Logos in A Modest Proposal Amanda Brendan Hannah

Logos in A Modest Proposal Amanda, Brendan, Hannah, Reid, Tori

What is Logos? Logos is an appeal to logic, and is a way of persuading an audience by reason.

Historical Background ❖ Growing up in both England Ireland, Jonathan Swift was able to experience both the views of the English and the Irish, including their feelings toward each other.

A Modest Proposal ❖ Swift satirically proposes that we eat all the babies that come from poor families. This is due to the overpopulation in Ireland families that are unable to afford their children. He sells it as an easy way to fix the problem while also making money for Ireland.

Cattle vs Babies “Many other advantages might be enumerated. For instance, the addition of some thousands carcasses in our exportation of barreled beef…”

Cattle vs Babies ❖ Throughout Swift’s proposal he compares babies to cattle. This was significant because we don’t have a problem with eating baby animals, so we shouldn’t have a problem with eating babies. It is giving the logic of eating babies like cattle is eaten daily. It is also how the English views the Irish: as cattle.

Babies available for sale Swift states that 200, 000 women are breeders each year in Ireland. Subtract 30, 000 for the women who can afford to keep their kids. Subtract 50, 000 women who miscarry or the children die within the year. This leaves 120, 000 babies available.

Babies available for sale “ I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration that of the hundred and twenty thousand children already computed, twenty thousand 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…”

Quote Explained This quote uses numbers to support his argument. This quote also relates babies to sheep, black cattle, and swine. Relating children to these animals enhances the strange nature of his proposal.

Children in respect to shillings ❖ “. . . to be about two shillings per annum, rags included; and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat…”

Children in Respect to Shillings The significance of this quote is that it gives the money value to these children. This comparison of money value makes it logical to sell your child to be made into a meal. It costs 2 shillings a year to raise a child but you will get 10 shillings and make four meals out of it. It would be logical to sell your child to make money rather than raise your child and be in poverty.

Impact on the Economy ❖ “Whereas the maintenance of an hundred thousand children, from two years old and upward, cannot be computed at less than ten shillings a-piece per annum, the nation’s stock will be thereby increased fifty thousand pounds per annum…”

Economy Ireland will be the biggest supply of infant flesh, and the kids that are spared to become breeders in the future will spend money on daily necessities, thereby increasing the money that the Irish people will make.

The treatment of women and kids “It would increase the care and tenderness of mothers toward their children, when they were sure of a settlement for life to the poor babies…” “Men would become as fond of their wives during the time of their pregnancy… for fear of a miscarriage. ”

Treatment of Women The women (breeders) will also be treated better by their husbands because the infants are their source of income, and if the man harms the woman, he may also injure the baby.