In Jonathan Swift’s satire, “A Modest Proposal” (1729), Swift makes a wild and far-fetched proposal to the people of Ireland to eat the young of the poor people. He proposes several reasons for this solution to the problem of an over-abundance of poor people living on the streets of Ireland. However, it is the opinion of the author of this review that Jonathan Swift did not successfully answer the question of how to pay for the rearing of the children. Therefore the argument is not truly effective.
At the same time, it is in this authors opinion that the solution given within the proposal was not in fact meant to be an actual answer to the problem, instead it was a call to arms for the people of Ireland to begin thinking about the growing problem of the poor, and to perhaps come up with some answers to the problem at hand. The solution itself is not that persuasive, however the emotional reaction to the solution itself is persuasive; therefore overall I believe the proposal served its purpose well.
The target audience of the essay is the people of Ireland, and it seems that there is a glaring propensity within the essay to speak directly to the rich and well off citizens as a whole. The overall response to the essay was probably one of shock at first, however once the initial shock value wore off I would assume that many of them began to look closer at the problems facing the country.
Swift, J. (1729). A Modest Proposal. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from
http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html
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are you sure that Swift does not suggest a solution to the problem? "...Of taxing our Absentees at five Shillings a pound: Of using neither Cloaths, nor household Furniture, except what is of our own Growth and Manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the Materials and Instruments that promote Foreign Luxury: Of curing the Expenciveness of Pride, Vanity, Idleness, and Gaming in our Women: Of introducing a Vein of Parcimony, Prudence and Temperance: Of learning to Love our Country, wherein we differ even from LAPLANDERS, and the Inhabitants of TOPINAMBOOO: Of quitting our Animosities, and Factions, nor Act any longer like the Jews, who were Murdering one another at the very moment their City was taken: Of being a little Cautions not to Sell our Country and Consciences for nothing: Of teaching Landlords to have at least one degree of Mercy towards their Tenants. Lastly of putting a Spirit of Honesty, Industry and Skill into our Shop-keepers, who, if a Resolution could now be taken to Buy only our Native Goods, would immediately unite to Cheat and Exact upon us in the Price, the Measure and the Goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make us fair Proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it."
I would call that a solution
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