a modest proposal by jonathan swift -...

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A Modest Proposal 125 LITERARY FOCUS: VERBAL IRONY You use verbal irony whenever you say one thing but mean something completely different. When you speak, your tone of voice signals listeners that you don’t really mean what you are saying. Writers don’t have the option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. Instead, they might make so many shocking or unbelievable statements that the reader can’t possibly miss the point. Swift’s essay is a classic example of verbal irony taken to the extreme. Isn’t It Ironic? Look at the following examples of verbal irony. Then, create your own example in the space provided. READING SKILLS: RECOGNIZING PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES “A Modest Proposal” is a type of persuasive writing called satire. Through satire, writers ridicule people or institutions in order to effect change. “A Modest Proposal” was written in 1729 to shock English society into an awareness of England’s unjust policies toward the Irish. In it, Swift uses the types of persuasive techniques listed below to convince the reader that England’s treatment of the Irish is heartless and immoral. Logical appeals: the use of facts or statistics to support a position. Emotional appeals: the use of words that stir up strong feelings. Ethical appeals: the use of details that will convince readers that the writer is fair and trustworthy. Use the Skill As you read the selection, highlight and identify the types of persuasive appeals used by Swift. Refer to the list above as a guide. Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Literary Skills Understand verbal irony. Reading Skills Recognize persuasive techniques (logical, emotional, and ethical appeals). You trip and fall in front of a large “Aren’t I the picture of grace?” group of people, your books and you ask as you struggle to your papers flying everywhere. feet. You have a bad case of the flu. A You respond, “Never felt better!” friend visits and asks, “How are you?” Situation Verbal Irony (What You Say)

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Page 1: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - WSDblog.wsd.net/ahartvigsen/files/2009/03/modest-proposal.pdf · option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. ... A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal 125

LITERARY FOCUS: VERBAL IRONYYou use verbal irony whenever you say one thing but mean something

completely different. When you speak, your tone of voice signals listeners

that you don’t really mean what you are saying. Writers don’t have the

option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. Instead, they might

make so many shocking or unbelievable statements that the reader can’t

possibly miss the point. Swift’s essay is a classic example of verbal irony

taken to the extreme.

Isn’t It Ironic? Look at the following examples of verbal irony. Then,

create your own example in the space provided.

READING SKILLS: RECOGNIZING PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES“A Modest Proposal” is a type of persuasive writing called satire. Through

satire, writers ridicule people or institutions in order to effect change. “A

Modest Proposal” was written in 1729 to shock English society into an

awareness of England’s unjust policies toward the Irish. In it, Swift uses the

types of persuasive techniques listed below to convince the reader that

England’s treatment of the Irish is heartless and immoral.

• Logical appeals: the use of facts or statistics to support a position.

• Emotional appeals: the use of words that stir up strong feelings.

• Ethical appeals: the use of details that will convince readers that the

writer is fair and trustworthy.

Use the Skill As you read the selection, highlight and identify the types

of persuasive appeals used by Swift. Refer to the list above as a guide.

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A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

Literary SkillsUnderstandverbal irony.

ReadingSkillsRecognizepersuasivetechniques(logical,emotional, andethical appeals).

You trip and fall in front of a large “Aren’t I the picture of grace?”

group of people, your books and you ask as you struggle to your

papers flying everywhere. feet.

You have a bad case of the flu. A You respond, “Never felt better!”

friend visits and asks, “How are

you?”

Situation Verbal Irony (What You Say)

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It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great

town,1 or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the

roads, and cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex,

followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and impor-

tuning every passenger for an alms.2 These mothers, instead of

being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to

employ all their time in strolling, to beg sustenance for their

helpless infants, who, as they grow up either turn thieves for

want3 of work, or leave their dear native country to fight for the

Pretender4 in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.510

Jonathan Swift

FOR PREVENTING THE CHILDREN OF POOR PEOPLE IN IRELAND FROM BEING A BURDEN

TO THEIR PARENTS, AND FOR MAKING THEM BENEFICIAL TO THE PUBLIC

BACKGROUNDIn the late 1720s, Ireland suffered from several years of poor harvests.Farmers had trouble paying the rents demanded by their English land-lords. Many children and adults were forced to beg or starve. Most ofthe money collected by the landlords was sent to England; very littlewas spent in Ireland on locally produced goods.

Here, Swift pretends to be an economic planner who suggests ashocking solution to the problem. Watch for the sharp contrast betweenSwift’s direct, logical style and the outrageous proposal he describes.

1. this great town: Dublin.2. importuning . . . alms: asking passersby for a handout.3. want n.: lack; need.4. the Pretender: James Edward (1688–1766), son of England’s last

Catholic king, the deposed James II (1633–1701); James Edward kept trying to gain the English throne.

5. sell . . . Barbadoes: go to the West Indies and work as indenturedservants.

Melancholy, in line 1, means“sad.” Using that knowledge,paraphrase the first sentence.

sustenance (sus√t¥·n¥ns) n.:food or money to support life.

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I think it is agreed by all parties, that this prodigious number

of children, in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their

mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present

deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance;

and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy

method of making these children sound and useful members

of the commonwealth would deserve so well of the public, as

to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.

But my intention is very far from being confined to provide

only for the children of professed beggars; it is of a much greater

extent, and shall take in the whole number of infants at a certain

age, who are born of parents in effect as little able to support

them, as those who demand our charity in the streets.

As to my own part, having turned my thoughts, for many

years, upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the

several schemes of other projectors,6 I have always found them

grossly mistaken in their computation. It is true a child, just

dropped from its dam,7 may be supported by her milk, for a

solar year8 with little other nourishment, at most not above the

value of two shillings, which the mother may certainly get, or

the value in scraps, by her lawful occupation of begging, and it

is exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them, in

such a manner, as, instead of being a charge upon their parents,

or the parish, or wanting food and raiment9 for the rest of their

lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding and

partly to the clothing of many thousands.

There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme,

that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid

practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too

frequent among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt,10

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6. projectors n. pl.: speculators; schemers.7. dam n.: mother (ordinarily used only of animals).8. solar year: from the first day of spring in one year to the last day

of winter in the next.9. raiment (r†√m¥nt) n.: clothing.

10. doubt v.: suspect.

The word prodigious(pr£·dij√¥s), in line 11, means“an enormous quantity.”

Pause at line 18. What doesSwift say is the problemfacing the nation?

The word dam (line 28)means “female parent” and is usually used to referto a domestic animal. What attitude toward poor women does this wordchoice suggest?

Pause at line 36. At what agecan children be made usefulto society? Circle that infor-mation. Underline the way in which they can be of use.

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more to avoid the expense, than the shame, which would move

tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast.

The number of souls11 in Ireland being usually reckoned one

million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two

hundred thousand couples whose wives are breeders, from which

number I subtract thirty thousand couples, who are able to

maintain their own children, although I apprehend there cannot

be so many under the present distresses of the kingdom, but this

being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand

breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand for those women who

miscarry, or whose children die by accident, or disease within

the year. There only remain an hundred and twenty thousand

children of poor parents annually born: The question therefore

is, how this number shall be reared, and provided for, which, as

I have already said, under the present situation of affairs, is

utterly impossible by all the methods hitherto proposed, for we

can neither employ them in handicraft,12 or agriculture; we

neither build houses (I mean in the country) nor cultivate land:

They can very seldom pick up a livelihood by stealing until they

arrive at six years old, except where they are of towardly parts,13

although, I confess they learn the rudiments much earlier,

during which time, they can however be properly looked upon

only as probationers,14 as I have been informed by a principal

gentleman in the county of Cavan,15 who protested to me, that

he never knew above one or two instances under the age of six,

even in a part of the kingdom so renowned for the quickest

proficiency in that art.16

I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or girl, before

twelve years old, is no saleable commodity, and even when they

come to this age, they will not yield above three pounds, or three

pounds and half a crown at most on the exchange, which cannot

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11. souls n. pl.: people.12. handicraft n.: manufacturing.13. of towardly parts: exceptionally advanced or mature for their age.14. probationers n. pl.: apprentices.15. Cavan: inland county in Ireland that is remote from Dublin.16. that art: stealing.

Re-read lines 37–42. Circlethe words in line 42 thatsuggest that poor people are not civilized. By usingthese words, which type ofpersuasive appeal is Swiftmaking?

Re-read lines 43–53. Whatkind of language does Swiftuse here to describe birthsand deaths of the poor? Howdoes this language help himmake his point?

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turn to account17 either to the parents or the kingdom, the

charge of nutriment and rags having been at least four times

that value.

I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts,

which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.

I have been assured by a very knowing American18 of my

acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed

is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome

food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled, and I make

no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee,19 or ragout.20

I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration, that

of the hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed,

twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one-

fourth part to be males, which is more than we allow to sheep,

black cattle, or swine, and my reason is that these children are

seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded

by our savages; therefore one male will be sufficient to serve four

females. That the remaining hundred thousand may at a year

old be offered in sale to the persons of quality, and fortune,

through the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them

suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump,

and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an

entertainment for 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.

I have reckoned upon a medium, that a child just born will

weigh twelve pounds, and in a solar year if tolerably nursed

increaseth to twenty-eight pounds.

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17. turn to account: be profitable.18. American: To Swift’s readers this label would suggest a barbaric person.19. fricassee (frik≈¥·s≤√) n.: stew with a light gravy.20. ragout (ra·gº√) n.: highly flavored stew.

Re-read lines 77–81. Circlethe words Swift uses todescribe a young, healthychild. Based on these details,what plan do you think he is about to propose to dealwith Ireland’s starvingpopulation?

The speaker provides detailsin support of his outrageousplan (lines 93–97). Underlinethose details.

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I grant this food will be somewhat dear,21 and therefore

very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured22

most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children.

Infant’s flesh will be in season throughout the year, but

more plentiful in March, and a little before and after, for we are

told by a grave author,23 an eminent French physician, that fish

being a prolific diet, there are more children born in Roman

Catholic countries about nine months after Lent, than at any

other season, therefore reckoning a year after Lent, the markets

will be more glutted than usual, because the number of popish24

infants, is at least three to one in this kingdom, and therefore it

will have one other collateral advantage by lessening the number

of papists among us.

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21. dear adj.: expensive.22. devoured v.: made poor by charging high rents.23. grave author: The French satirist François Rabelais. His work is comic,

not “grave.”24. popish adj.: derogatory term meaning “Roman Catholic.”

Re-read lines 104–113.According to the speaker,what is a desirable effect ofhaving a glut of infants onthe market?

An Irish cabin.National Library of Ireland, Dublin.

glutted (glut√id) v. used asadj.: overfilled.

Re-read lines 101–103 andfootnotes 21–22. Swift usesverbal irony to expose amajor cause of the poverty in Ireland. Restate thesentence in your own words.

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I have already computed the charge of nursing a beggar’s

child (in which list I reckon all cottagers,25 laborers, and four-

fifths of the farmers) to be about two shillings per annum,26 rags

included, and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten

shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which, as I have said

will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat, when he hath

only some particular friend, or his own family to dine with him.

Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and grow pop-

ular among his tenants, the mother will have eight shillings net

profit, and be fit for work until she produceth another child.

Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times

require) may flay27 the carcass; the skin of which, artificially28

dressed, will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer

boots for fine gentlemen.

As to our city of Dublin, shambles29 may be appointed for

this purpose, in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we

may be assured will not be wanting, although I rather recom-

mend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the

knife, as we do roasting pigs.

A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and

whose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased, in discoursing

on this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme. He said,

that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed

their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well

supplied by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not exceeding

fourteen years of age, nor under twelve, so great a number of

both sexes in every country being now ready to starve, for want

of work and service:30 and these to be disposed of by their parents

if alive, or otherwise by their nearest relations. But with due

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25. cottagers n. pl.: tenant farmers.26. per annum: Latin for “by the year”; annually.27. flay v.: remove the skin of.28. artificially adv.: with great artifice; skillfully.29. shambles n.: slaughterhouse.30. service n.: employment as servants.

In discussing the economicsof his proposal, what kind ofappeal is the speaker making(lines 114–123)?

Pause at line 142. What“refinement,” or modifica-tion, of the author’s plan issuggested in this paragraph?Underline the answer.

Re-read lines 128–132, inwhich the speaker suggests“dressing” children “hotfrom the knife.” What effectdo you think Swift expectsthis word choice to have on readers?

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deference to so excellent a friend, and so deserving a patriot, I

cannot be altogether in his sentiments, for as to the males, my

American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience,

that their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our

schoolboys, by continual exercise, and their taste disagreeable,

and to fatten them would not answer the charge. Then as to the

females, it would, I think with humble submission,31 be a loss to

the public, because they soon would become breeders them-

selves: And besides it is not improbable that some scrupulous

people might be apt to censure such a practice (although indeed

very unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess,

hath always been with me the strongest objection against any

project, how well soever intended.

But in order to justify my friend, he confessed that this

expedient was put into his head by the famous Sallmanaazor,32

a native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to

London, above twenty years ago, and in conversation told my

friend, that in his country when any young person happened to

be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of

quality, as a prime dainty, and that, in his time, the body of a

plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison

the emperor, was sold to his imperial majesty’s prime minister

of state, and other great mandarins33 of the court, in joints34

from the gibbet,35 at four hundred crowns. Neither indeed can

I deny, that if the same use were made of several plump young

girls in this town, who, without one single groat to their fortunes,

cannot stir abroad without a chair,36 and appear at the play-

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31. with humble submission: with all due respect to those who holdsuch opinions.

