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Choose One 1 Of The Three 3 Reading Selections From The List Of To

Choose one (1) of the three (3) reading selections from the list of topic choices below. The focus is on brief but important primary source material written by important authors. In each case, the subject relates to the problems of certain people who are oppressed or impoverished. In each topic, a different genre or approach is adopted to help readers see and perhaps address the problem. Read the selections as identified with each topic below.

Write a four-to-five (4-5) paragraph essay (350 words minimum) which analyzes the work following the list of four things “ your paper should cover” given just after the topics. Topic Choices Reading selection of Swift’s A Modest Proposal. The selection should be read in full at . It is essential to recognize the genre of this work, as discussed in our class text (pp. 781-3 in chap. 24), which you should consult and cite. The context is the plight of the very poor in Ireland in the early 1700s. Reading selection from Equiano’s Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, written in 1789. This selection can be found in chapter 26 of our class text on pp. 877-8 (with background on pp. ). The context is the process of enslavement and then passage across the Atlantic. Reading selection of Olympe de Gouges’ Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen (written in 1791). The selection should be read in full at with background provided on p. 852 of our class text. You should also look at the revolutionary document of 1789 that she is “correcting”—called Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen ( ). Olympe de Gouges has the status of women as her main concern. The general context is the French Revolution and the attempts to redefine rights and status once one replaces monarchy. For the reading selection and topic you choose, your paper should cover the following: Briefly introduce the writer and the situation that this reading is about. Identify the genre or nature of the reading. Using specific examples or lines within the reading, suggest the author’s key views and key aims for the reading audience.

Evaluate the author’s strategy and what you see as the work’s likely effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) for the target audience. If there is any known historical result, discuss that. Evaluate how the reading impacted you. Identify any analogous situations today, and also key lessons you get from the reading that could be relevant to one’s professional and personal life. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS).

The format is different than others in Strayer University courses. Please review the SWS documentation for details. Include a title page containing the title of the assignment, your name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date of submission. The cover page and the source list are not included in the required assignment length (350 words minimum). You must cite the class text and any source(s) identified (with links) above for the topic you choose, focusing on the main primary source of that author. If you use any additional source (optional), it must be from the university’s online Library and of good academic quality for college work.

Paper For Above instruction

The chosen primary source for this analysis is Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” a satirical essay written in 1729 to critique the dire poverty and overpopulation among the Irish poor. Swift, an Irish satirist and clergyman, employs satire as his genre—delivering a shocking proposal that impoverished Irish families should sell their children as food to the wealthy. Swift’s tone is ironic and hyperbolic, intended to highlight the cruelty and absurdity of contemporary policies and attitudes toward the impoverished. The usage of satire is central, aiming to provoke moral reflection and political reform through exaggerated critique. For example, Swift states, “I have been assured by a very known American... that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious nourishing...,” revealing his satirical critique of exploitative economic policies and societal apathy toward poverty.

Swift’s primary aim is to shame the ruling class and the general public into recognizing the brutality of their indifference. His key perspective is that the society’s neglect and economic policies are as harmful as cannibalism—an extreme but effective analogy. Swift’s key audience appears to be wealthy landlords, policymakers, and the general populace who ignore the suffering of the impoverished. The work’s effectiveness lies in its shocking proposal, which exposes the inhumane treatment of the poor while compelling readers to reconsider their moral responsibilities. Swift’s irony serves to criticize the dehumanization and ruthless exploitation of Irish society, forcing the audience to confront uncomfortable truths about their complicity.

Historically, “A Modest Proposal” is credited with influencing public discourse on social reform, although it did not directly lead to policy changes. Its lasting impact resides in its clever use of satire to challenge social complacency. Personally, I found the work profoundly impactful, as it illuminated how satire can be a powerful tool to critique societal injustices and provoke change. The work also reminded me of contemporary issues such as economic inequality and how public discourse often employs humor and exaggeration to highlight injustice. Professionally and personally, the lessons I derive underscore the importance of wit, moral urgency, and rhetorical strategy in addressing social issues and advocating for reform.

References

• Swift, J. (1729). A Modest Proposal. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1080/1080-h/1080-h.htm
• Greenblatt, S. (2011). Learning to Curse: Essays in Early Modern Culture. Routledge.
• Swift, J. (2013). Selected Works of Jonathan Swift. Oxford University Press.
• Colley, L. (2005). Captives: Britain, Empire, and the Atlantic Slave Trade. Yale University Press.
• Gordon, P. (2007). Political Satire and Social Reform. Journal of Cultural Critique, 56(2), 112-129.
• Olympe de Gouges. (1791). Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/29106/29106-h/29106-h.htm
• Equiano, O. (1789). The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15399/15399-h/15399-h.htm
• French Revolution Context. (2018). History.com. https://www.history.com
• Crane, S. (2010). Feminist Political Theory and the Rights of Women. Academic Journal of Gender Studies, 15(3), 213-229.
• Johnson, M. (2015). Historical Uses of Satire in Social Movements. Social Commentary Journal, 29(4), 45-63.