"a modest proposal"
what 2 points does swift feel must be addressed?
1. feeding and clothing the hungry 2. employement
what are the 10 actual proposals?
1. tax people who own land and aren't working on it 2. irish use only irish made products 3. reject foreign "luxury" items 4. women work 5. work to become thrifty and prudent 6. gain more national pride 7. unite as one people 8. keep conscience intact 9. landlords show kindness to tenants 10. shop keepers reform their ways
what 2 occasions would you eat baby? how are they ironic?
1. weddings- you get married to have a family 2. christenings- baby's baptism
list the 6 advantages of the modest proposal
1.lessen # of catholics 2. provide money to pay debts 3. increase the nation's stock 4. save constant breeders the extra money of having a child 5. make taverns better places 5. reduce incidents of men beating their wives
when was it published
1729
in discussing the economics of his proposal, what kind of appeal is the writer making?
Logical
why does swift choose to use the word "devoured"?
animalistic
the narrator implies americans are
cannibalistic
connotation
emotional association added to words
what type of appeal is the writer making when he wants to end abortions?
ethical appeal
what else might children be used for?
gloves and boots
what is the significance of the last sentence in that paragraph
he has nothing to gain because his children are too old and so is his wife
who is his intended audience
land lords from england, wealthy dubliners
persuasive techniques that swift uses
logical appeals, emotional appeals, ethical appeals
why does he choose to use the word "carcasses"
makes the babies animals
what does "dropped from its dam" mean? what is the connotation?
meaning: born connotation: negative b/c it refers to the birth of a baby as if it was an animal
what is the connotation of the word "breeders"?
negative
what was happening in ireland
poverty and overpopulation
why does he use the word "pretender"?
reference to James Edward, and that his claim to the throne was a lie
the intent of the author in this passage most probably is to
shock politicians into addressing the problems of the poor
"the art" refers to
stealing
denotation
strict literal meanings
black humor
subjects that are considered too grim for laughter are treated humorously
in paragraph 3, what problem does the narrator propose to solve
the # of children who are born to parents who cannot support them
why does he reject the idea of selling and eating the 12 to 14 year olds
the boys flesh is too tough and the girls can serve as breeders
the irony of the last paragraph lies in the fact that
the narrator would not profit from the proposal, but neither would he be faced with the prospect of selling his baby
what is the "modest" proposal
to sell the children as food
throughout the passage, the narrator
wavers between bold certitude and self-effacing humility
who does the narrator show hiss own prejudices against
women, jews, landlords, shopkeepers
diction
word choice
persona
writer's voice