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Essay Available:
Pages:
12 pages/≈3300 words
Sources:
6 Sources
Style:
MLA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 43.2
Topic:

Rhetorical Analysis of A Modest Proposal

Essay Instructions:

I have attached some papers with instructions. Also, please try to make the sources you chose scholarly, making the reading that i attach by Jonathan Swift the primary source. The Rhetorical analysis paper is just there to be used to refine the paper if needed, as it was given to us by our professor.


 


Major Essay #1: Rhetorical Analysis


Requirements:  8 – 10 pages


Works Cited page


MLA formatting (OWL Purdue is a great source)


3 Secondary sources, one of which may be a legitimate Internet source


Assignment:      Rhetorical Analysis


As Everything’s an Argument explains, a rhetorical analysis is “an examination of how well the


components of an argument work together to persuade or move and audience’’ (1055). For this


major essay, you will need to critically analyze Jonathan Swift’s Essay, “A Modest Proposal for preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public.”  Your analysis will address both the language of Swift’s essay, and the various themes the author engages.


 



  • Determine how Swift used pathos, logos, ethos in this satirical work, and what other techniques, irony, hyperbole, and metaphor, etc., he has employed.  Your analysis should focus on the components of the text which seem particularly persuasive and/or problematic. You should make clear why the aspects help or hinder the writer’s overall claim.


 



  • Considering class readings and our discussions on class structure in America, consider the ways in which class lines impacted the British/Irish relationship, what defined the various classes, and how colonialism was, in part, maintained through a sustained and rigid class structure. You will be required to research something of the contemporary political situation concerning the colonized Irish under British rule. You may also be interested in researching the reception of Swift’s essay received when it was published.


 


As you enter into the writing process, ask yourself the following questions:


ü    What is the author’s message/purpose/argument?


ü    Why has the author chosen to make it his point in this way?


ü    How do we define effective? Which components of the text agree/disagree with that                   definition?


ü    Which aspects of the text are particularly appealing? Why?


ü    What is the message about the text? What evidence can I use to support this claim?


ü    Why/In what situations is this text relevant to society today?                                           


Tips and Further Information:



  • Include a thesis statement in your opening paragraph, and a clear indication of where your paper is headed. Do not overlook the value of a catchy title!

  • Please avoid general statements without back-up!! A thesis statement such as, “This reading is really persuasive” is quite weak. Take a stand from the very beginning; you need to analyze the effectiveness of Swift’s essay, using everything you have learned in class so far.                             

  • Re-read Chapter Five of Everything’s an Argument that focuses on rhetorical analysis and the writing guide on Page 124.  Consult the hand-out on rhetorical analysis posted under “Readings” on Cougar Courses.

Essay Sample Content Preview:
Name
Instructor
Subject
Date
Rhetorical Analysis of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift's “A Modest Proposal” argues that the Irish might end their economic problems and poverty by breeding and selling their children as food for the wealthy ladies and gentlemen of the land. This exaggerated hyperbole, however, is a mockery of the heartless insensitivity of Ireland's wealthy and leadership toward the suffering of the poor. By presenting this ridiculous proposal for consideration in the court of public opinion, Swift implies that the Irish policy and its leadership has failed miserably to take care of the country's poor citizens, to the extent of making the idea of killing children for food not only imaginable, but also probable under the circumstances.
Swift builds his argument around the rhetorical techniques that involve appealing to people's emotions (pathos), the power of logic (logos), as well was ethos (credibility) to qualify himself as a reliable voice on the speaker. The way Swift applies these techniques shows that he is methodical in his approach. This is because he begins by appealing to people's sensitivities to engage them in the discourse. Next he uses the power of reason to support his position and dismiss potential opposition. He also uses data to establish credibility for himself and the proposal itself. Finally, he uses paralipsis (the act of raising an issue while pretending that it is inconsequential….that it's not even worth mentioning) to lay emphasis on what he really intends to communicate; the need for a fair, just, and responsible leadership to address Ireland's problems of poverty, hunger, and population growth.
Swift begins his proposal on an emotional note, by describing the condition of the poor. He states that it is a sorrow seeing so many women and children, all dressed in rags, begging for alms from people in the streets. The women, Swift observes, have no other mans of supporting their “helpless infants” other than by begging. In a few sentences, the author is able to hook the reader's attention by bringing up a universal issue (poverty and hunger” in a very emotive manner. The description of the beggars (all in rags), and of the children (helpless infants” creates a disturbing image in the reader's mind. This is not something one can easily dismiss, as it would have been the case had Swift simply said “there are many children and women in the streets begging for alms from pedestrians.” This matter-of-fact portrayal of the situation makes it seem normal and ordinary, although it is an accurate description of the situation as far as facts are concerned. However, the use of the expressions “all in rags” and “helpless infants” evokes sympathy and pity in the readers (Sm...
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