Wei Mei
Ms. Wilson
English IV - Brit Lit B
10 May 2013
A Complex Essay
Neoclassical literature is "Literature. of, pertaining to, or designating a style of poetry or prose, developed chiefly in the 17th and 18th centuries, rigidly adhering to canons of form that were derived mainly from classical antiquity, that were exemplified by decorum of style or diction, the three unities,etc., and that emphasized an impersonal expression of universal truths as shown in human actions, representing them" (Dictionary.com). In Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, elements of the neoclassical period were demonstrated with the use of allusion, didactic tone, and Juvenalian satire. Swift’s essay is anything but modest, his usage of verbal irony in the title makes his essay amusing and powerful. Swift’s solution for social and economical issues in A Modest Proposal is for the poor Irish families to sell their children to the rich as delicacies.
Allusion is utilized by Jonathan Swift to fault the Irish and English people for the poverty of Ireland. "It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags" (Swift, 1-4). The "great town" was most likely an allusion to the city of Dublin, the birthplace of Jonathan Swift. In the excerpt above, Swift skillfully intertwines imagery and allusion with pathos to help the reader to better grasp his perspective. Imagery was used to illustrate the scene of the streets filled with peasants begging for food while Swift used pathos to stimulate the readers' emotions to empathizing with him. Swift states that if the infants are able to survive through the adolescent years, they would “leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.”(Swift, 9-10) The "Pretender" being an allusion to James Francis Edward Stuart. Swift implies that the Irish people that emigrate have no sense of nationalism and James Stuart’s acceptance of these immigrants are the roots of the issues that plague Ireland.
"The number of souls in Ireland being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couples whose wives are breeders, from which number I subtract thirty thousand couples, who are able to maintain their own children, although I apprehend there cannot be so many under the present distresses of the kingdom, but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand for those women who miscarry, or whose children die by accident, or disease within the year. There only remain an hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born" (Swift, 43-53) A didactic tone is shown by using raw statistics and facts to convey information and prove the effectiveness of Swift’s proposal. These figures also illustrate to the reader that Swift’s numbers provide him with a sense of authority and assurance which will in turn, grant the readers confidence to the potential of the outcome of his proposal while also appealing to their ethos.
Swift’s essay displays qualities of Juvenalian satire through the use of a harsh and exaggerated tone while promoting an idea that is seen by most, if not all, as absurd. Swift suggests that the solution to Ireland’s problems regarding hunger and poverty is that infants ” may at a year old be offered in sale to the persons of quality, and fortune, through the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump, and fat for a good table.”(Swift, 89-93) Along with the suggestion of eating infants, Swift dehumanizes women and children by comparing them to livestock “twenty thousand [women] may be reserved for breed, whereof only one-fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle or swine”(Swift, 83-84) His reason for using Juvenalian satire is to attack the Irish way of life and mock the incompetence of the Irish nation.
Through the usage of allusion, didactic tone, and Juvenalian satire, Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is an archetypal piece of neoclassical literature. At first look, this essay would seem to be themed around economic inequalities. As the reader develops a better understanding for the essay, cultural arrogance is a theme that becomes apparent once the reader grasps the perception that Swift mocks the way how the Irish and English are leading Ireland to its demise. Swift incorporates a mocking tone in order to invigorate the Irish people to becoming less dependent on the English and to sow the seeds of change.
Works Cited
Hartsvigsen. "Mrs. Hartvigsen’s Blog: English From “The Hart” … From The Heart." Web log post. Weber School District. Weber School District, 2009. Web. 8 May 2013.
"Jonathan Swift." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Sept. 2013. Web. 09 May 2013.
Awesome Essay
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