3. short-response prompt (15 points)
read the following passage from jonathan swift's essay "a modest proposal":
i can think of no one objection that will possibly be raised against this proposal,
unless be that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the
kingdom. this i freely own, and 'twas indeed one principal design in offering it to
the world. i desire the reader will observe, that i calculate my remedy for this one
individual kingdom of ireland, and for no other that ever was, is, or i think ever can
be upon earth. therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: of taxing our
absentees at five shillings a pound: of using neither cloaths, nor household
furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: of curing the
expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: of introducing
a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: of learning to love our country
of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants.
lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shop-keepers
what point does swift want to make in the passage, and does he use satire effectively to make that
point? write a short argument to answer these questions. be careful to include a clear thesis and to
respond to at least one counter-argument. develop your argument with specific details from the
passage.