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AssignmentMultiple Choice

Unit Test

Question 1 • OK-English IV A-CR

How does the title of "A Modest Proposal” indicate that Swift is writing a satire?

Answer
A
Readers know that Swift is being serious because he humbly says that his proposal is “modest.”
B
Swift does not mean what he says when he calls his proposal “modest” or moderate; his proposal is actually extreme.
C
Swift calls his work a “proposal,” but readers do not know if the proposal will be approved by the Irish parliament.

Explanation

The title calls Swift’s plan “modest,” which suggests it is moderate and reasonable. But the proposal in the essay is horrifying and extreme, so the contrast shows that Swift does not mean the word literally. This irony signals satire, making B, “Swift does not mean what he says,” the correct choice.

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