32. Sallmanaazor: George Psalmanazar (c. 1679–1763), a Frenchman whopretended to be from Formosa, an old Portuguese name for Taiwan.His writings were fraudulent.

33. mandarins (man√d¥·rinz) n. pl.: officials. The term comes frommandarim, the Portuguese word describing high-ranking officials in the Chinese Empire, with which the Portuguese traded.

34. joints n. pl.: large cuts of meat, including the bone.35. gibbet (jib√it) n.: gallows.36. chair n.: sedan chair; a covered seat carried by servants.

deference (def√¥r·¥ns) n.:respect.

scrupulous (skrº√py¥·l¥s)adj.: extremely careful andprecise in deciding what isright or wrong.

censure (sen√◊¥r) v.: condemn;blame.

expedient (ek·sp≤√d≤·¥nt) n.:convenient means to an end.

Pause at line 166, and readfootnote 32. How trustworthya source is Sallmanaazor?Why do you think Swift useshis ideas as an example?

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house, and assemblies in foreign fineries, which they never will

pay for; the kingdom would not be the worse.

Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern

about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased,

or maimed, and I have been desired to employ my thoughts

what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an

encumbrance. But I am not in the least pain upon that matter,

because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and

rotting, by cold, and famine, and filth, and vermin,37 as fast as

can be reasonably expected. And as to the younger laborers they

are now in almost as hopeful38 a condition. They cannot get

work, and consequently pine away for want of nourishment, to a

degree, that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common

labor, they have not strength to perform it, and thus the country

and themselves are in a fair way39 of being soon delivered from

the evils to come.

I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to my

subject. I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made

are obvious and many as well as of the highest importance.

For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen

the number of papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, being

the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most danger-

ous enemies, and who stay at home on purpose with a design to

deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advan-

tage by the absence of so many good Protestants,40 who have

chosen rather to leave their country, than stay at home, and pay

tithes41 against their conscience, to an idolatrous Episcopal curate.

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37. vermin n. pl.: pests such as lice, fleas, and bedbugs.38. hopeful adj.: actually, hopeless. Swift is using the word with

intentional irony.39. are in a fair way: have a good chance.40. good Protestants: that is, in Swift’s view, bad Protestants, because

they object to the Church of Ireland’s bishops and regard them as“idolatrous.”

41. tithes (t¢‚z) n. pl.: monetary gifts to the church equivalent to onetenth of each donor’s income.

The word encumbrance (line176) means “a burden, ahindrance, or a weight.”

Re-read lines 172–185. Whyisn’t the speaker concernedabout the great number ofother poor people in Ireland?Underline that information.

digressed (d¢·grest√) v.:wandered off the subject.

The speaker lists the“advantages” of his proposalone by one. As you read lines189–231, circle the word or phrase at the beginningof each paragraph thatreveals the text’s pattern oforganization. Then, under-line the “benefit” of each of the six proposals.

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Secondly, the poorer tenants will have something valuable

of their own, which by law may be made liable to distress,42 and

help to pay their landlord’s rent, their corn and cattle being

already seized, and money a thing unknown.

Thirdly, whereas the maintenance of an hundred thousand

children, from two years old, and upwards, cannot be computed

at less than ten shillings apiece per annum, the nation’s stock

will be thereby increased fifty thousand pounds per annum,

besides the profit of a new dish, introduced to the tables of all

gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom, who have any refinement

in taste, and the money will circulate among ourselves, the

goods being entirely of our own growth and manufacture.43

Fourthly, the constant breeders, besides the gain of eight

shillings sterling per annum, by the sale of their children, will

be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year.

Fifthly, this food would likewise bring great custom to

taverns, where the vintners44 will certainly be so prudent as to

procure the best receipts45 for dressing it to perfection, and

consequently have their houses frequented by all the fine gentle-

men, who justly value themselves upon their knowledge in good

eating, and a skillful cook, who understands how to oblige his

guests will contrive to make it as expensive as they please.

Sixthly, this would be a great inducement to marriage,

which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards, or

enforced by laws and penalties. It would increase the care and

tenderness of mothers toward their children, when they were

sure of a settlement for life to the poor babes, provided in some

sort by the public to their annual profit instead of expense, we

should soon see an honest emulation46 among the married

women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the

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42. liable to distress: that is, the money from the sale of their childrenmay be seized by their landlords.

43. own growth and manufacture: homegrown, edible children, notimported ones.

44. vintners (vint√n¥rz) n. pl.: wine merchants.45. receipts n. pl.: archaic for “recipes.”46. emulation (em≈yº·l†√◊¥n) n.: competition.

procure (pr£·kyoor√) v.:obtain; get.

NotesNotes

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market, men would become as fond of their wives, during the

time of their pregnancy, as they are now of their mares in foal,

their cows in calf, or sows when they are ready to farrow,47 nor

offer to beat or kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear

of a miscarriage.

Many other advantages might be enumerated. For instance,

the addition of some thousand carcasses in our exportation of

barreled beef. The propagation of swine’s flesh, and improvement

in the art of making good bacon, so much wanted among us by

the great destruction of pigs, too frequent at our tables, which

are no way comparable in taste, or magnificence to a well-grown,

fat yearling child, which roasted whole will make a considerable

figure at a Lord Mayor’s feast, or any other public entertainment.

But this, and many others I omit being studious of brevity.

Supposing that one thousand families in this city, would be

constant customers for infants’ flesh, besides others who might

have it at merry meetings, particularly weddings and christen-

ings, I compute that Dublin would take off annually about

twenty thousand carcasses, and the rest of the kingdom (where

probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper) the remaining

eighty thousand.

I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised

against this proposal, unless it should be urged that the number

of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I

freely own, and it was indeed one principal design in offering it

to the world. I desire the reader will observe, that I calculate my

remedy for this one individual kingdom of Ireland, and for no

other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can be upon earth.

Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients:48 Of taxing

our absentees49 at five shillings a pound; of using neither clothes,

230

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47. farrow (far√£) v.: produce piglets.48. other expedients: At one time or another, Swift had advocated all

these measures for the relief of Ireland, but they were all ignored by the government. This section was italicized in all editions printedduring Swift’s lifetime to indicate that Swift made these proposalssincerely rather than ironically.

49. absentees n. pl.: English landowners who refused to live on theirIrish property.

brevity (brev√¥·t≤) n.: beingbrief; shortness.

Pause at line 254. Whatobjection does the speakeranticipate (lines 248–250)?How does he answer theobjection?

Explain the irony in thespeaker’s claim to “brevity”(line 240).

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nor household furniture, except what is of our own growth and

manufacture; of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments

that promote foreign luxury; of curing the expensiveness of pride,

vanity, idleness, and gaming50 in our women; of introducing a

vein of parsimony,51 prudence, and temperance; of learning to

love our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the

inhabitants of Topinamboo;52 of quitting our animosities, and

factions,53 nor act any longer like the Jews, who were murdering

one another at the very moment their city54 was taken; of being a

little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing;

of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy toward

their tenants. Lastly of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and

skill into our shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken

to buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat

and exact55 upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness,

nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just

dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it.

Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the

like expedients, till he hath at least a glimpse of hope, that there

will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them in

practice.

But as to myself, having been wearied out for many years

with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly

despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal, which

as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid and real, of no

expense and little trouble, full in our own power, and whereby

we can incur no danger in disobliging56 England. For this kind

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270

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50. gaming v. used as n.: gambling.51. parsimony (pär√s¥·m£≈n≤) n.: thriftiness; economy.52. Topinamboo: Swift is referring to a region of Brazil populated by

native peoples collectively called the Tupinambá. Here, Swift suggeststhat if Brazilian peoples and Laplanders can love their seeminglyinhospitable lands, the Irish should love Ireland.

53. factions n. pl.: political groups that work against the interests ofother such groups or against the main body of government.

54. their city: Jerusalem, which the Roman emperor Titus destroyed inA.D. 70 while Jewish factions fought one another.

55. exact v.: force payment.56. disobliging v. used as adj.: offending.

animosities (an≈¥·mäs√¥·t≤z)n. pl.: hostilities; violenthatreds or resentments.

Re-read footnote 48 on page135, which explains thatSwift’s essay is ironic exceptfor this italicized passage.Why do you think Swiftincluded this list of real solutions to the problems in Ireland?

136 Collection 4: The Restoration and the Eighteenth CenturyPart 1

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of commodity will not bear exportation, the flesh being of

too tender a consistence, to admit a long continuance in salt,

although perhaps I could name a country,57 which would be

glad to eat up our whole nation without it.

After all I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion,

as to reject any offer, proposed by wise men, which shall be

found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual. But before

something of that kind shall be advanced in contradiction to

my scheme, and offering a better, I desire the author, or authors

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57. a country: England.

Judy O’Donnel’s “home” under the bridge at Donnbeg, Clare, Ireland (1849).The Illustrated London News Picture Library.

NotesNotes

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will be pleased maturely to consider two points. First, as things

now stand, how they will be able to find food and raiment for

a hundred thousand useless mouths and backs. And secondly,

there being a round million of creatures in human figure,

throughout this kingdom, whose whole subsistence58 put into a

common stock would leave them in debt two millions of pounds

sterling, adding those who are beggars by profession to the bulk

of farmers, cottagers, and laborers, with their wives and children,

who are beggars in effect; I desire those politicians, who dislike

my overture, and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an answer,

that they will first ask the parents of these mortals, whether they

would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold

for food at a year old, in the manner I prescribe, and thereby have

avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes, as they have since

gone through, by the oppression of landlords, the impossibility

of paying rent without money or trade, the want of common

sustenance, with neither house nor clothes to cover them from

inclemencies of weather, and the most inevitable prospect of

entailing59 the like, or great miseries, upon their breed forever.

I profess in the sincerity of my heart that I have not the least

personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work,

having no other motive than the public good of my country, by

advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor,

and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children, by which,

I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine

years old, and my wife past childbearing.

300

310

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58. whole subsistence: all their possessions.59. entailing v. used as n.: passing on to the next generation.

In lines 293–305, the speakeroffers two points for con-sideration. Re-read thoselines, and underline the two points.

Re-read lines 305–311.According to the speaker,what miseries will beeliminated for poor people if his proposal is adopted?Draw a circle around thatinformation.

Re-read the closing paragraphof the essay. Underline wordsand phrases that show howthe speaker tries to win overthe reader. What type ofpersuasive appeal is thespeaker making here?

138 Collection 4: The Restoration and the Eighteenth CenturyPart 1

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A Modest Proposal 139

A Modest Proposal

Reading Skills: Recognizing Persuasive Techniques Each of the following

excerpts from “A Modest Proposal” is an example of a persuasive technique.In the blank provided, write the type of appeal (logical, emotional, or ethical)

that is used in the excerpt. The first one has been done for you.

2. “I profess in the sincerity of my heart that I have not the least personal

interest . . . having no other motive than the public good of my

country . . . I have no children, by which I can propose to get a single

penny . . . and my wife past childbearing.” (closing paragraph)

Type of appeal:

3. “I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration, that of the

hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed, twenty

thousand may be reserved for breed. . . .” (lines 82–84)

Type of appeal:

Example:

Type of appeal:

Now, look back over the examples of persuasive techniques you highlighted

or underlined in “A Modest Proposal.” Choose an example not listed above,

and write it in the space below. Identify the type of appeal that is used.

1. “There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will

prevent [women from] sacrificing the poor innocent babes.” (lines 37–40)

Type of appeal: emotional appeal

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140 Collection 4: The Restoration and the Eighteenth CenturyPart 1

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT

DIRECTIONS: Write vocabulary words from the Word Box in the appropriate

blanks. Not all words will be used.

A Modest Proposal

VocabularySkills

Use vocabularyin context.

Understandorigins of

scientific andmathematical

terms.

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sustenance

glutted

deference

scrupulous

censure

expedient

digressed

procure

brevity

animosities

Word BoxWord Box In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift uses verbal irony to

(1) the way England ignores Irish poverty.

Swift pretends to offer a suitable answer to the problem, but the

(2) he suggests is shocking. Pointing out that

poor Irish people fill the streets everywhere one goes, Swift observes that

they have (3) the kingdom with children. Irish

families who have a hard time providing their families with food are forced

to beg for their (4) . Swift pretends to show

(5) for those who would profit from his plan,

but his use of irony reveals his true feeling of disgust.

WORD ORIGINS: SCIENTIFIC AND MATHEMATICAL TERMSDIRECTIONS: Swift’s essay is full of mathematical and scientific terminology.

Study the chart on the left, which lists some common Greek and Latin roots

and affixes. Use that information to match each mathematical or scientific

word with its meaning.

