Question

Dennis Baron signals that his proposal is meant as satire when he writes, "I would like to offer a modest proposal to resolve the language impasse in Congress. Don't make English official, ban it instead." Here Baron alludes to Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," an essay that is a tour de force of satire. If we aren't meant to take his proposal at face value – and we aren't – what is its purpose?

Answer 1

The purpose of Baron's proposal is to use satire to criticize the language impasse in Congress and draw attention to the need for a resolution.

Step-by-step explanation:

The purpose of Dennis Baron's proposal, which alludes to Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," is to use satire to criticize the language impasse in Congress.

By proposing to ban English instead of making it official, Baron is highlighting the absurdity of the situation and drawing attention to the need for a resolution.

Satire allows Baron to expose the faults of the current language debate and provoke thought and discussion on the topic.