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‘A Modest Proposal’ by Jonathan Swift

‘A Modest Proposal’ by Jonathan Swift is about how to solve the issue of hunger. Jonathan begins by describing people who are living in the streets. The streets are filled with starving beggars. Jonathan Swift uses ethos, pathos and logos to make a strong case for his suggestion of using babies as a source of food. Jonathan Swift does establish his credibility, and he shows the readers his logic throughout his proposal. Jonathan does back up all the points raised in the proposal with hard evidence and facts. He does show how the consumption of infants would support everyone.

Pathos refers to feelings or emotions. For instance, when one looks at the commercial of homeless puppies, one may feel sorry for the puppies since they are homeless, and they may be suffering. In the beginning of ‘A Modest Proposal’, Jonathan shows the use of pathos when he denotes, “their defenseless babies who, as they grow up, either turn hoodlums for need of work, or leave their dear local nation, to battle for the Pretender of Spain, or offer themselves to the Barbadoes. In this, Jonathan uses incongruity to convey his message. Additionally, he is attempting to make you feel awful for these poor children. In this statement, Jonathan also uses irony in the description of the Pretender of Spain.

Notably, ethos refers to the power. Jonathan uses the Ethos when he references his “acquaintance in London” who said “an adolescent solid children overall breast fed, is, at a year old, the most heavenly sustaining and wholesome nourishment. This displays his use of hyperbole and just-a-position to convey his message.

On the other hand, Logos refers to rationale. Case in point: Since all men are mortal and Socrates was a man, along these lines Socrates was a mortal. Jonathan uses the explanatory mode of Logos when he says that if individuals begin consuming infants and children, there will be fewer individuals to feed and more nourishment, which may help comprehend everything. In this, Jonathan uses parody to convey his message to the readers.

Work cited

Swift, Jonathan. A Modest Proposal. 1st ed. Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Tech, 2001. Print.