Greek, melanos:

“dark; black”

Latin, physica:

“natural science”

Greek, geo–:

“ground; earth”

Latin, com–: “with”

and putare: “to

reckon”

Greek, agros:

“field; soil; earth”

Roots and Affixes1. melancholy

2. geology

3. agriculture

4. physicist

5. computation

a. science of farming

b. mathematical

calculation

c. study of the earth

d. characterized by

dark depression

e. person who studies

the natural sciences

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Student Pages with Answers 63

A M

od

est

Pro

po

sal

1

25

LITE

RARY

FO

CUS:

VER

BAL

IRO

NYYo

u u

se v

erb

al ir

on

yw

hen

ever

yo

u s

ay o

ne

thin

g b

ut

mea

n s

om

eth

ing

com

ple

tely

dif

fere

nt.

Wh

en y

ou

sp

eak,

yo

ur

ton

e o

f vo

ice

sig

nal

s lis

ten

ers

that

yo

u d

on

’t r

eally

mea

n w

hat

yo

u a

re s

ayin

g. W

rite

rs d

on

’t h

ave

the

op

tio

n o

f u

sin

g a

sar

cast

ic t

on

e o

f vo

ice

to c

on

vey

iro

ny.

Inst

ead

, th

ey m

igh

t

mak

e so

man

y sh

ock

ing

or

un

bel

ieva

ble

sta

tem

ents

th

at t

he

read

er c

an’t

po

ssib

ly m

iss

the

po

int.

Sw

ift’

s es

say

is a

cla

ssic

exa

mp

le o

f ve

rbal

iro

ny

take

n t

o t

he

extr

eme.

Isn’

t It

Iro

nic?

Loo

k at

th

e fo

llow

ing

exa

mp

les

of

verb

al ir

on

y. T

hen

,

crea

te y

ou

r o

wn

exa

mp

le in

th

e sp

ace

pro

vid

ed.

READ

ING

SKIL

LS:

RECO

GNIZ

ING

PERS

UASI

VE T

ECHN

IQUE

S“A

Mo

des

t Pr

op

osa

l” is

a t

ype

of

per

suas

ive

wri

tin

g c

alle

d s

atir

e.Th

rou

gh

sati

re, w

rite

rs r

idic

ule

peo

ple

or

inst

itu

tio

ns

in o

rder

to

eff

ect

chan

ge.

“A

Mo

des

t Pr

op

osa

l” w

as w

ritt

en in

172

9 to

sh

ock

En

glis

h s

oci

ety

into

an

awar

enes

s o

f En

gla

nd

’s u

nju

st p

olic

ies

tow

ard

th

e Ir

ish

. In

it, S

wif

t u

ses

the

typ

es o

f p

ersu

asiv

e te

chn

iqu

eslis

ted

bel

ow

to

co

nvi

nce

th

e re

ader

th

at

Eng

lan

d’s

tre

atm

ent

of

the

Iris

h is

hea

rtle

ss a

nd

imm

ora

l.

•Lo

gic

al a

pp

eals

:th

e u

se o

f fa

cts

or

stat

isti

cs t

o s

up

po

rt a

po

siti

on

.

•Em

oti

on

al a

pp

eals

:th

e u

se o

f w

ord

s th

at s

tir

up

str

on

g f

eelin

gs.

•Et

hic

al a

pp

eals

:th

e u

se o

f d

etai

ls t

hat

will

co

nvi

nce

rea

der

s th

at t

he

wri

ter

is f

air

and

tru

stw

ort

hy.

Use

the

Ski

llA

s yo

u r

ead

th

e se

lect

ion

, hig

hlig

ht

and

iden

tify

th

e ty

pes

of

per

suas

ive

app

eals

use

d b

y Sw

ift.

Ref

er t

o t

he

list

abo

ve a

s a

gu

ide.

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

A M

odes

t Pr

opos

al b

y Jo

nath

an S

wift

Lit

era

ry S

kills

Und

erst

and

verb

al ir

ony.

Readin

gSkills

Reco

gniz

epe

rsua

sive

tech

niqu

es(lo

gica

l,em

otio

nal,

and

ethi

cal a

ppea

ls).

You

tri

p a

nd

fal

l in

fro

nt

of

a la

rge

“Are

n’t

I th

e p

ictu

re o

f g

race

?”

gro

up

of

peo

ple

, yo

ur

bo

oks

an

d

you

ask

as

you

str

ug

gle

to

yo

ur

pap

ers

flyi

ng

eve

ryw

her

e.fe

et.

You

hav

e a

bad

cas

e o

f th

e fl

u. A

Yo

u r

esp

on

d, “

Nev

er f

elt

bet

ter!

frie

nd

vis

its

and

ask

s, “

Ho

w a

re

you

?”

Sit

ua

tio

nV

erb

al

Iro

ny

(W

ha

t Y

ou

Sa

y)

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

220

230

Pau

se a

t lin

e 22

7. W

hat

can

we

lear

n b

y re

adin

g t

he

no

vels

of

the

eig

hte

enth

cen

tury

? U

nd

erlin

e th

atin

form

atio

n.

If y

ou

wan

ted

to

lear

n m

ore

abo

ut

imp

ort

ant

his

tori

cal

even

ts t

hat

occ

urr

ed t

ow

ard

the

end

of

the

eig

hte

enth

cen

tury

, wh

at in

form

atio

n in

the

last

par

agra

ph

wo

uld

you

hav

e q

ues

tio

ns

abo

ut?

Cir

cle

it.

Fro

nt

cove

r o

f D

anie

l Def

oe’

s n

ove

lR

ob

inso

n C

ruso

e(1

881)

.Th

e B

rid

gem

an A

rt L

ibra

ry.

Th

e n

ovel

s of

one

ofth

e m

ost

prom

inen

t ei

ghte

enth

-

cen

tury

nov

elis

ts,H

enry

Fie

ldin

g (1

707–

1754

),ar

e lit

eral

ly

cram

med

wit

h r

ough

an

d ro

wdy

inci

den

ts.F

ield

ing’

s ro

llick

ing

nov

el T

om J

ones

has

eve

n b

een

mad

e in

to a

n O

scar

-win

nin

g

mov

ie,p

roof

that

his

hig

h-s

piri

ted

char

acte

rs a

re s

till

fres

h a

nd

fun

ny t

oday

.Sam

uel

Ric

hard

son

(16

89–1

761)

was

per

haps

the

firs

t n

ovel

ist

to e

xplo

rein

gre

at d

etai

l th

e em

otio

nal

life

of

his

char

acte

rs,e

spec

ially

his

her

oin

es (

in P

amel

aan

d C

lari

ssa)

.Th

e

nov

els

ofLa

ure

nce

Ste

rne

(171

3–17

68)

are

exp

erim

enta

l an

d

wh

imsi

cal—

and

still

un

iqu

e de

spit

e th

e ef

fort

s of

man

y im

ita-

tors

to

copy

th

em.A

ll th

ese

nov

els

tell

us

som

eth

ing

ofw

hat

life

at t

his

tim

e w

as li

ke.T

hey

als

o h

elp

us

un

ders

tan

d th

e jo

ys a

nd

disa

ppoi

ntm

ents

of

hum

an e

xper

ien

ce in

all

ages

.

Sear

chin

g f

or

a Si

mp

ler

Life

By

the

last

dec

ade

ofth

e ce

ntu

ry,t

he

wor

ld w

as c

han

gin

g in

dist

urb

ing

way

s.T

he

Indu

stri

al R

evol

uti

on w

as t

urn

ing

En

glis

h

citi

es a

nd

tow

ns

into

filt

hy,s

mok

y sl

um

s.A

cros

s th

e E

ngl

ish

Ch

ann

el,t

he

Fren

ch w

ere

abou

t to

mu

rder

a k

ing

and

set

thei

r

wh

ole

soci

ety

on a

dif

fere

nt

polit

ical

cou

rse.

Th

e ei

ghte

enth

cen

tury

was

clo

sin

g.Ju

st a

s at

th

e en

d of

the

twen

tiet

h c

entu

ry,

peop

le s

ense

d th

at a

new

era

was

abo

ut

to b

egin

,so

did

peop

le in

En

glan

d kn

ow t

hat

the

age

ofel

egan

ce,t

aste

,an

d re

ason

was

ove

r.

124

Co

llect

ion

4:

The

Res

tora

tio

n a

nd

th

e Ei

gh

teen

th C

entu

ryPa

rt 1

Collection 4Student Pages 124–125

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64 The Holt Reader: Teacher’s Manual

I th

ink

it is

agr

eed

by a

ll pa

rtie

s,th

at t

his

prod

igio

us n

umbe

r

ofch

ildre

n,i

n t

he

arm

s,or

on

th

e ba

cks,

or a

t th

e h

eels

of

thei

r

mot

her

s,an

d fr

equ

entl

y of

thei

r fa

ther

s,is

in t

he

pres

ent

depl

orab

le s

tate

of

the

kin

gdom

,a v

ery

grea

t ad

diti

onal

gri

evan

ce;

and

ther

efor

e w

hoe

ver

cou

ld f

ind

out

a fa

ir,c

hea

p,an

d ea

sy

met

hod

of

mak

ing

thes

e ch

ildre

n s

oun

d an

d u

sefu

l mem

bers

ofth

e co

mm

onw

ealt

h w

ould

des

erve

so

wel

l of

the

publ

ic,a

s

to h

ave

his

sta

tue

set

up

for

a pr

eser

ver

ofth

e n

atio

n.

Bu

t m

y in

ten

tion

is v

ery

far

from

bei

ng

con

fin

ed t

o pr

ovid

e

only

for

th

e ch

ildre

n o

fpr

ofes

sed

begg

ars;

it is

of

a m

uch

gre

ater

exte

nt,

and

shal

l tak

e in

th

e w

hol

e n

um

ber

ofin

fan

ts a

t a

cert

ain

age,

wh

o ar

e bo

rn o

fpa

ren

ts in

eff

ect

as li

ttle

abl

e to

su

ppor

t

them

,as

thos

e w

ho

dem

and

our

char

ity

in t

he

stre

ets.

As

to m

y ow

n p

art,

hav

ing

turn

ed m

y th

ough

ts,f

or m

any

year

s,u

pon

th

is im

port

ant

subj

ect,

and

mat

ure

ly w

eigh

ed t

he

seve

ral s

chem

es o

fot

her

pro

ject

ors,

6I

hav

e al

way

s fo

un

d th

em

gros

sly

mis

take

n in

th

eir

com

puta

tion

.It

is t

rue

a ch

ild,j

ust

drop

ped

from

its

dam

,7m

ay b

e su

ppor

ted

by h

er m

ilk,f

or a

sola

r ye

ar8

wit

h li

ttle

oth

er n

ouri

shm

ent,

at m

ost

not

abo

ve t

he

valu

e of

two

shill

ings

,wh

ich

th

e m

oth

er m

ay c

erta

inly

get

,or

the

valu

e in

scr

aps,

by h

er la

wfu

l occ

upa

tion

of

begg

ing,

and

it

is e

xact

ly a

t on

e ye

ar o

ld t

hat

I p

ropo

se t

o pr

ovid

e fo

r th

em,i

n

such

a m

ann

er,a

s,in

stea

d of

bein

g a

char

ge u

pon

th

eir

pare

nts

,

or t

he

pari

sh,o

r w

anti

ng

food

an

d ra

imen

t9fo

r th

e re

st o

fth

eir

lives

,th

ey s

hal

l,on

th

e co

ntr

ary,

con

trib

ute

to

the

feed

ing

and

part

ly t

o th

e cl

oth

ing

ofm

any

thou

san

ds.

Th

ere

is li

kew

ise

anot

her

gre

at a

dvan

tage

in m

y sc

hem

e,

that

it w

ill p

reve

nt

thos

e vo

lun

tary

abo

rtio

ns,

and

that

hor

rid

prac

tice

of

wom

en m

urd

erin

g th

eir

bast

ard

child

ren

,ala

s! t

oo

freq

uen

t am

ong

us,s

acri

fici

ng

the

poor

inn

ocen

t ba

bes,

I do

ubt,10

20 30 40

A M

od

est

Pro

po

sal

1

27

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

6.p

roje

cto

rsn

. pl.:

spec

ula

tors

; sch

emer

s.7.

dam

n.:

mo

ther

(o

rdin

arily

use

d o

nly

of

anim

als)

.8.

sola

r ye

ar:f

rom

th

e fi

rst

day

of

spri

ng

in o

ne

year

to

th

e la

st d

ay

of

win

ter

in t

he

nex

t.9.

raim

ent

(r†√

m¥n

t)n

.:cl

oth

ing

.10

.d

ou

bt

v.:s

usp

ect.

The

wo

rd p

rod

igio

us

(pr£

·dij√

¥s),

in li

ne

11, m

ean

s“a

n e

no

rmo

us

qu

anti

ty.”

Pau

se a

t lin

e 18

. Wh

at d

oes

Swif

t sa

y is

th

e p

rob

lem

faci

ng

th

e n

atio

n?

Ther

e ar

e to

o m

any

star

vin

g c

hild

ren

.

The

wo

rd d

am(l

ine

28)

mea

ns

“fem

ale

par

ent”

an

d is

usu

ally

use

d t

o r

efer

to a

do

mes

tic

anim

al.

Wh

at a

ttit

ud

e to

war

d p

oo

r w

om

en d

oes

th

is w

ord

cho

ice

sug

ges

t?

It im

plie

s th

at p

oo

r

wo

men

an

d t

hei

r

child

ren

are

no

t m

uch

bet

ter

than

an

imal

s.

