite off guard, his satire does an excellent job of getting his points through to his