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A modest proposal

Essay

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About “A modest proposal”

A Modest Proposal is a 1729 satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift. The essay presents a fictional narrator who suggests that the children of poor Irish families could help ease economic struggles by being sold as food to the wealthy. The work is known for its dark humor and irony, using this shocking idea to criticize social and political issues in Ireland. The phrase "a modest proposal" has since become a common reference to this style of satirical writing. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)

Book details

Published
1729
Latest edition
1729 · ISBN 9780141398181

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