Jonathan Swift: A Modest Proposal

1. “A Modest Proposal” is an ironic essay: the author deliberately writes what he does not mean.  What is the real thesis?  Is there more than one?
  

"I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom a very great additional grievance; and, therefore, whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound, useful members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation."

 

2. Look closely at paragraphs 4, 6, and 7, and study how the appeals to logic are put in mathematical and economic terms.  Underline those words and phrases.

"The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couples who are able to maintain their own children"

 

"There only remains one hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born"

 

"hundred and twenty thousand children already computed, twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one-fourth part to be males"

 

3. When does the reader begin to realize that the essay is ironic?  Before or after the actual proposal is made in paragraph 10?

when he started to talk about giving up kids 

   

4. Which groups of people are singled out as special targets for Swifts’ attack?  Are the Irish presented completely as victims, or are they also to blame?

Irish poor people are victims while irish rich people are targets.

to explain his true thoughts

 

 

7. The character proposing the measure uses various techniques to convince. These include statistics and appeals to the authority of prominent figures. Can you spot any others? Have you done any sort of "labor" job? Did you resist your employer and, if you did, what forms did your resistance take?  Is there a strong link between humor, anger, or other emotional states and resistance? Can you give examples of things you did to vent frustration (particularly if they were funny?)

i have no done any sort of "labor" work in my life. I think there is a strong link between humor, anger and other emotional states and resistance. I think there are many ways to handl frustration and it all depends on the person that takes the action. i vent my frustration by reading, because that is when my mind is in another world and not have to worry about the issues in the real world.

 

 

8. If you were, conversely, given the job of marketing babies, do you think it could be done, and how? We have a tradition, in English, of keeping the French names for the meats of animals eaten primarily by the rich. Would the first step be calling baby meat something French? Would it be by processing the baby to the point of non-recognition?

I would not be able to market the babies, because scoeity would never agree to that. Also you would be eating your own kin and that is just weird. If it was required then i would say market it by processing the baby to th point of non-recognition, just like hot dogs and sausages. Most people know what is in there, but they dont want to face the fact and continues to eat it.

Why I want a wife

1. Does this essay have an explicitly stated thesis? If so, what is it? If you believe the thesis is implied, paraphrase it in your own words.

I beleive the thesis is implied because it was never clearly stated in the story, although she did say "Whyi want a wife," and continued to explain why it is tha she wants a wife.

2. Throughout the essay, Brady repeats the words “I want a wife.” What is the effect of this repetition? 

to emphaise the importance of women are in a family, and how everybody wants somebody to do all those tasks.

3. Do you think Brady really wants the kind of wife she describes—does this ideal spouse

actually exist? Explain why you think Brady wrote this essay.

i dont think brady really wants the kind of wife she describes, this ideal spouse does actually exist. I think brady wrote this essay to show what men expects from their wife after marriage. They expect women to give up on everything and put the sfamiyl first while men put work and social life before fammily.

4. How does Brady define what it means to be a “wife”? How does she organize the many services a wife provides her husband and family? What do you think of Brady’s characterization of a wife and her responsibilities? How do you think she wants her readers to respond to this characterization? Why?

She define what is means to be a "wife" by stating what a wife does throughout her story. The wife provides all services for the husband adn the family. I think Brady's characterization of a wife and her responsibilities are anything the husband or family want. If they want it then it's the wife's responsibility to complete the task so that everybody else's life is as easy as possible. i think she wants reader to understand the things that a wife does for the family and thae the husband should help the wife andnot just expect things.

5. Write a letter to Brady responding to “I Want a Wife.” Let her know what you admire or don’t admire about the essay and the extent to which you consider it effective and/or persuasive.

 

i personally feel that society has changed and taking care of a family should be a task among the husband and the wife. Things has changed, men are not the only one who have the ability to provide adequate income for the family, women have the same ability to do so. Everything that you talked about in the story are services that a wife is expected to complete by people that stil has theview that men bring home the money and that women need to stay home and take care the kids and groceries. I dont think that is fair at all. I think women have the same right and ability as men; therefore, there should be no discrimmination based on sex. I think the story was effective in showing the amount of things a woman does for the family and the high expectation from the family and the husband.

valentine's day poem

Love floats everywhere in the atmosphere

kisses, hugs, and roses just for my love

you will be in the remains of my years

you give me warmth like a pair of gloves

oh darling, what would I do without you

you give me everything I need in life

from late night dates to walking in the zoo

one day, real soon, I will make you my wife

Stared at the open sky, late at night

With you in my thoughts for the remainder

You are the only one within my sight

you are ultimate entertainer

you’re my only sunshine that light my day

“I love you” that’s all I needed  to say

Response to essays

To Be the Best Humans We Can Be

I agree with Tim Wilson: actions speak louder than words. He wrote about how his kids should act in life, but most importantly he set an example as to how his kids be by committing to his words.His advices to his kids are very thoughtful. I truly believe that it sends out a much stronger message when you act the way you want your kids to act and not just telling your kids what to do. Show them what to do. A lot of the time it is extremely hard to compose yourself in certain situations when you are dealing with some extremely rude people. From what I read, I truly feel like Tim Wilson is a really good dad that is responsible and would do anything for his kids; and that is exactly how a father should be.

