A Modest Pathos Proposal

A Modest Proposal starts off with some funny and possibly true claims of Ireland at the time. Not to say most of Swift’s claims are true, but they are attainable. His description of future generations of Irish kids is quite scary, “ as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain”(115). He uses this argument, along with a few others in his proposal for the solution of making a stronger nation. It is pathetic that Ireland would ever need some sort of revolution like this to become better, but then again, he gets the idea from the newfound America. When I read the proposal I thought it was totally ridiculous, but when he fathomed that America had already begun doing this, I took a step back. Did early Americans really? What? No way? So I read on, and his final pages were very serious in the parallels he makes with young America. He brings America into the equation quite subtly, “…for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience…to fatten them would not answer the charge.” He uses this evidence to prove why we should only eat young children, because the meat of older kids is tough and lean. Besides the ridicule of his fellow Irishmen, the English are the main target in this piece. He is straightforward in his diagnosis of Ireland but the exploitation of England is quite satirical. Swift makes his point clear-cut, surpassing his moral issues and casting blame to anyone and everyone; not only the inability of the poor and helpless, but also the hypocrisy of the wealthy.

The one thing I had a hard time understanding today in class is the appeals; more specifically, the pathos. I remember in my English 190 class spending half the semester dealing with the three appeals, and even a class in high school worked on it. Anyways, the example used in class was of social welfare and that this is using pathos persuasion. I better understood the definition of pathos by defining the other two. By defining them, I could easily identify pathos by process of elimination. After I thought of a few examples or logos and ethos, I could better comprehend pathos. In a broad view, it attracts not only the emotions of an audience, but also the moral issues attached. After I conquered that concept, I could instantly think of several more instances of pathos. For example, cutting down a rainforest, expanding into Native American reservations and all environmental issues are all examples of pathos. Then it clicked, A modest Proposal is an outstanding example of pathos. On the contrary, it is everything pathos doesn't include. It is logically a great idea, but telling a 21st century adult that a country was slaughtering children to eat would make them nearly hurl. On that note, I have a pretty good idea of a pathos and logos argument.