Pau

se a

t lin

e 36

. At

wh

at a

ge

can

ch

ildre

n b

e m

ade

use

ful

to s

oci

ety?

Cir

cle

that

info

r-m

atio

n. U

nd

erlin

e th

e w

ay

in w

hic

h t

hey

can

be

of

use

.

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

It is

a m

elan

chol

y ob

ject

to

thos

e,w

ho

wal

k th

rou

gh t

his

gre

at

tow

n,1

or t

rave

l in

th

e co

un

try,

wh

en t

hey

see

th

e st

reet

s,th

e

road

s,an

d ca

bin

doo

rs,c

row

ded

wit

h b

egga

rs o

fth

e fe

mal

e se

x,

follo

wed

by

thre

e,fo

ur,

or s

ix c

hild

ren

,all

in r

ags,

and

impo

r-

tun

ing

ever

y pa

ssen

ger

for

an a

lms.

2T

hes

e m

oth

ers,

inst

ead

of

bein

g ab

le t

o w

ork

for

thei

r h

ones

t liv

elih

ood,

are

forc

ed t

o

empl

oy a

ll th

eir

tim

e in

str

ollin

g,to

beg

su

sten

ance

for

thei

r

hel

ples

s in

fan

ts,w

ho,

as t

hey

gro

w u

p ei

ther

tu

rn t

hie

ves

for

wan

t3of

wor

k,or

leav

e th

eir

dear

nat

ive

cou

ntr

y to

fig

ht

for

the

Pre

ten

der4

in S

pain

,or

sell

them

selv

es t

o th

e B

arba

does

.510

Jon

ath

an S

wif

t

FOR

PREV

ENTI

NG

THE

CH

ILD

REN

OF

POO

RPE

OPL

EIN

IREL

AN

DFR

OM

BEI

NG

AB

UR

DEN

TOTH

EIR

PAR

ENTS

, AN

DFO

RM

AK

ING

THEM

BEN

EFIC

IAL

TOTH

EPU

BLI

C

BACK

GRO

UND

In t

he

late

172

0s, I

rela

nd

su

ffer

ed f

rom

sev

eral

yea

rs o

f p

oo

r h

arve

sts.

Farm

ers

had

tro

ub

le p

ayin

g t

he

ren

ts d

eman

ded

by

thei

r En

glis

h la

nd

-lo

rds.

Man

y ch

ildre

n a

nd

ad

ult

s w

ere

forc

ed t

o b

eg o

r st

arve

. Mo

st o

fth

e m

on

ey c

olle

cted

by

the

lan

dlo

rds

was

sen

t to

En

gla

nd

; ver

y lit

tle

was

sp

ent

in Ir

elan

d o

n lo

cally

pro

du

ced

go

od

s.H

ere,

Sw

ift

pre

ten

ds

to b

e an

eco

no

mic

pla

nn

er w

ho

su

gg

ests

ash

ock

ing

so

luti

on

to

th

e p

rob

lem

. Wat

ch f

or

the

shar

p c

on

tras

t b

etw

een

Swif

t’s

dir

ect,

log

ical

sty

le a

nd

th

e o

utr

ageo

us

pro

po

sal h

e d

escr

ibes

.

1.th

is g

reat

to

wn

:Du

blin

.2.

imp

ort

un

ing

. . .

alm

s:as

kin

g p

asse

rsb

y fo

r a

han

do

ut.

3.w

ant

n.:

lack

; nee

d.

4.th

e Pr

eten

der

:Jam

es E

dw

ard

(16

88–1

766)

, so

n o

f En

gla

nd

’s la

stC

ath

olic

kin

g, t

he

dep

ose

d J

ames

II (

1633

–170

1); J

ames

Ed

war

d

kep

t tr

yin

g t

o g

ain

th

e En

glis

h t

hro

ne.

5.se

ll . .

. B

arb

ado

es:g

o t

o t

he

Wes

t In

die

s an

d w

ork

as

ind

entu

red

serv

ants

.

Mel

anch

oly

,in

lin

e 1,

mea

ns

“sad

.” U

sin

g t

hat

kn

ow

led

ge,

par

aph

rase

th

e fi

rst

sen

ten

ce.

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

:

Wh

en p

eop

le g

o o

ut

wal

kin

g in

th

is t

ow

n

or

in t

his

co

un

try,

it

is d

epre

ssin

g t

o s

ee

wo

men

an

d t

hei

r ki

ds

beg

gin

g.

sust

enan

ce(s

us√

t¥·n

¥ns)

n.:

foo

d o

r m

on

ey t

o s

up

po

rt li

fe.

126

Co

llect

ion

4:

The

Res

tora

tio

n a

nd

th

e Ei

gh

teen

th C

entu

ryPa

rt 1

Collection 4Student Pages 126–127

Page 19: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - WSDblog.wsd.net/ahartvigsen/files/2009/03/modest-proposal.pdf · option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. ... A Modest Proposal

Student Pages with Answers 65

turn

to

acco

un

t17ei

ther

to

the

pare

nts

or

the

kin

gdom

,th

e

char

ge o

fn

utr

imen

t an

d ra

gs h

avin

g be

en a

t le

ast

fou

r ti

mes

that

val

ue.

I sh

all n

ow t

her

efor

e hu

mbl

y pr

opos

e m

y ow

n t

hou

ghts

,

wh

ich

I h

ope

will

not

be

liabl

e to

th

e le

ast

obje

ctio

n.

I h

ave

been

ass

ure

d by

a v

ery

know

ing

Am

eric

an18

ofm

y

acqu

ain

tan

ce in

Lon

don

,th

at a

you

ng

hea

lthy

ch

ild w

ell n

urs

ed

is a

t a

year

old

a m

ost

delic

iou

s,n

ouri

shin

g,an

d w

hol

esom

e

food

,wh

eth

er s

tew

ed,r

oast

ed,b

aked

,or

boile

d,an

d I

mak

e

no

dou

bt t

hat

it w

ill e

qual

ly s

erve

in a

fri

cass

ee,19

or r

agou

t.20

I do

th

eref

ore

hu

mbl

y of

fer

it t

o pu

blic

con

side

rati

on,t

hat

ofth

e hu

ndr

ed a

nd

twen

ty t

hou

san

d ch

ildre

n,a

lrea

dy c

ompu

ted,

twen

ty t

hou

san

d m

ay b

e re

serv

ed f

or b

reed

,wh

ereo

fon

ly o

ne-

fou

rth

par

t to

be

mal

es,w

hic

h is

mor

e th

an w

e al

low

to

shee

p,

blac

k ca

ttle

,or

swin

e,an

d m

y re

ason

is t

hat

th

ese

child

ren

are

seld

om t

he f

ruit

s of

mar

riag

e,a

circ

um

stan

ce n

ot m

uch

reg

arde

d

by o

ur

sava

ges;

ther

efor

e on

e m

ale

will

be

suff

icie

nt

to s

erve

fou

r

fem

ales

.Th

at t

he

rem

ain

ing

hun

dred

th

ousa

nd

may

at

a ye

ar

old

be o

ffer

ed in

sal

e to

th

e p

erso

ns

ofqu

alit

y,an

d fo

rtu

ne,

thro

ugh

th

e ki

ngd

om,a

lway

s ad

visi

ng

the

mot

her

to

let

them

suck

ple

nti

fully

in t

he

last

mon

th,s

o as

to

ren

der

them

plu

mp,

and

fat

for

a go

od t

able

.A c

hild

will

mak

e tw

o di

shes

at

an

ente

rtai

nm

ent

for

frie

nds

,an

d w

hen

th

e fa

mily

din

es a

lon

e,th

e

fore

or

hin

d qu

arte

r w

ill m

ake

a re

ason

able

dis

h,a

nd

seas

oned

wit

h a

litt

le p

eppe

r or

sal

t w

ill b

e ve

ry g

ood

boile

d on

th

e fo

urt

h

day,

espe

cial

ly in

win

ter.

I h

ave

reck

oned

upo

n a

med

ium

,th

at a

ch

ild ju

st b

orn

will

wei

gh t

wel

ve p

oun

ds,a

nd

in a

sol

ar y

ear

ifto

lera

bly

nu

rsed

incr

ease

th t

o tw

enty

-eig

ht

pou

nds

.

80 90 100

A M

od

est

Pro

po

sal

1

29

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

17.

turn

to

acc

ou

nt:

be

pro

fita

ble

.18

.A

mer

ican

:To

Sw

ift’s

rea

der

s th

is la

bel

wo

uld

su

gg

est

a b

arb

aric

per

son

.19

.fr

icas

see

(fri

k≈¥·

s≤√)

n.:

stew

wit

h a

lig

ht

gra

vy.

20.

rag

ou

t(r

a·g

º√)

n.:

hig

hly

fla

vore

d s

tew

.

Re-

read

lin

es 7

7–81

. Cir

cle

the

wo

rds

Swif

t u

ses

tod

escr

ibe

a yo

un

g, h

ealt

hy

child

. Bas

ed o

n t

hes

e d

etai

ls,

wh

at p

lan

do

yo

u t

hin

k h

e is

ab

ou

t to

pro

po

se t

o d

eal

wit

h Ir

elan

d’s

sta

rvin

gp

op

ula

tio

n?

It s

ou

nd

s lik

e h

e w

ill

pro

po

se t

hat

yea

r-o

ld

child

ren

of

the

po

or

be

kille

d a

nd

use

d f

or

foo

d.

The

spea

ker

pro

vid

es d

etai

lsin

su

pp

ort

of

his

ou

trag

eou

sp

lan

(lin

es 9

3–97

). U

nd

erlin

eth

ose

det

ails

.

mor

e to

avo

id t

he

expe

nse

,th

an t

he

sham

e,w

hic

h w

ould

mov

e

tear

s an

d pi

ty in

th

e m

ost

sava

ge a

nd

inhu

man

bre

ast.

The

num

ber

ofso

uls11

in I

rela

nd

bein

g us

ually

rec

kon

ed o

ne

mill

ion

an

d a

hal

f,of

thes

e I

calc

ula

te t

her

e m

ay b

e ab

out

two

hun

dred

tho

usa

nd

cou

ples

who

se w

ives

are

bre

eder

s,fr

om w

hich

nu

mbe

r I

subt

ract

th

irty

th

ousa

nd

cou

ples

,wh

o ar

e ab

le t

o

mai

nta

in t

hei

r ow

n c

hild

ren

,alt

hou

gh I

app

reh

end

ther

e ca

nn

ot

be s

o m

any

un

der

the

pres

ent

dist

ress

es o

fth

e ki

ngd

om,b

ut

this

bein

g gr

ante

d,th

ere

will

rem

ain

an

hun

dred

and

sev

enty

tho

usan

d

bree

ders

.I a

gain

su

btra

ct f

ifty

th

ousa

nd

for

thos

e w

omen

wh

o

mis

carr

y,or

wh

ose

child

ren

die

by

acci

den

t,or

dis

ease

wit

hin

the

year

.Th

ere

only

rem

ain

an

hu

ndr

ed a

nd

twen

ty t

hou

san

d

child

ren

of

poor

par

ents

an

nu

ally

bor

n:T

he

ques

tion

th

eref

ore

is,h

ow t

his

nu

mbe

r sh

all b

e re

ared

,an

d pr

ovid

ed f

or,w

hic

h,a

s

I h

ave

alre

ady

said

,un

der

the

pres

ent

situ

atio

n o

faf

fair

s,is

utt

erly

impo

ssib

le b

y al

l th

e m

eth

ods

hit

her

to p

ropo

sed,

for

we

can

nei

ther

em

ploy

th

em in

han

dicr

aft,

12or

agr

icu

ltu

re;w

e

nei

ther

bu

ild h

ouse

s (I

mea

n in

th

e co

un

try)

nor

cu

ltiv

ate

lan

d:

Th

ey c

an v

ery

seld

om p

ick

up

a liv

elih

ood

by s

teal

ing

un

til t

hey

arri

ve a

t si

x ye

ars

old,

exce

pt w

her

e th

ey a

re o

fto

war

dly

part

s,13

alth

ough

,I c

onfe

ss t

hey

lear

n t

he

rudi

men

ts m

uch

ear

lier,

duri

ng

wh

ich

tim

e,th

ey c

an h

owev

er b

e pr

oper

ly lo

oked

upo

n

only

as

prob

atio

ner

s,14

as I

hav

e be

en in

form

ed b

y a

prin

cipa

l

gen

tlem

an in

th

e co

un

ty o

fC

avan

,15w

ho

prot

este

d to

me,

that

he

nev

er k

new

abo

ve o

ne

or t

wo

inst

ance

s u

nde

r th

e ag

e of

six,

even

in a

par

t of

the

kin

gdom

so

ren

own

ed f

or t

he

quic

kest

prof

icie

ncy

in t

hat

art

.16

I am

ass

ure

d by

ou

r m

erch

ants

,th

at a

boy

or

girl

,bef

ore

twel

ve y

ears

old

,is

no

sale

able

com

mod

ity,

and

even

wh

en t

hey

com

e to

th

is a

ge,t

hey

will

not

yie

ld a

bove

th

ree

pou

nds

,or

thre

e

pou

nds

an

d h

alf

a cr

own

at

mos

t on

th

e ex

chan

ge,w

hic

h c

ann

ot

50 60 70

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

11.

sou

lsn

. pl.:

peo

ple

.12

.h

and

icra

ftn

.:m

anu

fact

uri

ng

.13

.o

f to

war

dly

par

ts:e

xcep

tio

nal

ly a

dva

nce

d o

r m

atu

re f

or

thei

r ag

e.14

.p

rob

atio

ner

sn

. pl.:

app

ren

tice

s.15

.C

avan

:in

lan

d c

ou

nty

in Ir

elan

d t

hat

is r

emo

te f

rom

Du

blin

.16

.th

at a

rt:s

teal

ing

.

