In A Modest Proposal by Dr. Johnathan Swift, he analyzes the current economic standing of Ireland and offers a solution to help solve the poverty which has struck the country. He briefly describes the struggles that a person might face whilst living in the lower class, these struggles include: homelessness, lack of money, and starvation. Mr. Swift then states in a well-developed proposal, that the best way for Ireland to solve its problems and rise out of poverty would be for children, "at a year old, to be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune, through the kingdom" (Swift 10). The proposal continues to provide techniques on how to correctly consume children, as well as multiple pieces of support.
After reading through A Modest Proposal, it is clear that there is a significant amount of dramatization throughout the piece. When read in depth, it is clear that this outlandish statement is meant to serve a greater purpose to the country in general. Swift mentions how his plan would, "greatly lessen the number of Papists, with whom we are yearly over-run, being the principal breeders of the nation" (Swift 21). This draws the attention of the audience to the bigger situation, not so much poverty, but how the country is being ran.
This piece is a political example of apologia. In a sense, it is ironic, and Johnathan Swift may be trying to point out the failed attempts of the Irish government concerning the country's economic status. Not only does it relate to readers in terms most people can understand, but it makes a clear criticism of Ireland and it's political leaders.
In A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift have examples of apologia within the text. As Melissa clearly stated some of the examples, there is another example I would like to add. One example that sticks out to me is in paragraph 26, “bring the fattest child to the market. Men would become as fond of their wives” (Swift 26). This example relates to the term apologia because this statement is clearly exaggerated to prove a point. The statement above means that parents could raise their kid to be the perfect meat and then sell their child to be eaten. By doing this, the parents would make a profit rather than spending money on their children, making it more favorable for husbands to have children. Husbands would care more for their wife during their pregnancy because they are raising a money maker baby. Jonathan Swift gives great examples of the true definition of apologia and along with Melissa, we have covered most, if not, all of the examples Swift includes in his article.
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