A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal

Paperback
3.84

Durch das Verwenden dieser Links unterstützt du READO. Wir erhalten eine Vermittlungsprovision, ohne dass dir zusätzliche Kosten entstehen.

Beschreibung

"Whoever could find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these children sound and useful members of the common-wealth, would deserve so well of the public, as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation."
― Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal
A Modest Proposal, a Juvenalian satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift.
In this essay, Swift presents a proposal "For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick".
The first portion of the essay describes the sad fate of the poverty-stricken Irish, followed by Swift's solution for that - which is to raise children as food for the wealthy citizens.
Swift goes to great lengths to support his argument. He discusses the probable benefits of his suggestion to the economy and even includes a list of possible cooking methods and how much a child should weigh to serve the maximum number of guests.
The author insists that the only objection anyone could have to this plan is that there will be a decrease in the population - but even that could be beneficial in some ways.
Will you be able to accept Swift´s modest proposal? Read his arguments and contemplate.
Add to cart and get your copy now!
Haupt-Genre
N/A
Sub-Genre
N/A
Format
Paperback
Seitenzahl
48
Preis
N/A

Beiträge

4
Alle
4

An interesting look at early satire with 5 writings revealing issues of Ireland in the 18th century. As a modern reader, I would have appreciated some historical context, since I probably missed a lot of what he criticized and was trying to convey due to not being an expert of that time period. Still it was worth taking a look at.

3

Read this for my British Reading List

4

And that's on cannibalism

4

If Gen Z worked time travel out, this essay is something I could absolutely see them publish. In short: it is absolutely exaggerated, bordering on unthinkable what Swift proposes in terms of how to solve the problem of an incredibly impoverished Irish population as immediate after effect of exploitation of Ireland at the hands of England. Still, it is in the absurdness of it all, disguised by the tone of an economical treatise in terms of seriousness and tonality, where lies the thinly veiled criticism of a system and whole classes who forget about the humanity of others. The satirical aspect of this is unexpectedly taken to a level that no reader might have imagined and proves the point of a society that left the most vulnerable to die in poverty even if the means had been there to save them all along. Very powerful piece of literature and the most impressive, satirical essay I’ve read of this period so far. Absolutely savage in every sense of the word.

Beitrag erstellen