Re-

read

lin

es 3

7–42

. Cir

cle

the

wo

rds

in li

ne

42 t

hat

sug

ges

t th

at p

oo

r p

eop

le

are

no

t ci

viliz

ed. B

y u

sin

gth

ese

wo

rds,

wh

ich

typ

e o

fp

ersu

asiv

e ap

pea

lis

Swif

tm

akin

g?

The

wo

rds

sava

ge

and

inh

um

anm

ake

an

emo

tio

nal

ap

pea

l.

Re-

read

lin

es 4

3–5

3. W

hat

kin

d o

f la

ng

uag

e d

oes

Sw

ift

use

her

e to

des

crib

e b

irth

san

d d

eath

s o

f th

e p

oo

r? H

ow

do

es t

his

lan

gu

age

hel

p h

imm

ake

his

po

int?

Swif

t u

ses

mat

he-

mat

ical

lan

gu

age

to

des

crib

e th

e n

um

ber

of

bir

ths,

mis

carr

iag

es,

and

dea

ths.

Th

e

imp

erso

nal

use

of

stat

isti

cs e

xag

ger

ates

the

hea

rtle

ssn

ess

of

go

vern

men

t ag

enci

es.

128

Co

llect

ion

4:

The

Res

tora

tio

n a

nd

th

e Ei

gh

teen

th C

entu

ryPa

rt 1

Collection 4Student Pages 128–129

Page 20: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - WSDblog.wsd.net/ahartvigsen/files/2009/03/modest-proposal.pdf · option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. ... A Modest Proposal

66 The Holt Reader: Teacher’s Manual

I h

ave

alre

ady

com

pute

d th

e ch

arge

of

nu

rsin

g a

begg

ar’s

child

(in

wh

ich

list

I r

ecko

n a

ll co

ttag

ers,

25la

bore

rs,a

nd

fou

r-

fift

hs

ofth

e fa

rmer

s) t

o be

abo

ut

two

shill

ings

per

an

nu

m,26

rags

incl

ude

d,an

d I

belie

ve n

o ge

ntl

eman

wou

ld r

epin

e to

giv

e te

n

shill

ings

for

th

e ca

rcas

s of

a go

od f

at c

hild

,wh

ich

,as

I h

ave

said

will

mak

e fo

ur

dish

es o

fex

celle

nt

nu

trit

ive

mea

t,w

hen

he

hat

h

only

som

e pa

rtic

ula

r fr

ien

d,or

his

ow

n f

amily

to

din

e w

ith

him

.

Thu

s th

e sq

uir

e w

ill le

arn

to

be a

goo

d la

ndl

ord,

and

grow

pop

-

ula

r am

ong

his

ten

ants

,th

e m

oth

er w

ill h

ave

eigh

t sh

illin

gs n

et

prof

it,a

nd

be f

it f

or w

ork

un

til s

he

prod

uce

th a

not

her

ch

ild.

Th

ose

wh

o ar

e m

ore

thri

fty

(as

I m

ust

con

fess

th

e ti

mes

requ

ire)

may

fla

y27th

e ca

rcas

s;th

e sk

in o

fw

hic

h,a

rtif

icia

lly28

dres

sed,

will

mak

e ad

mir

able

glo

ves

for

ladi

es,a

nd

sum

mer

boot

s fo

r fi

ne

gen

tlem

en.

As

to o

ur

city

of

Du

blin

,sh

ambl

es29

may

be

appo

inte

d fo

r

this

pu

rpos

e,in

th

e m

ost

conv

enie

nt

part

s of

it,a

nd

butc

her

s w

e

may

be

assu

red

will

not

be

wan

tin

g,al

thou

gh I

rat

her

rec

om-

men

d bu

yin

g th

e ch

ildre

n a

live,

and

dres

sin

g th

em h

ot f

rom

th

e

knif

e,as

we

do r

oast

ing

pigs

.

A v

ery

wor

thy

per

son

,a t

rue

love

r of

his

cou

ntr

y,an

d

wh

ose

virt

ues

I h

igh

ly e

stee

m,w

as la

tely

ple

ased

,in

dis

cou

rsin

g

on t

his

mat

ter,

to o

ffer

a r

efin

emen

t u

pon

my

sch

eme.

He

said

,

that

man

y ge

ntl

emen

of

this

kin

gdom

,hav

ing

ofla

te d

estr

oyed

thei

r de

er,h

e co

nce

ived

th

at t

he

wan

t of

ven

ison

mig

ht

be w

ell

supp

lied

by t

he b

odie

s of

you

ng

lads

an

d m

aide

ns,

not

exc

eedi

ng

fou

rtee

n y

ears

of

age,

nor

un

der

twel

ve,s

o gr

eat

a n

um

ber

of

both

sex

es in

eve

ry c

oun

try

bein

g n

ow r

eady

to

star

ve,f

or w

ant

ofw

ork

and

serv

ice:

30an

d th

ese

to b

e di

spos

ed o

fby

the

ir p

aren

ts

ifal

ive,

or o

ther

wis

e by

th

eir

nea

rest

rel

atio

ns.

Bu

t w

ith

du

e

120

130

140

A M

od

est

Pro

po

sal

1

31

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

25.

cott

ager

sn

. pl.:

ten

ant

farm

ers.

26.

per

an

nu

m:L

atin

fo

r “b

y th

e ye

ar”;

an

nu

ally

.27

.fl

ayv.

:rem

ove

th

e sk

in o

f.28

.ar

tifi

cial

lyad

v.:w

ith

gre

at a

rtif

ice;

ski

llfu

lly.

29.

sham

ble

sn

.:sl

aug

hte

rho

use

.30

.se

rvic

en

.:em

plo

ymen

t as

ser

van

ts.

In d

iscu

ssin

g t

he

eco

no

mic

so

f h

is p

rop

osa

l, w

hat

kin

d o

fap

pea

l is

the

spea

ker

mak

ing

(lin

es 1

14–1

23)?

a lo

gic

al a

pp

eal

Pau

se a

t lin

e 14

2. W

hat

“ref

inem

ent,

” o

r m

od

ific

a-ti

on

, of

the

auth

or’

s p

lan

issu

gg

este

d in

th

is p

arag

rap

h?

Un

der

line

the

answ

er.

Re-

read

lin

es 1

28–1

32, i

nw

hic

h t

he

spea

ker

sug

ges

ts“d

ress

ing

” ch

ildre

n “

ho

tfr

om

th

e kn

ife.

” W

hat

eff

ect

do

yo

u t

hin

k Sw

ift

exp

ects

this

wo

rd c

ho

ice

to h

ave

on

rea

der

s?

He

assu

mes

his

wo

rd

cho

ice

will

ou

trag

e

peo

ple

an

d m

ake

them

th

ink.

I gr

ant

this

foo

d w

ill b

e so

mew

hat

dea

r,21

and

ther

efor

e

very

pro

per

for

lan

dlor

ds,w

ho,

as t

hey

hav

e al

read

y de

vou

red22

mos

t of

the

pare

nts

,see

m t

o h

ave

the

best

tit

le t

o th

e ch

ildre

n.

Infa

nt’s

fle

sh w

ill b

e in

sea

son

th

rou

ghou

t th

e ye

ar,b

ut

mor

e pl

enti

ful i

n M

arch

,an

d a

littl

e be

fore

an

d af

ter,

for

we

are

told

by

a gr

ave

auth

or,23

an e

min

ent

Fren

ch p

hysi

cian

,th

at f

ish

bein

g a

prol

ific

die

t,th

ere

are

mor

e ch

ildre

n b

orn

in R

oman

Cat

hol

ic c

oun

trie

s ab

out

nin

e m

onth

s af

ter

Len

t,th

an a

t an

y

oth

er s

easo

n,t

her

efor

e re

ckon

ing

a ye

ar a

fter

Len

t,th

e m

arke

ts

will

be

mor

e gl

utt

edth

an u

sual

,bec

ause

th

e n

um

ber

ofpo

pish

24

infa

nts

,is

at le

ast

thre

e to

on

e in

th

is k

ingd

om,a

nd

ther

efor

e it

will

hav

e on

e ot

her

col

late

ral a

dvan

tage

by

less

enin

g th

e n

um

ber

ofpa

pist

s am

ong

us.

110

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

21.

dea

rad

j.:ex

pen

sive

.22

.d

evo

ure

dv.

:mad

e p

oo

r b

y ch

arg

ing

hig

h r

ents

.23

.g

rave

au

tho

r:Th

e Fr

ench

sat

iris

t Fr

anço

is R

abel

ais.

His

wo

rk is

co

mic

,n

ot

“gra

ve.”

24.

po

pis

had

j.:d

ero

gat

ory

ter

m m

ean

ing

“R

om

an C

ath

olic

.”

Re-

read

lin

es 1

04–1

13.

Acc

ord

ing

to

th

e sp

eake

r,w

hat

is a

des

irab

le e

ffec

t o

fh

avin

g a

glu

t o

f in

fan

ts o

nth

e m

arke

t?

It w

ill d

ecre

ase

the

nu

mb

er o

f R

om

an

Cat

ho

lics

in Ir

elan

d.

An

Iris

h c

abin

.N

atio

nal

Lib

rary

of

Irel

and

, Du

blin

.

glu

tted

(glu

t√id

)v.

use

d a

sad

j.:o

verf

illed

.

Re-

read

lin

es 1

01–1

03 a

nd

foo

tno

tes

21–2

2. S

wif

t u

ses

verb

al ir

on

yto

exp

ose

am

ajo

r ca

use

of

the

po

vert

y in

Irel

and

. Res

tate

th

ese

nte

nce

in y

ou

r o

wn

wo

rds.

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

:

I ad

mit

th

is f

oo

d w

ill

be

exp

ensi

ve, a

nd

ther

efo

re p

erfe

ct f

or

lan

dlo

rds,

wh

o h

ave

alre

ady

take

n t

he

par

ents

’ mo

ney

an

d

so h

ave

the

mo

st

rig

ht

to t

ake

thei

r

child

ren

, to

o.

130

Co

llect

ion

4:

The

Res

tora

tio

n a

nd

th

e Ei

gh

teen

th C

entu

ryPa

rt 1

Collection 4Student Pages 130–131

Page 21: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - WSDblog.wsd.net/ahartvigsen/files/2009/03/modest-proposal.pdf · option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. ... A Modest Proposal

Student Pages with Answers 67

hou

se,a

nd

asse

mbl

ies

in f

orei

gn f

iner

ies,

wh

ich

th

ey n

ever

will

pay

for;

the

kin

gdom

wou

ld n

ot b

e th

e w

orse

.

Som

e pe

rson

s of

a de

spon

din

g sp

irit

are

in g

reat

con

cern

abou

t th

at v

ast

nu

mbe

r of

poor

peo

ple,

wh

o ar

e ag

ed,d

isea

sed,

or m

aim

ed,a

nd

I h

ave

been

des

ired

to

empl

oy m

y th

ough

ts

wh

at c

ours

e m

ay b

e ta

ken

,to

ease

th

e n

atio

n o

fso

gri

evou

s an

encu

mbr

ance

.Bu

t I

am n

ot in

th

e le

ast

pain

upo

n t

hat

mat

ter,

beca

use

it is

ver

y w

ell k

now

n,t

hat

th

ey a

re e

very

day

dyi

ng,

and

rott

ing,

by c

old,

and

fam

ine,

and

filt

h,a

nd

verm

in,37

as f

ast

as

can

be

reas

onab

ly e

xpec

ted.

An

d as

to

the

you

nge

r la

bore

rs t

hey

are

now

in a

lmos

t as

hop

efu

l38a

con

diti

on.T

hey

can

not

get

wor

k,an

d co

nse

quen

tly

pin

e aw

ay f

or w

ant

ofn

ouri

shm

ent,

to a

degr

ee,t

hat

ifat

any

tim

e th

ey a

re a

ccid

enta

lly h

ired

to

com

mon

labo

r,th

ey h

ave

not

str

engt

h t

o p

erfo

rm it

,an

d th

us

the

cou

ntr

y

and

them

selv

es a

re in

a f

air

way

39of

bein

g so

on d

eliv

ered

fro

m

the

evils

to

com

e.

I h

ave

too

lon

g d

igre

ssed

,an

d th

eref

ore

shal

l ret

urn

to

my

subj

ect.

I th

ink

the

adva

nta

ges

by t

he p

ropo

sal w

hich

I h

ave

mad

e

are

obvi

ous

and

man

y as

wel

l as

ofth

e h

igh

est

impo

rtan

ce.

