Question

Read this excerpt from Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal":

I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at least a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout . . .

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.


What is the purpose of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal"?

A. To propose a helpful solution to problems troubling young children.
B. To mock those who discuss Ireland's problems rather than England's problems.
C. To criticize his government's policy on Ireland.
D. To offer a moral lesson for life to his readers.

Answer 1

c

Step-by-step explanation:

apex

Answer 2

c. to criticize his government's policy on Ireland

In the passage the narrator is literally talking about cooking and eating a child. He says that a child who has eaten well and is a year old would be a good food not matter how it was cooked. In the second paragraph, he says that eating the child would be no problem for landlords since they've already devoured the parents. The author may be talking about literally eating children, but in actuality he's criticizing his government's policy on Ireland.