Research Report on Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” Essays

Research Report on Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† Essays Research Report on Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† Paper Research Report on Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† Paper A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift was written in 1729 using diction and political and social references from that time period, which may provide a challenge for a student reader in a 2011 classroom. The full title of Swift’s essay is â€Å"A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burden to their Parents, or the Country, and for making them Beneficial to the Publick. This satirical essay is attempting to find a simple method for converting the starving children of Ireland into useful members of society. 1. 1 Background Information Through irony, satire and exaggeration Swift explains that across the country poor children, mainly Catholics are living in filth because their families are too meager to keep them fed and clothed. The author continuous on to state that the problem of poverty in Ireland can best be fixed by selling the children of the lower class as food to the wealthy. . 2Structure Swift originally published A Modest Proposal using the popularize pamphlet form using the standard essay format with an introductory paragraph stating the thesis, body paragraphs and a conclusion. What differentiated this essay from others, and made it superior to most was Swifts successful use of Historical Content, direct connection with the Audience, Satire/Humour, perfectly executed Irony, and the use of Logos vs. Pathos vs. Ethos. 2. Historical Content . 1 English-Irish Political relationships Years before A Modest Proposal was written British groups began invading Ireland for need of land for there growing kingdom, and had established there own laws and created their own parliament in Ireland. Penal Laws were created specifically designed to reduce the Catholics as the dominant religion in Ireland, laws like Catholics banned from public office or parliament, and Catholics banned from intermarriage with Protestants. In 1714 the Georgian Era begins when George I took the throne of the United Kingdom (so called when England swallowed Scotland in 1702, which Swift refers to â€Å"QUOTE†). He continues to strengthen the parliament and in 1720, the British parliament passed the Sixth of George I Act allowing it to pass legislation in Ireland without the agreement of the Irish parliament. 2. 2 Protestant – Catholic religious conflict The People of Ireland in the 1700’s are broken into three groups; the Original Irish: The Celtic people of Ireland who received Christianity during the 600s A. D, The Old English: the Normans from England who invaded Ireland during the late 1100s and governed for some centuries, and the English and Scottish settlers: Protestants from England and Scotland were settled on lands confiscated from the Irish by the Tudors in the 1500s. By 1714 only 7% of land in Ireland was held by Catholics, despite the fact that Catholics constituted 75% of the population. (www. irishhistorylinks. net)