For

firs

t,as

I h

ave

alre

ady

obse

rved

,it

wou

ld g

reat

ly le

ssen

the

nu

mbe

r of

papi

sts,

wit

h w

hom

we

are

year

ly o

verr

un

,bei

ng

the

prin

cipa

l bre

eder

s of

the

nat

ion

,as

wel

l as

our

mos

t da

nge

r-

ous

enem

ies,

and

wh

o st

ay a

t h

ome

on p

urp

ose

wit

h a

des

ign

to

deliv

er t

he k

ingd

om t

o th

e P

rete

nde

r,ho

pin

g to

tak

e th

eir

adva

n-

tage

by t

he

abse

nce

of

so m

any

good

Pro

test

ants

,40w

ho

hav

e

chos

en r

ath

er t

o le

ave

thei

r co

un

try,

than

sta

y at

hom

e,an

d pa

y

tith

es41

agai

nst

the

ir c

onsc

ien

ce,t

o an

idol

atro

us E

pisc

opal

cur

ate.

170

180

190

A M

od

est

Pro

po

sal

1

33

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

37.

verm

inn

. pl.:

pes

ts s

uch

as

lice,

fle

as, a

nd

bed

bu

gs.

38.

ho

pef

ula

dj.:

actu

ally

, ho

pel

ess.

Sw

ift

is u

sin

g t

he

wo

rd w

ith

inte

nti

on

al ir

on

y.39

.ar

e in

a f

air

way

:hav

e a

go

od

ch

ance

.40

.g

oo

d P

rote

stan

ts:t

hat

is, i

n S

wif

t’s

view

, bad

Pro

test

ants

, bec

ause

they

ob

ject

to

th

e C

hu

rch

of

Irel

and

’s b

ish

op

s an

d r

egar

d t

hem

as

“id

ola

tro

us.

”41

.ti

thes

(t¢ ‚

z)n

. pl.:

mo

net

ary

gif

ts t

o t

he

chu

rch

eq

uiv

alen

t to

on

ete

nth

of

each

do

no

r’s

inco

me.

The

wo

rd e

ncu

mb

ran

ce(l

ine

176)

mea

ns

“a b

urd

en, a

hin

dra

nce

, or

a w

eig

ht.

Re-

read

lin

es 1

72–1

85. W

hy

isn

’t t

he

spea

ker

con

cern

edab

ou

t th

e g

reat

nu

mb

er o

fo

ther

po

or

peo

ple

in Ir

elan

d?

Un

der

line

that

info

rmat

ion

.

dig

ress

ed(d

¢·g

rest

√)v.

:w

and

ered

off

th

e su

bje

ct.

The

spea

ker

lists

th

e“a

dva

nta

ges

” o

f h

is p

rop

osa

lo

ne

by

on

e. A

s yo

u r

ead

lin

es18

9–23

1, c

ircl

e th

e w

ord

o

r p

hra

se a

t th

e b

egin

nin

go

f ea

ch p

arag

rap

h t

hat

reve

als

the

text

’s p

atte

rn o

fo

rgan

izat

ion

.Th

en, u

nd

er-

line

the

“ben

efit

” o

f ea

ch

of

the

six

pro

po

sals

.

def

eren

ceto

so

exce

llen

t a

frie

nd,

and

so d

eser

vin

g a

patr

iot,

I

can

not

be

alto

geth

er in

his

sen

tim

ents

,for

as

to t

he

mal

es,m

y

Am

eric

an a

cqu

ain

tan

ce a

ssu

red

me

from

fre

quen

t ex

per

ien

ce,

that

th

eir

fles

h w

as g

ener

ally

tou

gh a

nd

lean

,lik

e th

at o

fou

r

sch

oolb

oys,

by c

onti

nu

al e

xerc

ise,

and

thei

r ta

ste

disa

gree

able

,

and

to f

atte

n t

hem

wou

ld n

ot a

nsw

er t

he

char

ge.T

hen

as

to t

he

fem

ales

,it

wou

ld,I

th

ink

wit

h h

um

ble

subm

issi

on,31

be a

loss

to

the

publ

ic,b

ecau

se t

hey

soo

n w

ould

bec

ome

bree

ders

th

em-

selv

es:A

nd

besi

des

it is

not

impr

obab

le t

hat

som

e sc

rup

ulo

us

peop

le m

igh

t be

apt

to

cen

sure

such

a p

ract

ice

(alt

hou

gh in

deed

very

un

just

ly)

as a

litt

le b

orde

rin

g u

pon

cru

elty

,wh

ich

,I c

onfe

ss,

hat

h a

lway

s be

en w

ith

me

the

stro

nge

st o

bjec

tion

aga

inst

any

proj

ect,

how

wel

l soe

ver

inte

nde

d.

Bu

t in

ord

er t

o ju

stif

y m

y fr

ien

d,h

e co

nfe

ssed

th

at t

his

exp

edie

nt

was

pu

t in

to h

is h

ead

by t

he

fam

ous

Sallm

anaa

zor,

32

a n

ativ

e of

the

isla

nd

Form

osa,

wh

o ca

me

from

th

ence

to

Lon

don

,abo

ve t

wen

ty y

ears

ago

,an

d in

con

vers

atio

n t

old

my

frie

nd,

that

in h

is c

oun

try

wh

en a

ny y

oun

g p

erso

n h

appe

ned

to

be p

ut

to d

eath

,th

e ex

ecu

tion

er s

old

the

carc

ass

to p

erso

ns

of

qual

ity,

as a

pri

me

dain

ty,a

nd

that

,in

his

tim

e,th

e bo

dy o

fa

plu

mp

girl

of

fift

een

,wh

o w

as c

ruci

fied

for

an

att

empt

to

pois

on

the

empe

ror,

was

sol

d to

his

impe

rial

maj

esty

’s p

rim

e m

inis

ter

ofst

ate,

and

oth

er g

reat

man

dari

ns33

ofth

e co

urt

,in

join

ts34

from

th

e gi

bbet

,35at

fou

r hu

ndr

ed c

row

ns.

Nei

ther

inde

ed c

an

I de

ny,t

hat

ifth

e sa

me

use

wer

e m

ade

ofse

vera

l plu

mp

you

ng

girl

s in

thi

s to

wn

,who

,wit

hou

t on

e si

ngl

e gr

oat

to t

heir

for

tun

es,

can

not

sti

r ab

road

wit

hou

t a

chai

r,36

and

appe

ar a

t th

e pl

ay-

150

160

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

31.

wit

h h

um

ble

su

bm

issi

on

:wit

h a

ll d

ue

resp

ect

to t

ho

se w

ho

ho

ldsu

ch o

pin

ion

s.32

.Sa

llman

aazo

r:G

eorg

e Ps

alm

anaz

ar (

c. 1

679–

1763

), a

Fre

nch

man

wh

op

rete

nd

ed t

o b

e fr

om

Fo

rmo

sa, a

n o

ld P

ort

ug

ues

e n

ame

for

Taiw

an.

His

wri

tin

gs

wer

e fr

aud

ule

nt.

33.

man

dar

ins

(man

√d¥·

rin

z)n

. pl.:

off

icia

ls. T

he

term

co

mes

fro

mm

and

arim

,th

e Po

rtu

gu

ese

wo

rd d

escr

ibin

g h

igh

-ran

kin

g o

ffic

ials

in

th

e C

hin

ese

Emp

ire,

wit

h w

hic

h t

he

Port

ug

ues

e tr

aded

.34

.jo

ints

n. p

l.:la

rge

cuts

of

mea

t, in

clu

din

g t

he

bo

ne.

35.

gib

bet

(jib

√it)

n.:

gal

low

s.36

.ch

air

n.:

sed

an c

hai

r; a

co

vere

d s

eat

carr

ied

by

serv

ants

.

def

eren

ce(d

efô

r·¥n

s)n

.:re

spec

t.

scru

pu

lou

s(s

krº

√py¥

·l¥s)

adj.:

extr

emel

y ca

refu

l an

dp

reci

se in

dec

idin

g w

hat

isri

gh

t o

r w

ron

g.

cens

ure

(sen

√◊¥r

)v.

:con

dem

n;b

lam

e.

exp

edie

nt

(ek·

sp≤√

d≤·

¥nt)

n.:

con

ven

ien

t m

ean

s to

an

en

d.

Pau

se a

t lin

e 16

6, a

nd

rea

dfo

otn

ote

32.

Ho

w t

rust

wo

rth

ya

sou

rce

is S

allm

anaa

zor?

Wh

y d

o y

ou

th

ink

Swif

t u

ses

his

idea

s as

an

exa

mp

le?

Sallm

anaa

zor

was

exp

ose

d a

s a

frau

d;

as a

so

urc

e h

e is

no

t

tru

stw

ort

hy.

Sw

ift

del

iber

atel

y ci

tes

him

to m

ake

it c

lear

his

pro

po

sal i

s o

utr

ageo

us.

132

Co

llect

ion

4:

The

Res

tora

tio

n a

nd

th

e Ei

gh

teen

th C

entu

ryPa

rt 1

Collection 4Student Pages 132–133

Page 22: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - WSDblog.wsd.net/ahartvigsen/files/2009/03/modest-proposal.pdf · option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. ... A Modest Proposal

68 The Holt Reader: Teacher’s Manual

mar

ket,

men

wou

ld b

ecom

e as

fon

d of

thei

r w

ives

,du

rin

g th

e

tim

e of

thei

r pr

egn

ancy

,as

they

are

now

of

thei

r m

ares

in f

oal,

thei

r co

ws

in c

alf,

or s

ows

wh

en t

hey

are

rea

dy t

o fa

rrow

,47n

or

offe

r to

bea

t or

kic

k th

em (

as is

too

fre

quen

t a

prac

tice

) fo

r fe

ar

ofa

mis

carr

iage

.

Man

y ot

her

adv

anta

ges

mig

ht

be e

nu

mer

ated

.For

inst

ance

,

the

addi

tion

of

som

e th

ousa

nd

carc

asse

s in

ou

r ex

port

atio

n o

f

barr

eled

bee

f.T

he p

ropa

gati

on o

fsw

ine’

s fl

esh,

and

impr

ovem

ent

in t

he

art

ofm

akin

g go

od b

acon

,so

mu

ch w

ante

d am

ong

us

by

the

grea

t de

stru

ctio

n o

fpi

gs,t

oo f

requ

ent

at o

ur

tabl

es,w

hic

h

are

no

way

com

para

ble

in t

aste

,or

mag

nif

icen

ce t

o a

wel

l-gr

own

,

fat

year

ling

child

,wh

ich

roa

sted

wh

ole

will

mak

e a

con

side

rabl

e

figu

re a

t a

Lord

May

or’s

fea

st,o

r an

y ot

her

publ

ic e

nte

rtai

nm

ent.

Bu

t th

is,a

nd

man

y ot

her

s I

omit

bei

ng

stu

diou

s of

brev

ity.

Supp

osin

g th

at o

ne

thou

san

d fa

mili

es in

th

is c

ity,

wou

ld b

e

con

stan

t cu

stom

ers

for

infa

nts

’fle

sh,b

esid

es o

ther

s w

ho

mig

ht

hav

e it

at

mer

ry m

eeti

ngs

,par

ticu

larl

y w

eddi

ngs

an

d ch

rist

en-

ings

,I c

ompu

te t

hat

Du

blin

wou

ld t

ake

off

ann

ual

ly a

bou

t

twen

ty t

hou

san

d ca

rcas

ses,

and

the

rest

of

the

kin

gdom

(w

her

e

prob

ably

th

ey w

ill b

e so

ld s

omew

hat

ch

eap

er)

the

rem

ain

ing

eigh

ty t

hou

san

d.

I ca

n t

hin

k of

no

one

obje

ctio

n,t

hat

will

pos

sibl

y be

rai

sed

agai

nst

th

is p

ropo

sal,

un

less

it s

hou

ld b

e u

rged

th

at t

he

nu

mbe

r

ofpe

ople

will

be

ther

eby

mu

ch le

ssen

ed in

th

e ki

ngd

om.T

his

I

free

ly o

wn

,an

d it

was

inde

ed o

ne

prin

cipa

l des

ign

in o

ffer

ing

it

to t

he

wor

ld.I

des

ire

the

read

er w

ill o

bser

ve,t

hat

I c

alcu

late

my

rem

edy

for

this

on

e in

divi

dual

kin

gdom

of

Irel

and,

and

for

no

oth

er t

hat

eve

r w

as,i

s,or

,I t

hin

k,ev

er c

an b

e u

pon

ear

th.

Th

eref

ore

let

no

man

tal

k to

me

ofot

her

exp

edie

nts

:48O

ftax

ing

our

abse

ntee

s49 a

t fi

ve s

hilli

ngs

a po

und;

ofu

sing

nei

ther

clo

thes

,

230

240

250

A M

od

est

Pro

po

sal

1

35

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

47.

farr

ow

(far

√£)

v.:p

rod

uce

pig

lets

.48

.o

ther

exp

edie

nts

:At

on

e ti

me

or

ano

ther

, Sw

ift

had

ad

voca

ted

all

thes

e m

easu

res

for

the

relie

f o

f Ir

elan

d, b

ut

they

wer

e al

l ig

no

red

b

y th

e g

ove

rnm

ent.

