Immodest Proposals: The Rhetoric of Irony

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Immodest ProposalsThe Rhetoric of Irony
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Jonathan Swift
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Swift (see 381)

• 1667-1745
• Born where?
• Ireland
• Prelate of ____ church
• Anglican
• Other famous works?
• Gullivers Travels

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A Modest Proposal

• Adopts a persona

• The danger?
• What are his
• tone?
• rhetorical strategy?
• organization?
• likely real point of view and rhetorical
  purpose?
• tip-off(s) that this is ironic? (Does he
  break character?)

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Tone

• See paragraphs 1, 8 etc. (NS p.383),
• self-effacing,
• respectful of other commentators
• dispassionate, reasonable,
• sympathetic where (superficially) appropriate

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Rhetorical purpose?

• Persuasive
• Thesis? (See parag. 9)

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Organization

• Attention-getter?
• Description of problem alternatives
• His thesis? (See parag. 9)
• His case list of advantages (par.21-28.
  Pp.386-87)
• Rebuts other projectors See parag.
  18especially its toneand 29-30 (388)
• Clincher?

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Real purpose?

• Satirical
• His agenda?
• Clues How can we tell ? CRUCIAL!
• See
• parag. 9,
• also 29-30

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On site

• Maintaining the Crime Supply (NS 335)
• Reply to the U.S. Government (367)
• The Back of the Bus (37)
• None of This is Fair (47)

• Rhetorical purpose?
• Strategy?
• Device(s)?
• Tone?

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Other issues Vulnerable to the Reductio
technique?

• What else bothers you? In
• Home?
• Relationships?
• School?
• Community?
• Nation?