A Modest Proposal

According to yourdictionary.com

Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and it is a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader. 

Pathos is an appeal to emotion, and is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response. 

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

ETHOS-

"As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of other projectors"

-Jonathan Swift not only came up with this "solution" he's thought of it for YEARS. That gives him some type of credibility. He's had all this time to change his mind, and he didn't.

PATHOS-

"It would increase the care and tenderness of mothers toward their children, when they were sure of a settlement for life to the poor babes, provided in some sort by the public, to their annual profit instead of expense."

-Maybe, this doesn't bring as much positive emotional appeal, but it sure brought out a little shock out of me- And I'm pretty sure that's what Swift wanted to do with this, bring out emotion to his readers-and that counts too. It gets worse, he then follows with this...

"We should see an honest emulation among the married women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the market."

-COULD YOU IMAGINE FEEDING BABIES JUST TO KILL THEM AND MAKE MONEY OFF OF THEM?! This reaction, I think is exactly what Swift wanted, people to be mad, or angry-especially parents of possible profitable pieces of meat. 

LOGOS-

"For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of papists..."

"Secondly, The poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own..."

"Thirdly, 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..."

"Fourthly, The constant breeders, beside the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children..."

-Swift goes all the way to six reasons. Even though these reasons give nightmares, they all end up being some what logical- such as the fourth reasoning that says parents won't have to spend all that money in raising a child, instead they will make a profit, WHO DOESN'T WANT/LIKE PROFIT?

This made me very grossed out but it also brought out many advantages. This was just a crying call for his country. He later says, he just wants his country to be better- "...advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich."-all seeming very logical. He hit readers with very emotion wrenching and uncensored ways- LOGOS ETHOS PATHOS - to let citizens know their country was not doing good, and to wake them up to make changes, and what better way than to strike at citizens' most prized possessions, their children.

NO BABIES WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF THE MODEST PROPOSAL.

A Modest Proposal

In Jonathon Swift's Article, "A Modest Proposal" he uses pathos, ethos, and logos. The Irish were struggling a lot with the famine. He uses pathos to get really emotional when he is talking about the women's children. He then uses ethos to talk very seriously about the papists. He also uses logos to talk about the Catholic church. Swift used all three of these very effective way.

"A Modest Proposal"

In “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift talks about moms who have many children and having to live on the streets because they have no money. He starts off with pathos and is very emotional in the beginning.  Then he starts to get serious and talks about Papists in an ethos way. And starts stating the advantages to his proposal and why they are important. At the end he is making his opinion a big picture and using logos by saying how he desires politicians.  

"A Modest Proposal" Pathos, Logos, and Ethos

       This was a very hard time for the Irish and there is plenty of emotions that go with it. There was many struggles during the famine of Ireland. He gives a pensive sadness of Pathos with all of the people left out on the streets as bums, and all of the women that had sever children. Then there is Logos which is logical such as, when Swift talks about the Catholic Church. With the outbreak of the many Papists, that were their most dangerous enemies because they were financially loyal to the Catholic Church. Next is Ethos which is the era of 1729, which was the burden of raising children once they reached a year old.

Saving lives

In Jonathan Swift article "A Modest Proposal", Jonathan is using pathos to persuade his audience to take action. In the beginning of the article Swift is talking about his plan to help improve children lives who's parents are not of well of. Swift stated that"...it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas, too frequent among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes..." Swift is talking to the mothers and taping into their emotions of their children. Swift is also setting a fire to all pro-life people with their beliefs.