Read the excerpt from "a modest proposal." a very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose virtues i highly esteem, was lately , 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 supply'd 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. which statement best describes swift’s use of rhetorical devices in this excerpt? swift uses a false premise when he says that people of the kingdom are in “want of venison.” swift uses irony when he says “so great a number of both sexes” are in desperate need of “work and service.” swift uses irony when he says the person with whom he discussed his plan is “very worthy” and “a true lover of this country.” swift uses a false premise when he says the “gentlemen of the kingdom” have “destroyed their deer.”

The correct answer is Swift uses irony when he says the person with whom he discussed his plan is “very worthy” and “a true lover of this country". The irony is a literary device used to express contrast or incongruity between expectations for a situation and what is the reality. This can be a difference between the surface meaning of something that is said and the underlying meaning.

Swift uses irony when he says the person with whom he discussed his plan is ‘very worthy’ and a ‘true lover of this country’.

Further Explanation:

After reading through the extract, there is clear employment of irony so that the author can make his point. The author mocks the person who is his partner in the conversation, meaning that he is extremely unpatriotic as he cannot asses the needs and requirements of the nation. The employment of irony expresses a sharp contrast between the expectations and the perceived reality. While the other person apparently has a solution to combat the country’s problems regarding the procurement and distribution of food and work opportunities for the youth. For example, the person in conversation compares venison with the bodies of children, as they would be willing to do anything to procure food and service. The author thereby stresses the fact that the person is a disappointment and he cannot exhibit an exemplary attitude to understand the needs and sufferings of the ordinary people.

A Modest Proposal stands out as one of Swifts' famous satirical works in which he portrays the greed and hypocrisy of the politicians in Ireland, who are unable to assess public demands and are only interested in their own wellbeing. There is a stark social imbalance, leading to the inappropriate distribution of resources between the rich and the poor, and he also explores the context of colonial exploitation. The entire work has a negative appeal, both arising from the observance of the squalid conditions of humanity along with the inability of the public to make any changes to rise from that situation. It has to be understood that during this time frame, the Irish government was actually controlled by the British, and the Irish politicians failed to understand the importance of having nationalistic ambitions so that the nation could grow. Rather, they were only interested in maintaining their lives of comfort.  

Learn more:

1.At the beginning of "the world on turtle's back," why did the husband become "terrified"?

2.How do images or word pictures help you experience a scene in the excerpt the day of destiny

Answer Details:

Grade: High School

Chapter: A Modest Proposal

Subject: English

Keywords:

Politicians, inadept, corruption, colonial exploitation, negative aspect, exemplary attitude, irony, satire.