Th

is s

ecti

on

was

ital

iciz

ed in

all

edit

ion

s p

rin

ted

du

rin

g S

wif

t’s

lifet

ime

to in

dic

ate

that

Sw

ift

mad

e th

ese

pro

po

sals

sin

cere

ly r

ath

er t

han

iro

nic

ally

.49

.ab

sen

tees

n. p

l.:En

glis

h la

nd

ow

ner

s w

ho

ref

use

d t

o li

ve o

n t

hei

rIr

ish

pro

per

ty.

bre

vity

(bre

v√¥·

t≤)

n.:

bei

ng

bri

ef; s

ho

rtn

ess.

Pau

se a

t lin

e 25

4. W

hat

ob

ject

ion

do

es t

he

spea

ker

anti

cip

ate

(lin

es 2

48–2

50)?

Ho

w d

oes

he a

nsw

er t

heob

ject

ion?

The

nu

mb

er o

f p

eop

le

in t

he

kin

gd

om

will

be

gre

atly

less

ened

. Th

e

spea

ker

reg

ard

s th

is

very

sam

e id

ea a

s a

plu

s.

Exp

lain

th

e ir

on

yin

th

esp

eake

r’s

clai

m t

o “

bre

vity

”(l

ine

240)

.

He

says

he

wo

n’t

list

oth

er a

dva

nta

ges

bec

ause

he

wan

ts t

o

be

bri

ef, w

hen

in

real

ity

he

has

go

ne

on

at

gre

at le

ng

th.

Seco

ndl

y,th

e po

orer

ten

ants

will

hav

e so

met

hin

g va

luab

le

ofth

eir

own

,wh

ich

by

law

may

be

mad

e lia

ble

to d

istr

ess,

42an

d

hel

p to

pay

th

eir

lan

dlor

d’s

ren

t,th

eir

corn

an

d ca

ttle

bei

ng

alre

ady

seiz

ed,a

nd

mon

ey a

th

ing

un

know

n.

Th

irdl

y,w

her

eas

the

mai

nte

nan

ce o

fan

hu

ndr

ed t

hou

san

d

child

ren

,fro

m t

wo

year

s ol

d,an

d u

pwar

ds,c

ann

ot b

e co

mpu

ted

at le

ss t

han

ten

sh

illin

gs a

piec

e pe

r an

nu

m,t

he

nat

ion’

s st

ock

will

be

ther

eby

incr

ease

d fi

fty

thou

san

d po

un

ds p

er a

nn

um

,

besi

des

the

prof

it o

fa

new

dis

h,i

ntr

odu

ced

to t

he

tabl

es o

fal

l

gen

tlem

en o

ffo

rtu

ne

in t

he

kin

gdom

,wh

o h

ave

any

refi

nem

ent

in t

aste

,an

d th

e m

oney

will

cir

cula

te a

mon

g ou

rsel

ves,

the

good

s be

ing

enti

rely

of

our

own

gro

wth

an

d m

anu

fact

ure

.43

Fou

rth

ly,t

he

con

stan

t br

eede

rs,b

esid

es t

he

gain

of

eigh

t

shill

ings

ste

rlin

g p

er a

nn

um

,by

the

sale

of

thei

r ch

ildre

n,w

ill

be r

id o

fth

e ch

arge

of

mai

nta

inin

g th

em a

fter

th

e fi

rst

year

.

Fift

hly

,th

is f

ood

wou

ld li

kew

ise

brin

g gr

eat

cust

om t

o

tave

rns,

wh

ere

the

vin

tner

s44w

ill c

erta

inly

be

so p

rude

nt

as t

o

pro

cure

the

best

rec

eipt

s45fo

r dr

essi

ng

it t

o pe

rfec

tion

,an

d

con

sequ

entl

y h

ave

thei

r h

ouse

s fr

equ

ente

d by

all

the

fin

e ge

ntl

e-

men

,wh

o ju

stly

val

ue

them

selv

es u

pon

th

eir

know

ledg

e in

goo

d

eati

ng,

and

a sk

illfu

l coo

k,w

ho

un

ders

tan

ds h

ow t

o ob

lige

his

gues

ts w

ill c

ontr

ive

to m

ake

it a

s ex

pen

sive

as

they

ple

ase.

Sixt

hly

,th

is w

ould

be

a gr

eat

indu

cem

ent

to m

arri

age,

wh

ich

all

wis

e n

atio

ns

hav

e ei

ther

en

cou

rage

d by

rew

ards

,or

enfo

rced

by

law

s an

d p

enal

ties

.It

wou

ld in

crea

se t

he

care

an

d

ten

dern

ess

ofm

oth

ers

tow

ard

thei

r ch

ildre

n,w

hen

th

ey w

ere

sure

of

a se

ttle

men

t fo

r lif

e to

th

e po

or b

abes

,pro

vide

d in

som

e

sort

by

the

publ

ic t

o th

eir

ann

ual

pro

fit

inst

ead

ofex

pen

se,w

e

shou

ld s

oon

see

an

hon

est

emu

lati

on46

amon

g th

e m

arri

ed

wom

en,w

hic

h o

fth

em c

ould

bri

ng

the

fatt

est

child

to

the

200

210

220

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

42.

liab

le t

o d

istr

ess:

that

is, t

he

mo

ney

fro

m t

he

sale

of

thei

r ch

ildre

nm

ay b

e se

ized

by

thei

r la

nd

lord

s.43

.o

wn

gro

wth

an

d m

anu

fact

ure

:ho

meg

row

n, e

dib

le c

hild

ren

, no

tim

po

rted

on

es.

44.

vin

tner

s(v

int√

n¥r

z)n

. pl.:

win

e m

erch

ants

.45

.re

ceip

tsn

. pl.:

arch

aic

for

“rec

ipes

.”46

.em

ula

tio

n(e

m≈y

º·l†

√◊¥n

)n

.:co

mp

etit

ion

.

pro

cure

(pr£

·kyo

or√

)v.

:o

bta

in; g

et.

Notes

Notes

134

Co

llect

ion

4:

The

Res

tora

tio

n a

nd

th

e Ei

gh

teen

th C

entu

ryPa

rt 1

Collection 4Student Pages 134–135

Page 23: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - WSDblog.wsd.net/ahartvigsen/files/2009/03/modest-proposal.pdf · option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. ... A Modest Proposal

Student Pages with Answers 69

ofco

mm

odit

y w

ill n

ot b

ear

expo

rtat

ion

,th

e fl

esh

bei

ng

of

too

ten

der

a co

nsi

sten

ce,t

o ad

mit

a lo

ng

con

tin

uan

ce in

sal

t,

alth

ough

per

hap

s I

cou

ld n

ame

a co

un

try,

57w

hic

h w

ould

be

glad

to

eat

up

our

wh

ole

nat

ion

wit

hou

t it

.

Aft

er a

ll I

am n

ot s

o vi

olen

tly

ben

t u

pon

my

own

opi

nio

n,

as t

o re

ject

any

off

er,p

ropo

sed

by w

ise

men

,wh

ich

sh

all b

e

fou

nd

equ

ally

inn

ocen

t,ch

eap,

easy

,an

d ef

fect

ual

.Bu

t be

fore

som

eth

ing

ofth

at k

ind

shal

l be

adva

nce

d in

con

trad

icti

on t

o

my

sch

eme,

and

offe

rin

g a

bett

er,I

des

ire

the

auth

or,o

r au

thor

s

290

A M

od

est

Pro

po

sal

1

37

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

57.

a co

un

try:

Eng

lan

d.

Jud

y O

’Do

nn

el’s

“h

om

e” u

nd

er t

he

bri

dg

e at

Do

nn

beg

, Cla

re, I

rela

nd

(18

49).

The

Illu

stra

ted

Lo

nd

on

New

s Pi

ctu

re L

ibra

ry.

Notes

Notes

nor

hous

ehol

d fu

rnit

ure,

exce

pt w

hat

is o

four

ow

n gr

owth

and

man

ufac

ture

; ofu

tter

ly r

ejec

ting

the

mat

eria

ls a

nd in

stru

men

ts

that

pro

mot

e fo

reig

n lu

xury

; ofc

urin

g th

e ex

pens

iven

ess

ofpr

ide,

vani

ty,i

dlen

ess,

and

gam

ing50

in o

ur w

omen

; ofi

ntro

duci

ng a

vein

ofp

arsi

mon

y,51

prud

ence

,and

tem

pera

nce;

ofl

earn

ing

to

love

our

cou

ntry

,whe

rein

we

diff

er e

ven

from

Lap

land

ers,

and

the

inha

bita

nts

ofTo

pina

mbo

o;52

ofqu

itti

ng o

ur a

nim

osit

ies,

and

fact

ions

,53no

r ac

t an

y lo

nger

like

the

Jew

s,w

ho w

ere

mur

deri

ng

one

anot

her

at t

he v

ery

mom

ent

thei

r ci

ty54

was

tak

en; o

fbei

ng a

littl

e ca

utio

us n

ot t

o se

ll ou

r co

untr

y an

d co

nsci

ence

s fo

r no

thin

g;

ofte

achi

ng la

ndlo

rds

to h

ave

at le

ast

one

degr

ee o

fmer

cy t

owar

d

thei

r te

nant

s.La

stly

ofp

utti

ng a

spi

rit

ofho

nest

y,in

dust

ry,a

nd

skill

into

our

sho

pkee

pers

,who

,ifa

res

olut

ion

coul

d no

w b

e ta

ken

to b

uy o

nly

our

nati

ve g

oods

,wou

ld im

med

iate

ly u

nite

to

chea

t

and

exac

t55up

on u

s in

the

pri

ce,t

he m

easu

re,a

nd t

he g

oodn

ess,

nor

coul

d ev

er y

et b

e br

ough

t to

mak

e on

e fa

ir p

ropo

sal o

fjus

t

deal

ing,

thou

gh o

ften

and

ear

nest

ly in

vite

d to

it.

Th

eref

ore

I re

peat

,let

no

man

tal

k to

me

ofth

ese

and

the

like

expe

dien

ts,t

ill h

e h

ath

at

leas

t a

glim

pse

ofh

ope,

that

th

ere

will

eve

r be

som

e h

eart

y an

d si

nce

re a

ttem

pt t

o pu

t th

em in

prac

tice

.

Bu

t as

to

mys

elf,

hav

ing

been

wea

ried

ou

t fo

r m

any

year

s

wit

h o

ffer

ing

vain

,id

le,v

isio

nar

y th

ough

ts,a

nd

at le

ngt

h u

tter

ly

desp

airi

ng

ofsu

cces

s,I

fort

un

atel

y fe

ll u

pon

thi

s pr

opos

al,w

hich

as it

is w

hol

ly n

ew,s

o it

hat

h s

omet

hin

g so

lid a

nd

real

,of

no

expe

nse

an

d lit

tle

trou

ble,

full

in o

ur

own

pow

er,a

nd

wh

ereb

y

we

can

incu

r n

o da

nge

r in

dis

oblig

ing56

En

glan

d.Fo

r th

is k

ind

260

270

280

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

50.

gam

ing

v.u

sed

as

n.:

gam

blin

g.

51.

par

sim

on

y(p

är√s

¥·m

£≈n

≤)n

.:th

rift

ines

s; e

con

om

y.52

.To

pin

amb

oo

:Sw

ift

is r

efer

rin

g t

o a

reg

ion

of

Bra

zil p

op

ula

ted

by

nat

ive

peo

ple

s co

llect

ivel

y ca

lled

th

e Tu

pin

amb

á. H

ere,

Sw

ift

sug

ges

tsth

at if

Bra

zilia

n p

eop

les

and

Lap

lan

der

s ca

n lo

ve t

hei

r se

emin

gly

inh

osp

itab

le la

nd

s, t

he

Iris

h s

ho

uld

love

Irel

and

.53

.fa

ctio

ns

n. p

l.:p

olit

ical

gro

up

s th

at w

ork

ag

ain

st t

he

inte

rest

s o

fo

ther

su

ch g

rou

ps

or

agai

nst

th

e m

ain

bo

dy

of

go

vern

men

t.54

.th

eir

city

:Jer

usa

lem

, wh

ich

th

e R

om

an e

mp

ero

r Ti

tus

des

tro

yed

inA.D

.70

wh

ile J

ewis

h f

acti

on

s fo

ug

ht

on

e an

oth

er.

55.

exac

tv.

:fo

rce

pay

men

t.56

.d

iso

blig

ing

v. u

sed

as

adj.:

off

end

ing

.

anim

osi

ties

(an

≈¥·m

äs√¥

·t≤z

)n

. pl.:

ho

stili

ties

; vio

len

th

atre

ds

or

rese

ntm

ents

.

Re-

read

fo

otn

ote

48

on

pag

e13

5, w

hic

h e

xpla

ins

that

Swif

t’s

essa

y is

iro

nic

exce

pt

for

this

ital

iciz

ed p

assa

ge.

Wh

y d

o y

ou

th

ink

Swif

tin

clu

ded

th

is li

st o

f re

al

solu

tio

ns

to t

he

pro

ble

ms

in Ir

elan

d?

It s

ho

ws

that

if t

he

go

vern

men

t ig

no

res

reas

on

able

pro

po

sals

,

then

may

be

it w

ill p

ay

atte

nti

on

to

ext

rem

e,

un

reas

on

able

on

es.

