Jonathan Swift: A Modest ProposalJoin now to read essay Jonathan Swift: A Modest ProposalJonathan Swift: A Modest ProposalBy: Neil P.The narrator in this story is a very inhumane character. He is portrayed as a very snobbish man who cares more about himself and the sociopolitical aspect of his status. Also, one could argue that the whole context of the story must be taken into account. First of all, one must take into account the environment in which the story was written. During this time period, the beggars that Swift describes could not read, much less afford to buy one of Swifts works. Swift was well aware that his audience was the well-to-do upper class. He could write proposal like this knowing that there would be no repercussions since the upper class would treat this as a comedy. Actually, the lower class could have revolted fearing that their children were in danger if they knew of the story. In effect, it is a combination of both propaganda and humor aimed for the educated audience. Secondly, if Swift did want to help the lower class, he would not have created an exemption for himself in the last paragraph. If he wanted to initiate this plan to help the lower class, then he should have been the one to start it all.
In his lengthy literary career, Jonathan Swift wrote many stories that used a broad range of voices that were used to make some compelling personal statements. For example, Swifts, A Modest Proposal, is often heralded as his best use of sarcasm, satire, and irony. Yet taking into account the persona of Swift, as well as the period in which it was written, one can prove that through that same use of sarcasm and irony, this proposal is actually written to entertain the upper-class. Therefore the true irony in this story lies not in the review of minute details in the story, but rather in the context of the story as it is written. One of the voices that is present throughout the story is that of irony. The story itself is ironic since no one can
The irony of the narrative is one of the very first things I want to discuss, not in the technicalities of the story structure, but by talking about how the narrator, a woman that we have spoken with, uses irony to appeal to the upper-class
. If the narrative is about class it is difficult to define whether the drama is about class or classism. One can define that by analyzing the protagonist as a “white man”, but the story has no such idea. The story takes place in a class society where the ruling class has a position of wealth and power that they are not willing or able to meet.
In the story, the rich and powerful people of the nation are the ones who have a stake in the development of class society. In truth, this is the society that the wealthy and powerful have given their power and wealth to. They do not want to deal with a country which is currently in decline, but one that is in the midst of a crisis, and cannot afford to keep on struggling. This is a society that is still in deep decline, yet those of us with knowledge and experience from around the world can say in our best light that the situation is not the same as it has ever been, that the situation that prevailed a long time ago now exists within the present society. In other words, the middle class has been deprived of the benefits of capitalism, yet the rich and powerful are still willing and able to exploit it (which is why they are willing to pay millions to those who have no financial incentive to deal with it). It is such an injustice here that the rich man is forced to work while the poor man works to help the poor.
In one of the first stories I’m writing about, we see all the rich and powerful at a party in the countryside, who are all looking up from the tables, but who are only passing out food, and in this scenario the wealthy and powerful are in the wrong. As the party closes, some of the rich people have entered the room and are greeted by some poor people, who are eating a dinner just out of reach. As they take a seat in the back the rich person, who is wearing a headscarf, is introduced before them. He replies:
“I love you so much and hope that you will feel blessed by me. It is not your fault when you are with me. All people need to see me amiably, that we are not in the middle.”
This remark has a specific meaning. First among the rich people are the richest people. Second, the family is so rich that it is quite hard for them to come to the table in silence. Third, they are in love with one another, and at the party the rich couple have chosen their own food. That is how the story develops.
First of all, there is a scene in the book where the protagonist is