A Modest Imitation
A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF JONATHAN
SWIFT’S ‘A MODEST PROPOSAL’ COUPLED
WITH A BRIEF RHETORICAL IMITATION
BY WELSFORD SCOTT BISHOPRIC
COLLEGE WRITING
PROFESSOR HLAVATY
Swifts’ ‘A Modest Proposal’ – Project Description – Analysis – Imitation – Challenges & Lessons – About Scott
About Me
 From Eden, North Carolina
 Finance / Economics Major
 Business Fellow
 Studied in Mexico over Winter Term
 Loves to read anything from Candide to Fight Club
Swifts’ ‘A Modest Proposal’ – Project Description – Analysis – Imitation – Challenges & Lessons – About Scott
Project Description
 Part one is a Rhetorical Analysis of Jonathon Swift’s
‘A Modest Proposal’
 Part two is an Imitation of the Rhetorical style used
by Swift as applied to a different issue – Immigration
Reform
 Project most closely applies to the ENG 110 objective
of the development of ‘An Appreciation for the
capacity of writing to change oneself and the world.’
Swifts’ ‘A Modest Proposal’ – Project Description – Analysis – Imitation – Challenges & Lessons – About Scott
Swifts’ ‘A Modest Proposal’
 Jonathon Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’ stands outs,
not only as one of the great satirical works in the
history of western literature, but also for its creative
use of rhetoric.
 Swift’s skillful manipulation of his language and
audience not only created one of the best examples of
satirical rhetoric in western history, but brought
much needed attention to the very real
dehumanization occurring between the English
upper classes and the poor.
Swifts’ ‘A Modest Proposal’ – Project Description – Analysis – Imitation – Challenges & Lessons – About Scott
Analysis
 I used my analysis to identify the traits which I
would later be trying emulate, notably:
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Integrating Logos, Pathos and Ethos seamlessly
Cultivating conflict within the audience by appealing to
emotions and logic differently
Creating the persona of the writer whose beliefs make sense
but are also appalling
Swifts’ ‘A Modest Proposal’ – Project Description – Analysis – Imitation – Challenges & Lessons – About Scott
Imitation
 My project is a brief imitation of Jonathon Swift’s ‘A
Modest Proposal’, which targets the issue of
immigration reform in the same nature that Swift
targets overpopulation – with barbarism and
sarcasm in equal measure.
Swifts’ ‘A Modest Proposal’ – Project Description – Analysis – Imitation – Challenges & Lessons – About Scott
Challenges & Lessons
 Challenges:
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Designing my imitation so
that it was extreme enough
to be interesting, but also so
that it avoided going ‘to far’
(Staying Funny)
Preserving Swift’s style and
language when adapting it
for a 21st century topic and
audience
 Lessons:
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Sometimes the best way to
forward your argument is to
disguise your real thoughts,
guiding your audience to
come to the conclusions you
want them to
The easiest way to get past
writers block is simple – just
write, revising something
that is poorly written is
better than staring at a
blinking cursor on an empty
page
Swifts’ ‘A Modest Proposal’ – Project Description – Analysis – Imitation – Challenges & Lessons – About Scott
Questions?
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