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Satire And Irony In A Modest Proposal By Johnathan Swift

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"A Modest Proposal" by Johnathan Swift is a fascinating display of satire and irony. Mr. Swift uses satire to display his disagreement with England's treatment toward the Irish and how he believes the king views the People of Ireland. At the time, England treatment of the Irish was less than favorable. The common people were malnourished and living in poverty, while the rich relished in their opulence. Jonathan Swift showed his disapproval of this by writing this wonderfully ironic piece of work. He wrote about the people and children of Ireland as how England viewed and treated them. He describes the women and children, especially, in degrading ways. He refers to the women as "beggars for sustenance" for their children who will end up becoming "thieves". These descriptions are not his own …show more content…

They would not have been able to look past the shock value of the proposal. I believe that the true proposal was not to eat children but to find a proper way to relieve the the Irish poverty. Swift's actual proposal was that the Irish should love and accept their country even with its downfalls as the people of Topinamboo loved theirs. This would let them see that their country is worth fighting for and that they shouldn't just leave but rather, say and challenge the king to treat it and its people with reverence. "The Modest Proposal", though written centuries ago still has plenty of relevance in the modern world. One example comes to mind would be the ongoing Syrian Civil War. The innocent people are being treated as less than human, they are being starved and gas. The war, like Ireland in 1729, does not value its children. Their parents are forced into partaking in desperate measures to care for them. The Syrian government and others in don't seem to care about the citizens well being, only their own selfish

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