A Modest Proposal
Jonathan Swift possessed a fierce passion for satire writing, which has amplified in the last three centuries into a world-renowned popularity. As an Irish nationalist, he wholeheartedly believed in the sovereignty of the Irish nation from England's tyrannical rule. Swift, being a clergyman, was unable to fight for Ireland's liberty on the battlefield; thus he chose a more creative and influential method of fighting with his quill and paper.
Swift's masterpiece, A Modest Proposal, criticizes powerfully the tyranny of the English, which had a direct effect on the squalor and degradation the Irish people were forced to live in. Written in satire, the Modest Proposal, gave an impression of being a purely comical piece of work, however, that was not the case. Despite its rather unconventional writing style, Swift presents a very powerful message. Swift attempted the readers to realize that England's domination of Ireland was resulting in extreme economical and social devastation; furthermore, he was also disillusioned with the Irishmen for tolerating the impossible oppression.
The essay progressed through a series of surprises that first shocked the reader, for the proposal was none other than the suggestion of cannibalism. However, after the initial shock wore off, the proposition then caused the readers to think critically not only about policies, but also about the motivations and values behind Swift's point of view.
Swift explained thoroughly the deplorable economic system in Ireland. The majority of the populations were impoverished agricultural laborers, who produced very little income from the toil on the landlords land. In addition, the Irishmen, who were barely being able to support financially their numerous families, they were forced to pay a percentage of their income to the landlords. In other words, Ireland was ruled by lechers, mostly English, whose only concerns were reaping the profits from the miseries of the...
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