A Modest Analysis

“A Modest Proposal” is Jonathan Swift’s satirical proposition on how to solve the problem of

hunger. It begins with his description of people who are on the streets in the town as he walks through. The streets are filled with starving beggars ranging from young to old. Jonathan Swift uses ethos, logos and pathos to build a strong case for his proposition of using babies as a source of food. Swift builds his credibility and shows his logic throughout the proposal. He backs up his points with hard facts and evidence to show that the consumption of infants would be beneficial to everyone. Swift makes the point that it is the solution to end hunger and poverty in the society.

Jonathan Swift’s use of ethos shows that he is credible in the discussion on the matter of infantile consumption due to his conclusive research. In Swift’s words, “I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or a girl before twelve years old, is no saleable commodity, and even when they come to this age, they will not yield above three pounds.” The credibility is built upon by Swift assuring that he had consulted merchants prior to the creation of his proposal. The children would be more beneficial to their families being sold as food when they were babies than being sold when they are older. Swift is trying to make the point that selling babies as food would yield more profit and it would help financial situations of the impoverished. Swift was also “assured by a very knowing American” of his “acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food.” To show the credibility his source, Swift speaks of American as being “very knowing” to prove he is well informed on the matter at hand. Once more, Swift’s American acquaintance is consulted but this time on the matter of eating older children and in response, he assured Swift “from frequent experience, that their flesh was generally tough and lean... and their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them would not answer the charge.” The use of ethos is very strong throughout the proposal as a whole as well as the use of logos.

Swift uses logos to prove his well thought proposal as a solution to end poverty and hunger in society. To show that he has done research, Swift provides numbers/statistics to point out, of “the number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half”, only “twenty thousand children of poor parents are annually born.” The numbers show that Swift had researched the matter very thoroughly to provide factual evidence in his proposal. To show more of his research, Swift tells how he “computed the charge of nursing a beggar’s child to be about two shillings per annum.” He had not only found the population of his city, but he had also figured out the price of nursing one of the soon-to-be-eaten children. Swift covered everything in the proposal through deeply thought out logic.

Through the use of pathos, Swift invokes an emotional reaction from the reader in an attempt to gain support for his proposition. Swift speaks of one of his sources as “a true lover of his country, whose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased, in discoursing this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme.” He defines the man as a “true lover of his country” to show that he is a true patriot and that he would do anything for the good of his homeland. It shows to the reader the strong dedication and emotional attachment of a man for his country. The beggars on the street are “forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants” instead of working to earn their livelihood. The description of the beggars who wander the streets is used to invoke an emotional reaction so the reader will feel sympathetic. The ethos is used to draw the reader into the proposal, make them feel emotionally connected to the cause, and want to find a solution for the poverty. Swift shows his mastery of the use of ethos throughout “A Modest Proposal” and draws the reader in completely to his ideas.

Jonathan Swift’s use of ethos, logos, and pathos throughout “A Modest Proposal” builds a solid case in which he justifies infants as a primary source of food. Swift uses ethos to solidify his credibility in the eyes of the reader by showing the consultation of wise, and valued sources. The use of logos shows that the consuming of infants would end the starvation and poverty of the people. Pathos is used by Swift to draw the reader in and make them feel sympathetic toward the impoverished. Overall, Jonathan Swift’s use of ethos, logos, and pathos help justify his proposal to a point where it is almost irrational to not agree with it.