Characteristics of Neoclassicism in A Modest Proposal
Essay preview
Characteristics of Neoclassicism in A Modest Proposal
The idea that is suggested in Jonathan Swift's essay, A Modest Proposal, is hardly a modest idea at all. In his own way, Swift used many Neoclassicism elements to offer a solution to the problems in Ireland's society. Swift proposed that children should be fattened up and sold for food. With his use of reason as a way to solve society's problems, Swift also combined satire and the use of the public to let his ideas be known through writings in Neoclassicism style.
All together, Swift's idea is solely based on reason, an element of Neoclassicism. He put all emotion aside when manifesting the proposal of devouring children for money. He says,
"...and it is exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner, as, instead of being a charge upon their parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many thousands" (Swift 282).
With this statement, Swift used the fact that the parents of these children are too poor to raise them. So, in order to keep them from being a burden, they should make them useful to society, instead. Swift only considered what makes sense, and not how the actions would effect anyone emotionally. He used only reason and no emotion throughout the essay. Swift wrote,
"For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of papists; with whom we are yearly overrun, being the principal breeders of the nation as well as our most dangerous enemies..." (Swift 285).
In other words, he said that killing the children would be helpful, because it would eliminate the poor little by little, since they are the primary breeders anyway. Sure, this makes sense if you look at it that way. But, anyone with a human mind could not possibly consider such a thing unless they truly based their thoughts on reason alone. Although Swift used reason to try and support his idea, he really had another idea in mind. He portrayed this with his use of another element of Neoclassicism; satire.
With the purpose of venting his thoughts about the higher class people in Ireland and
