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Throughout "A Modest Proposal," Swift uses language that dehumanizes the Irish people. Point out examples of such language, and explain their effect both in terms of Swift's satire and his underlying purpose

User Sudheer K
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Answer:

"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is a satirical essay published in 1729 in which the author proposes a solution to the problem of poverty in Ireland: that the poor Irish should sell their children as food to the rich English. Throughout the essay, Swift uses language that dehumanizes the Irish people, portraying them as objects or animals rather than human beings.

One example of such language can be found in the opening paragraph, where Swift describes the Irish as "a very great and growing people" who "are every day dying and rotting by cold and famine." By using the words "dying and rotting," Swift reduces the Irish to mere corpses, implying that they are already dead or dying and have no agency or worth as living beings.

Another way Swift dehumanizes the Irish people in "A Modest Proposal" is through his use of economic terms to describe them. For example, he refers to the Irish as "degenerate" and "debased," framing them as an economic problem rather than human beings with their own dignity and worth. This dehumanization serves Swift's satirical purpose by highlighting the way that the English viewed the Irish as a burden and a drain on their resources, rather than as people who deserved respect and care.

The effect of this language is to shock and horrify the reader, exposing the inhumanity and cruelty of the proposed solution. Swift's use of satire is intended to expose the callousness of the English ruling class towards the Irish people, who were suffering from poverty and famine. By portraying the Irish as less than human, Swift highlights the absurdity and immorality of the proposed solution and makes a powerful argument for the need to address poverty and inequality in a more humane and just way.

User Neil Shweky
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Answer:Proposed cannibalism is the most blatant example of dehumanization throughout the proposal. Swift does not attribute any positive traits other than being hurmours

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User CuriousPan
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