The Love I Choose

Personally, I don't know what love is and I don't think I will find out for a while. But I do agree with Jessica Zerr that love is thinking of your other half and wanting the best for them. When you are in love, you put the person you love above everything; even yourself. You would notice little things he does and lock those little things in your head. I think there is a different between family love and lover love. You can't pick who your family is, but you can pick who you want to spend the rest of your life with. Honestly, I don't know if my mom would pick me or my dad if she really had to pick. There is a special bond between mother adn daughter but there is also a bond between husband and wife. Completly two different kind of love. I hope that I can feel what Jessica feels one day.

Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

I think it takes a lot of courage to stand up and admit what issues you are currently dealing with. I hope that everybody who is suffering from pain should seek help or at least talk to a friend because i truly believe that communication is the key to many issues in life. It makes you feel better just having the opporunity to come out and say how you feel. I personally believe that nothing can be worst than death; therefore nothing in life is bad enough where you feel like you need to end your life. 

words

Casually shopping on the streets of New York City, overwhelmed by the shops on my left and right. I can only focus on the shop, “What to buy what to buy?”  Suddenly I stepped into a damp. Water splattered all over my brand new white dress.  My face immediately turned bright red, lowering my head to look at my dress I saw gray splatters all over my dress. I can feel the gray water streaming down my body under my dress. “What am I going to do” I thought to myself. “I really hope nobody saw that.” Talking to my self in the street, fingers crossed praying that I don’t have to run into anybody I know. That was when I saw from the corner of my right eye; a guy right next to me offering his help. With an elbow nudge that he used to do to me as a child, memories were flying through my head like a slide show of pictures. The only thing I can think of was “out of all people, of course he would be the one to see this. Just my luck.”

“I am fine.” I looked down to the floor, picking my nails,  as I answer my best friend, Liz’s question. I know that she was not buying my answer from the tone of her voice. “oh really?” she asked in a sarcastic  tone. “Yes.” I said as I was biting my lips looking everywhere except her eyes, giving her the shortest answer possible not wanting to continue this conversation. The second she saw my face, I knew that she saw what I was doing. She knew that I bit my lips every time I lie. There was no way to get around this now. This is the con and pro of having a best friend. She knows everything about you, everything is out on the table no.

words

Back in the day when people say "mouse," everybody body think of the black little animal. But today it

means a part of a computer. But who cares?!?!? I love eagles! They fly so majestically and they are such exuberant creatures. The Bald Eagle is the bird of America, It represents freedom, and majesty, and exuberence.  If you don't love eagles then you aren't an American!  I adopted an eagle from a local national park. It was my prized possesion. I would go to the park and spend hours upon hours looking for my eagle. and when I found it, I would exuberantly tell everyone in the park that that Eagle, was my eagle. It was mine and they couldn't have it. I didn't even want them to look at it. I was very protective of my eagle.

But one morning when I woke up, the eagle wasn't in its normal perch in my room! I frantically searched for my friend the eagle, whom I had named Tecle. I then heard many explosions outside at that moment. I ran outside and saw craters in my lawn, and looked up for my eagle! There he was, flying in circles above my lawn, dropping bombs everywhere. I wondered "where does an eagle even get bombs?" but i quickly realized; he had joined Al Qaeda and supported their cause. I realized the irony of this situation; the idol of the American spirit had joined the enemy!! I frantically ran inside, being careful to avoid any shrapnel

As the bombs were exploding a cowboy rises out of the sand in our sand box and shoots the eagle the eagle plumets to earth, and hits a kid across the street in the head knocking him out. So the cowboy goes to tend to him when suddenly the sand begins to rise and take shape of what looks to be an alien. The alien walks to me as the cow boy returns. The alien says you have been selected to fight in an intergalaxtic tournament.

"Can this be real?" I wonder, but before the thought even has time to settle into my brain like new tenants in their apartment, I find myself whisked within a giant rink shaped like the Coliseum.  There in front of me is an alien holding a red cape, just like the matadors do in Spain, and shouting rises from the stands like heat, urging me to charge the caped alien.  I have no idea why I should charge him, but the excitment and adrenaline that pulsates through the air encourages me to attack.  As I run, my boots slapping against the soft sand of the arena, I duck my head low as I prepare to tackle the cape with all the force of a linebacker. Yet before I can drive my shoulder hard, I feel myself skewered like a pineapple on a toothpick as the alien stabs something sharp through my boots, lifting me high into the air.





   

Name of Reviewed Individual: katie Allison

1. What are the strengths of your partner’s essay? Why?

-a lot ot details

2. What areas could use improvements? In other words, what suggestions can you give

your partner that will help his/her paper improve?

-sentences are way too long. Break it up a little

3. What is your favorite literary device used in your partner’s essay?
-sensory details and describing her feelings.
4. What is the part of the paper that stands out as the most "catchy" or important?
-it ended with a hook. she ended talking about her mom taking her to the doctor but didn't talk about what happend.