Jonathan Swift Essay

Words: 940
Pages: 4

Jonathan Swift 1. Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal" under a pseudonym, so who is the speaker here?
The speaker is a Protestant and a member of the Irish upper class. 2. Discuss the tone of the piece. Pull examples from the text to support your discussion.
Swift showed disgust for the people who would rather beg than take care of themselves. He says, “These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbados.” 3. As you know, effective argumentation
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If Swift said what he felt, he would come off as boring. The way that this proposal is written brings attention to the actual issue even though the suggested solution would never happen. 8. Towards the end of the essay, locate the paragraph that begins "I can think of no one objection that will possibly be raised..." How is this paragraph different from the rest of his essay?
This paragraph is different from the rest of the essay because it makes it seem as if the proposal is talking about a genuine solution to the problem. He tries to portray it as a simple solution that is easily accepted by the public instead of an outrageous solution to a very serious problem. 9. Re-read the final paragraph. How does this paragraph contribute to Swift’s purpose?
Since Swift could not state his real reason for writing the essay, he had to use a fictional motive that added to the satirical tone. He had to pretend to be heartless, so he said he would be willing sell his own children to be eaten. He needed to motivate the people to take action on this problem. He needed to move people’s emotions by using satire and exaggeration. 10. When originally published, some readers were outraged by Swift's proposal. At what point is it clear to you that "A Modest Proposal" is a satire?
If I hadn’t been warned before I read the proposal, I would have believed that this was someone’s messed up idea of a solution. He writes in a serious, logical, and rational tone. He also supports