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Self-Help & Non-Fiction

A Modest Proposal

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About the book

Read & Co. Great Essays presents this brand new edition of Jonathan Swift's satirical essay, "A Modest Proposal" (1729). Referring to the worsening state of poverty amongst families and children in Ireland at the time, Swift's proposal is to solve the problem by feeding the children of the poor to the rich. Throughout the text he uses statistics, data, and various methods - including recipes - to evidence the economic viability of his suggestion. The essay was received with humour, yet Swift's powerful critique of social welfare and political injustice is clear. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was a prolific writer, poet and political pamphleteer, born into the Anglo-Irish ruling class. He is most remembered for his scathing satirical style and other famous works: "A Tale of a Tub" (1704) and "Gulliver's Travels" (1726).

Editions (13)

ISBN9781528705530
PublisherRead Books
Publication Date06/27/18
Pages18

Reviews & Ratings

12 ratings

4 reviews

3.1

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  • jersy104
    jersy104

    13 Followers

    4.0

    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.

    Sep 4, 2022

  • abookobsessed
    abookobsessed

    61 Followers

    3.0

    Read this for my British Reading List

    Nov 15, 2022

  • 4.0

    And that's on cannibalism

    Apr 12, 2024

3 of 4 reviews

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