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Essay / The use of literary elements and techniques in A Modest Proposal
“A Modest Proposal” was an effective satire written by Dr. Jonathan Swift in 1729. Ireland was facing difficult times during this period due to current laws and taxes. England. Ireland was becoming the land of poverty and famine. Swift felt like people were doing nothing and ignoring her like it wasn't happening. He felt like something had to be done. So he wrote this satire in the hope of opening the eyes of the Irish and making his point of view known. He uses cannibalism and a dubious title to intrigue the Irish and arouse their interest. Swift was very clever in coming up with an idea involving grotesque suggestions that he knew would shock people. Swift also uses logic and statistics throughout her article to support her ideas that will attract even more attention from others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “So that the remaining hundred thousand may, at the age of one year, be offered for sale to persons of quality and fortune, throughout the kingdom. , always advising the mother to let them suck abundantly in the last month, in order to make them plump and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at a party with friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter. » Above is a great example of how Swift described that this would help Ireland. He says: “A single child would prepare two dishes for family and friends. It would help everyone. When one reads Swift's proposal, it will indeed convince that this can be possible. Swift uses various literary elements and techniques throughout her writing to convey her message to her audience. Irony plays a big role in this play. He wants to make Ireland a better place and a better place to live for its people. They would not have to worry about food scarcity and it would contribute to a better future for this country. However, Swift refers to eating children as an answer to this problem. Cannibalism is completely illegal and breaks all the rules. There is also irony in the title itself. The title contains the word “modest” as a descriptive word for the proposal. Dictionary.com states the exact definition of modest as “having or showing a moderate or humble estimate of one's merits, of one's importance; having or showing respect for decency in behavior, speech, dress, etc. However, coming up with an idea of cannibalism and grotesque ideas as Swift did is not modest. There was nothing modest or humble about his proposal although he states: "I will therefore now humbly offer my own thoughts, which I hope will not be subject to the slightest objection." There is also exaggeration used a few times throughout the piece. It once struck me when someone said: "I think the advantages of the proposal I have made are obvious and numerous and of the greatest importance." To begin with, the benefits are not obvious. Swift needs to clearly state the benefits of her proposal because it is not obvious to the public. The next use of exaggeration is when he says it is of utmost importance. This is ironic because it is not of the utmost importance. However, these were ideas that were extremely important for Swift to incorporate in order to carry out her goal. Even if the'