1. An Original AP Lang Presentation
Pathos
An Original AP Lang Presentation

2. Pathos:
A quality of an experience in life or a work of art that stirs up emotions including pity, sympathy and sorrow.

3. Quote
“Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass, the skin of which artificially dressed will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.”

4. Analysis
This quote is particularly alarming to people reading “The Modest Proposal” in modern times because we know that this suggestion that is intended to be bizarre, is not at all far from what used to be the reality during the time the Holocaust was taking place.

5. Analysis:Continued
The Germans actually used the skin of Jews to make items like lampshades. With this background information, this quote causes the reader to recall the Holocaust and all of its tragedy, rather than find it humorous because of the absurdity of the idea.

6. Quote
“ As to our city of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this purpose in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting, although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.”

7. Analysis
This quote is shocking to the reader because it is making the comparison between a human and an animal. It is disturbing to think about buying a child at the market, just like you would any other meat product, especially when the child is alive, and knowing that your intentions are to kill and eat it.

8. Analysis: Continued
Swift’s suggestion of cannibalism goes against every moral fiber in a human’s body, and for this reason, the pathos in this quote appeals to the emotions of all readers.

9. C. F.
Quote
“ Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed, and i have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken to ease the nation of so grievous an encumbrance.”

10. C. F.
Analysis
This quote is appealing to our pathos by discussing the reoccurring issue of poverty. It appeals to our sympathetic side and demands that we take a deeper look into the issue of poverty. In addition, the quote makes us look at Jonathan Swift a little closer. He seemed very barbaric in his ideas in the beginning of the text but as the text progresses, he begins to become more understandable and civilized. As he progresses, it becomes evident that he is writing this to portray to others what life for these poor citizens is like and isn’t literally suggesting we eat babies.

11. C. F.
Quote
“ A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.”

12. C. F.
Analysis
This quote is shocking because the idea of eating and serving children for our families is very upsetting to us in a modern day, however, in the time period and the circumstances at which these situations were occurring, as shocking as it was to others, it was the painful reality for those who had no other option. It makes us shocked but also causes us to sympathize with them because a mother is a mother and selling or consuming your child is extremely difficult to do. This makes us realize just how desperate these poor families were. Overall, it makes us read the words a little clearer and question what we are doing to ourselves as a society, which is what the satire was meant to do.

13. Quote
“Secondly, The poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own, which by law may be made liable to distress and help to pay their landlord's rent, their corn and cattle being already seized, and money a thing unknown.

14. Analysis
This quote appels emotionally because it shows that the poor people truly have nothing. They are so poor they have to sell their children to be eaten to gain money to pay for rent. Emotionally it makes the reader feel pity on the poor. It is saying that the lesser people will finally have something of value, their children, and that they need some source of income since all of their cattle and grain is already gone and sold.

15. Quote
“There is likewise another great advantage of my scheme, 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 babies I doubt more to avoid the expense than the shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhumane beast.”

16. Analysis
This quote strikes home with many of us emotionally as abortion is a touchy issue. In this quote Swift thinks that if babies are sold there will be no more abortions because the mother can make a profit. He uses the words poor innocent babies to give people the chance to sympathize for the babies to try and convince them that they should stop abortion.

17. Quote
“These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants…”

18. Analysis
This statement starts off Swift’s proposal by making mothers the victims, and giving us the chance to sympathize with them rather than their children who they do everything for. This allows the proposal to be more effective in the sense that the readers feel bad for the mothers, rather than their children. Swift uses pathos to strike emotion in the readers, which could sway them to his side of the argument.

19. Quote
“Men would become as fond of their wives during the time of their pregnancy as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in calf, their sows when they are ready to farrow; nor offer to beat or kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage.”
Daniel’s Slide

20. Analysis
A miscarriage is a devastating catastrophe that haunts pregnant women; and is likely to occur due to beatings. In fact, it’s appalling to know that women were treated worse than the animals. Swift’s method is a key to improving the treatment of women; appealing to women and men who see profit.
Daniel’s Slide

21. Quote
“But, as to my self, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success. I fortunately fell upon this proposal, which, as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid and real, of no expence and little trouble, full in our own power, and whereby we can incur no danger in disobliging England.”
Daniel’s Slide

22. Analysis
Although not the moral solution, Swift appeals to emotion by bringing us relief and hope for the future with his modest proposal. He explains how others have failed to produce results and that he “fortunately fell upon this proposal.”; persuading us into believing that the proposal is the answer with few consequences.
Daniel’s Slide