Final answer:
Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' was meant as satire to raise awareness about the struggles of the Irish poor by suggesting they sell their children as food. However,
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses the impact of Jonathan Swift's satirical work A Modest Proposal, written in 1729. In this pamphlet, Swift suggested that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food to rich gentlemen and ladies. This radical suggestion was not seriously meant to be considered as a real solution; rather, it was intended as a critique of the harsh conditions faced by the poor and the inaction of the wealthy to address the situation.
While Swift hoped that his work would awaken the public and the ruling class to the plight of the poor, it was too satirical and extreme for many readers to understand the underlying serious intent. Some contemporaries were shocked and appalled, taking the proposal at face value, missing Swift's use of irony.
Despite this, the essay is considered a powerful example of satirical writing and has had a lasting impact on literary and social commentary. The modest proposal's humanitarian concern, hidden beneath a shocking suggestion, did eventually find its readership, who appreciated Swift's biting critique of societal and political issues.