2. Read the following excerpt from Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal
I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration, that of the
hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed, twenty
thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one fourth part
to be males; Which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle,
or swine; and my reason is that these children are seldom the
fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our
savages, therefore, one male will be sufficient to serve four
females. That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old,
be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune, through
the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck
plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump, and fat
for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment
for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind
quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little
pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day.
especially in winter. I have reckoned upon a mediurn that a child
just born will weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably
nursed, encreaseth to 28 pounds
I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper
for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the
parents, seem to have the best title to the children.
How does the author's word choice in this excerpt imply a message other than the one explicitly
stated? Analyze specific phrases within the excerpt and explain how they help the writing to
function as satire. Support your answer with evidence from this excerpt and from your general
knowledge of "A Modest Proposal' (10 points)