136

Co

llect

ion

4:

The

Res

tora

tio

n a

nd

th

e Ei

gh

teen

th C

entu

ryPa

rt 1

Collection 4Student Pages 136–137

Page 24: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - WSDblog.wsd.net/ahartvigsen/files/2009/03/modest-proposal.pdf · option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. ... A Modest Proposal

70 The Holt Reader: Teacher’s Manual

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

A M

od

est

Pro

po

sal

1

39

A M

odes

t Pr

opos

al

Read

ing

Skill

s: R

ecog

nizi

ng P

ersu

asiv

e Te

chni

ques

Eac

h o

fth

e fo

llow

ing

exce

rpts

fro

m “A

Mod

est

Pro

posa

l”is

an

exa

mpl

e of

a p

ersu

asiv

e te

chn

iqu

e.In

th

e bl

ank

prov

ided

,wri

te t

he

type

of

appe

al (

logi

cal,

emot

ion

al,o

r et

hic

al)

that

is u

sed

in t

he

exce

rpt.

Th

e fi

rst

one

has

bee

n d

one

for

you

.

Sug

ges

ted

res

po

nse

s ap

pea

r b

elo

w.

2.“I

pro

fess

in t

he

sin

ceri

ty o

f m

y h

eart

th

at I

hav

e n

ot

the

leas

t p

erso

nal

inte

rest

. . .

hav

ing

no

oth

er m

oti

ve t

han

th

e p

ub

lic g

oo

d o

f m

y

cou

ntr

y . .

. I h

ave

no

ch

ildre

n, b

y w

hic

h I

can

pro

po

se t

o g

et a

sin

gle

pen

ny

. . .

and

my

wif

e p

ast

child

bea

rin

g.”

(cl

osi

ng

par

agra

ph

)

Typ

e o

f ap

pea

l:et

hic

al a

pp

eal

3.“I

do

th

eref

ore

hu

mb

ly o

ffer

it t

o p

ub

lic c

on

sid

erat

ion

, th

at o

f th

e

hu

nd

red

an

d t

wen

ty t

ho

usa

nd

ch

ildre

n, a

lrea

dy

com

pu

ted

, tw

enty

tho

usa

nd

may

be

rese

rved

fo

r b

reed

. . .

.” (

lines

82–

84)

Typ

e o

f ap

pea

l:lo

gic

al a

pp

eal

Exam

ple

:

Typ

e o

f ap

pea

l:lo

gic

al a

pp

eal

new

dis

h. .

. .”

(lin

es 2

03–2

05)

tho

usa

nd

po

un

ds

per

an

nu

m, b

esid

es t

he

pro

fit

of

a

“th

e n

atio

n’s

sto

ck w

ill b

e th

ereb

y in

crea

sed

fif

ty

No

w, l

oo

k b

ack

ove

r th

e ex

amp

les

of

per

suas

ive

tech

niq

ues

yo

u h

igh

ligh

ted

or

un

der

lined

in “

A M

od

est

Pro

po

sal.”

Ch

oo

se a

n e

xam

ple

no

t lis

ted

ab

ove

,

and

wri

te it

in t

he

spac

e b

elo

w. I

den

tify

th

e ty

pe

of

app

eal t

hat

is u

sed

.

1.“T

her

e is

like

wis

e an

oth

er g

reat

ad

van

tag

e in

my

sch

eme,

th

at it

will

pre

ven

t [w

om

en f

rom

] sa

crif

icin

g t

he

po

or

inn

oce

nt

bab

es.”

(lin

es 3

7–40

)

Typ

e o

f ap

pea

l:em

oti

on

al a

pp

eal

will

be

plea

sed

mat

ure

ly t

o co

nsi

der

two

poin

ts.F

irst

,as

thin

gs

now

sta

nd,

how

th

ey w

ill b

e ab

le t

o fi

nd

food

an

d ra

imen

t fo

r

a hu

ndr

ed t

hou

san

d u

sele

ss m

outh

s an

d ba

cks.

An

d se

con

dly

,

ther

e be

ing

a ro

un

d m

illio

n o

fcr

eatu

res

in h

um

an f

igu

re,

thro

ugh

out

this

kin

gdom

,wh

ose

wh

ole

subs

iste

nce

58pu

t in

to a

com

mon

sto

ck w

ould

leav

e th

em in

deb

t tw

o m

illio

ns

ofpo

un

ds

ster

ling,

addi

ng

thos

e w

ho

are

begg

ars

by p

rofe

ssio

n t

o th

e bu

lk

offa

rmer

s,co

ttag

ers,

and

labo

rers

,wit

h th

eir

wiv

es a

nd

child

ren

,

wh

o ar

e be

ggar

s in

eff

ect;

I de

sire

th

ose

polit

icia

ns,

wh

o di

slik

e

my

over

ture

,an

d m

ay p

erh

aps

be s

o bo

ld t

o at

tem

pt a

n a

nsw

er,

that

th

ey w

ill f

irst

ask

th

e pa

ren

ts o

fth

ese

mor

tals

,wh

eth

er t

hey

wou

ld n

ot a

t th

is d

ay t

hin

k it

a g

reat

hap

pin

ess

to h

ave

been

sol

d

for

food

at

a ye

ar o

ld,i

n t

he m

ann

er I

pre

scri

be,a

nd

ther

eby

have

avoi

ded

such

a p

erpe

tual

sce

ne

ofm

isfo

rtu

nes

,as

they

hav

e si

nce

gon

e th

rou

gh,b

y th

e op

pres

sion

of

lan

dlo

rds,

the

impo

ssib

ility

ofpa

yin

g re

nt

wit

hou

t m

oney

or

trad

e,th

e w

ant

ofco

mm

on

sust

enan

ce,w

ith

nei

ther

hou

se n

or c

loth

es t

o co

ver

them

fro

m

incl

emen

cies

of

wea

ther

,an

d th

e m

ost

inev

itab

le p

rosp

ect

of

enta

ilin

g59th

e lik

e,or

gre

at m

iser

ies,

upo

n t

hei

r br

eed

fore

ver.

I pr

ofes

s in

the

sin

ceri

ty o

fm

y he

art

that

I h

ave

not

the

leas

t

pers

onal

inte

rest

in e

nde

avor

ing

to p

rom

ote

this

nec

essa

ry w

ork,

hav

ing

no

oth

er m

otiv

e th

an t

he

publ

ic g

ood

ofm

y co

un

try,

by

adva

nci

ng

our

trad

e,pr

ovid

ing

for

infa

nts

,rel

ievi

ng

the

poor

,

and

givi

ng

som

e pl

easu

re t

o th

e ri

ch.I

hav

e n

o ch

ildre

n,b

y w

hich

,

I ca

n p

ropo

se t

o ge

t a

sin

gle

pen

ny;t

he

you

nge

st b

ein

g n

ine

year

s ol

d,an

d m

y w

ife

past

ch

ildbe

arin

g.

300

310

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

58.

wh

ole

su

bsi

sten

ce:a

ll th

eir

po

sses

sio

ns.

59.

enta

ilin

gv.

use

d a

sn

.:p

assi

ng

on

to

th

e n

ext

gen

erat

ion

.

In li

nes

293

–305

, th

e sp

eake

ro

ffer

s tw

o p

oin

ts f

or

con

-si

der

atio

n. R

e-re

ad t

ho

selin

es, a

nd

un

der

line

the

two

po

ints

.

Re-

read

lin

es 3

05–3

11.

Acc

ord

ing

to

th

e sp

eake

r,w

hat

mis

erie

s w

ill b

eel

imin

ated

fo

r p

oo

r p

eop

le

if h

is p

rop

osa

l is

ado

pte

d?

Dra

w a

cir

cle

aro

un

d t

hat

info

rmat

ion

.

Re-

read

th

e cl

osi

ng

par

agra

ph

of

the

essa

y. U

nd

erlin

e w

ord

san

d p

hra

ses

that

sh

ow

ho

wth

e sp

eake

r tr

ies

to w

in o

ver

the

read

er. W

hat

typ

e o

fp

ersu

asiv

e ap

pea

lis

the

spea

ker

mak

ing

her

e?

an e

thic

al a

pp

eal

138

Co

llect

ion

4:

The

Res

tora

tio

n a

nd

th

e Ei

gh

teen

th C

entu

ryPa

rt 1

Collection 4Student Pages 138–139

Page 25: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - WSDblog.wsd.net/ahartvigsen/files/2009/03/modest-proposal.pdf · option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. ... A Modest Proposal

Student Pages with Answers 71

fro

mA

n E

ssay

on

Man

141

LITE

RARY

FO

CUS:

ANT

ITHE

SIS

“Giv

e m

e lib

erty

, or

giv

e m

e d

eath

.”

or

“Giv

e m

e lib

erty

, or

else

kill

me.

Wh

ich

of

the

stat

emen

ts a

bo

ve is

str

on

ger

? W

hic

h is

mo

re m

emo

rab

le?

Of

cou

rse,

mo

st p

eop

le w

ill c

ho

ose

th

e fi

rst

stat

emen

t, w

hic

h h

app

ens

to b

e

an e

xam

ple

of

anti

thes

is. A

n a

nti

thes

isp

rese

nts

co

ntr

asti

ng

idea

s in

a

gra

mm

atic

ally

bal

ance

d o

r p

aral

lel s

tate

men

t.

Ale

xan

der

Po

pe

reg

ula

rly

use

s an

tith

esis

to

exp

ress

his

th

ou

gh

ts. L

oo

k fo

r

exam

ple

s o

f an

tith

esis

as

you

rea

d t

he

exce

rpt

fro

m A

n E

ssay

on

Man

.

READ

ING

SKIL

LS:

IDEN

TIFY

ING

THE

WRI

TER’

S ST

ANCE

You

can

iden

tify

a w

rite

r’s

stan

ce—

his

or

her

vie

ws

on

a t

op

ic—

bec

ause

of

thin

gs

the

wri

ter

eith

er h

ints

at

or

dir

ectl

y st

ates

. Lik

e o

ther

wri

ters

of

his

tim

e, P

op

e’s

pu

rpo

se w

as t

o in

stru

ct h

is r

ead

ers

as w

ell a

s en

tert

ain

th

em.

As

a re

sult

, his

po

etry

ref

lect

s h

is m

ora

l an

d s

oci

al v

alu

es. T

o e

xpre

ss h

is

view

s o

n h

um

an n

atu

re, e

du

cati

on

, an

d w

riti

ng

, Po

pe

oft

en u

ses

the

her

oic

cou

ple

tst

ruct

ure

—tw

o r

hym

ing

lin

es o

f ia

mb

ic p

enta

met

er.

Her

e ar

e so

me

of

Pop

e’s

her

oic

co

up

lets

:

•“G

oo

d n

atu

re a

nd

go

od

sen

se m

ust

eve

r jo

in;

To e

rr is

hu

man

, to

fo

rgiv

e, d

ivin

e.”

•“H

op

e sp

rin

gs

eter

nal

in t

he

hu

man

bre

ast:

Man

nev

er is

, bu

t al

way

s to

be

ble

st.”

•“T

rust

no

t yo

urs

elf;

bu

t yo

ur

def

ects

to

kn

ow

,

Mak

e u

se o

f ev

ery

frie

nd

—an

d e

very

fo

e.”

•“T

rue

ease

in w

riti

ng

co

mes

fro

m a

rt, n

ot

chan

ce,

As

tho

se m

ove

eas

iest

wh

o h

ave

lear

ned

to

dan

ce.”

Use

the

Ski

llA

s yo

u r

ead

th

e ex

cerp

t fr

om

An

Ess

ay o

n M

an,r

esta

te t

he

her

oic

co

up

lets

in y

ou

r o

wn

wo

rds.

Mar

k ex

amp

les

of

anti

thes

is t

hat

yo

u

fin

d. T

hin

k ab

ou

t w

hat

Po

pe’

s b

elie

fs a

nd

val

ues

rev

eal a

bo

ut

him

as

an

ind

ivid

ual

an

d a

s a

rep

rese

nta

tive

of

the

age

in w

hic

h h

e liv

ed.

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

An E

ssay

on

Man

by

Alex

ande

r Pop

e

Lit

era

ry S

kill

Und

erst

and

anti

thes

is.

Readin

gSkills

Iden

tify

aw

rite

r’s s

tanc

e.

Revie

w S

kills

Und

erst

and

imag

ery.

As

you

read

An

Essa

yon

Man

,loo

k fo

r w

ays

in w

hich

imag

ery

help

sth

e w

rite

r ex

pres

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140

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4:

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Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

sust

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s

Collection 4Student Pages 140–141

Page 26: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - WSDblog.wsd.net/ahartvigsen/files/2009/03/modest-proposal.pdf · option of using a sarcastic tone of voice to convey irony. ... A Modest Proposal

Graphic Organizers 209

Name Date

Selection TitleC

op

yrig

ht

© b

y H

olt

, Rin

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Irony

Irony is a discrepancy between appearance and reality. There are three main types of

irony: verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony.

DIRECTIONS: Complete the chart with examples from the selection that illustrate each of

the three types of irony. (Not all selections will include all three types of irony.)

Types of Irony Examples from Selection

Verbal irony: a contrast between what is

said and what is meant—for example,

calling a bald man “Curly.”

Situational irony: a contrast between what

you expect to happen and what actually

happens—for example, when the birthday

girl cries at her party.

Dramatic irony: a contrast between what

the characters know and what the reader

or audience knows—for example, when

the reader knows a character will die at the

end of the story but the character does not

know.