With Ireland experiencing such extreme and horrific conditions,
Jonathon Swift provides a satirical solution.
Too many families continue to have babies without taking into consideration
the economic side of this responsibility.
Being too poor to provide for their children, Swift suggests that these
families turn to carnivorous ways of life.
By appealing to certain rhetorical strategies, he is able to portray his
message in an almost serious and convincing tone.
To establish ethos, Swift sets the scene. He includes his everyday observations and the
lives of the people around him. He also
includes the fact that he has thought about this topic for a very long
time. He has his opinions that he
believes will benefit the majority of his people. This makes readers think that he is credible due
to the fact that he has devoted so much time and effort into this matter. He feels strongly about his opinions and
values them enough to share them with everyone.
Swift establishes pathos by discussing the topic as if
it can be laughed about. While it is, in
fact, a very serious and shocking suggestion, it is also extremely
uncomfortable for readers. Especially
when he claims that “A young healthy child well nursed is at a year old, most
delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or
broiled”, I felt my stomach turn. For
him to talk about eating young children is very sickening but also extremely
emotional.
Swift finally establishes logos with his calm and
convincing approach. He seems to be
completely persuaded by his own wild considerations and calls for a reader’s
acceptance. He states nothing but the
advantages of eating such young children which only exposes our minds to
positive solutions for a nation’s hunger.
No comments:
Post a Comment