I have heard that "A Modest Proposal" is considered one of the finest examples of satire in world literature. Written in the persona of a well-intentioned economist and published in the form of a popular pamphlet‚ the tract argues that the problem of poverty in Ireland can best be remedied by selling the children of the poor as food for the wealthy. This outlandish thesis is a manifestation of Swift’s outrage at what he saw as the scandalous economic and political policies of the Irish and English
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Jonathan Swift‚ author of “A Modest Proposal”‚ wrote about the starving people of Ireland in the early 1700′s. The purpose of his argument is to raise awareness to the wealthy of the issue. Swift‚ a priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral composed the satirical essay due to his want for a resolution for the underprivileged people in Ireland. Swift wants to bring the issue to light for the wealthy Irish class. Swift assumes that his audience will be upset and bothered by his suggestion to sell and
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Jonathan Swift’s‚ A Modest Proposal has become a classic example and much studied work of satire throughout the years. It is interesting not only in the absurdity of it’s sly innuendo‚ but it also acts as a history lesson for the world to see the struggles of people of Ireland. What interests me most about this work is how Swift is able to show compassion through context in a work whose words would normally shock and anger any sane person. It is interesting to see how his careful use of language
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NOTES: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Johnathan Swift writes this satirical proposal to "prevent the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or the country" and to make them "beneficial to the public". Johnathan begins this proposal with a paragraph using violent and negative diction‚ using words such as "beg"‚ "forced"‚ "fight"‚ "thieves"‚ "helpless". Because of the alarming and intriguing nature of these words‚ this negative/violent diction appeals to
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Jonathan Swift’s use of satire in his writing of A Modest Proposal allows him to criticize his audience and make his main point without directly stating it. Swift creates a man who appears concerned and sympathetic towards the poor people while still agreeing and identifying with the upper class of Ireland. The reader’s confidence in the speaker quickly diminishes when he reveals his “modest proposal” to eat children in order to effectively reduce poverty and overpopulation. Swift’s main goal
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Guy‚ Tiffany Comp 1 19 May 2015 My Response to “A Modest Proposal” By Jonathan Swift When I begin reading Jonathan Swifts‚ A Modest Proposal‚ I was confused as to why any human being would even think about offering others’ children to eat in an effort to reduce poverty‚ as a suggestion. Though I disagreed and was a bit confused‚ his argument had some very persuasive points that held truth. Jonathan Swift was born to an affluent Irish family; he was an ordained minister‚ very well educated‚ and
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In the 1700’s‚ Ireland was in social and economic disarray‚ the turbulent economy rendering many unable to climb out of the pit of poverty into which they had fallen. In his pamphlet‚ “A Modest Proposal‚” Jonathan Swift‚ an Irish author‚ addressed these issues which had arisen in Irish society. In order to persuade the Irish government to right the social and economic wrongs that were afflicting Irish society‚ Swift used numerical values‚ inflicted guilt upon his audience‚ and included dehumanizing
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It seems like there is no pot of gold for the Irish. In both “A Modest Proposal”‚ written by Jonathan Swift‚ and Angela’s Ashes‚ written by Frank McCourt‚ Ireland is portrayed as the land of the poor. Although they were from a different time period and age when they wrote their piece‚ they both touch on the same subject and seem to be sympathetic towards it. When describing the poor‚ Swift and McCourt each had their own description. Swift describes‚ not himself‚ but other people he saw. For
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Catholic people of Ireland which‚ in turn‚ made them extremely poor. Jonathan Swift’s article‚ A Modest Proposal‚ gives perspective on just how strapped these people are by describing the women begging and the several amounts of children they have at their heels. Instead of taking the predicament and eliminating it all together‚ Swift suggests a proposition to turn the concern into its own solution. The proposal‚ in essence‚ is to take young children and sell them to the wealthy people for food. Swift
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Vincent Reyes December 16‚ 2010 English P.3 Craven A Modest Proposal Essay “A Modest Proposal” is a strongly written satire by Jonathon Swift. In the essay‚ Swift applies nearly all of the elements of satire. Some of the most obvious elements are his use of creating a persona and his exaggeration. Beginning by analyzing the title‚ “A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country‚ and For Making Them Beneficial to The
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