The Rhetorical Appeal to Pathos By Emily Hritz

The Rhetorical Appeal to Pathos By: Emily Hritz, Meghan Brockunier, Greer Liguori, Vivian Hall, and Jonathan Colaluca

About Jonathan Swift Born in Ireland to an English and an Irish parent Spent time in both countries This is important because he was able to gain a unique perspective and see “both sides of the story” and how the English treated the Irish

Pathos: Used to evoke an emotional reaction An important tool in persuasion Expressed by words, pictures or even with gestures of the body

Quote: “Many other advantages might be enumerated. For instance, the addition of some thousand carcasses in our exportation of barreled beef, the propagation of swine’s flesh, and improvement in the art of making good bacon, so much wanted among us by the great destruction of pigs, too frequent at our tables; which are no way comparable in taste or magnificence to a well- grown, fat, yearling chile, which roasted whole will make a considerable figure at a lord mayor’s feast or any other public entertainment”

Explanation: In this quote, Jonathan Swift uses pathos in order to create a response of the audience. After the reader reads this quote, they will feel horrified that children are basically treated like animals. A fat child will taste better than a piece of bacon. They compare the taste of babies to meat, which is like comparing different animal meats. The audience feels appalled by this quote and realizes how outrageous this proposal is because they are comparing children to bacon. They are also saying that babies are delicacies that should be served at a lord mayor’s feast. He is talking about babies like they are the tastiest and most expensive piece of meat. This use of pathos makes the reader feel disgusted because they could never imagine any child being treated like this.

Quote: “In his country when any young person happened to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality as a prime dainty; and that in his time the body of a plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison the emperor, was sold to his imperial majesty's prime minister of state, and other great mandarins of the court, in joints from the gibbet, at four hundred crowns. Neither indeed can I deny, that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town…the kingdom would not be worse. ”

Explanation: In this quote Jonathan Swift uses pathos by telling a story of a young girl who was sold for food after she was executed for committing a crime. He goes on to suggest that it is what should be done to other young girls in Ireland. Swift also explains how the girl is sold for money to the wealthy. This shows how she is being portrayed as a piece of meat, similar to how someone may sell a piece of steak. This creates a sense of disgust and even fear in the reader because they may relate the girl in the story to another young girl the know.

Quote: “I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout. ”

Explanation: In the quote from A Modest Proposal seen on the last slide, author Jonathan Swift is talking about cooking the small children and eating them. Of course, he is not serious. He says that in the satire to make you feel strong emotions. This is a use of Pathos. This quote from the satire makes you feel completely disgusted and also very uncomfortable. The thought of cooking children into a full meal and eating them is something that would make most normal humans feel uneasy. He describes everything in such detail to make it sound appetizing but then when you remember he is talking about children, you get grossed out.

Quote: “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, besides the profit of a new dish introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom who have any refinement in taste. And the money will circulate among ourselves, the goods being entirely of our own growth and manufacture. ”

Explanation: In this quote Swift used pathos to put a price on human life and talks about how people can sell the meat of their children to benefit the economy. In reality this would make most people, especially parents, feel awful and extremely horrified.

Quote: “Supposing that one thousand families in this city, would be constant customers for infants flesh, besides others who might have it at merry meetings particularly at weddings and christenings, I compute that Dublin would take off annually about twenty thousand carcasses”

Explanation: In this quote Jonathan Swift uses the idea that you could have children for meals for special occasions. He is obviously hitting Pathos when mentioning christenings. He says this to get a reaction because of the irony of eating children at your child's christening. The thought of eating a child at this event would gross people out and even make them feel guilty. Jonathan swift purposely says christenings to show people how morally wrong it would be.