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A Modest Proposal: Satire at Its Best
Jonathan Swift's 1729 essay, A Modest Proposal, was a true example of satire at its best. Many readers at the time rejected the essay because they failed to understand the irony. It is presently one of the most well known works of satire and is a classic example of the technique most commonly used today. The entire essay from the title down to the last sentence were meant to be taken ironically, which is a rare form, but very effective when trying getting a point across. This essay will explain why the text was meant to be taken ironically and why Swift used irony instead of straightforward statements.
Starting with the title, "A Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public," Swift wants the reader to believe he is going to present him/her with a modest proposal to deal with Ireland's problems of famine, poverty and......

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Approximate Word Count: 637
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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