... improve the current circumstances. The narrator proclaims, "For we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; we neither build houses, nor cultivate land." The responsibility for being oppressed is placed on the Irish more than on their oppressors, the English. The author's brilliance in his use of witticism and sarcasm by the persona plays a critical role in awakening the Irish to the reality ... of their oppressive environment. By convincing the people of Ireland to reform, Jonathan Swift proved his ... satire, "A Modest Proposal" to be an effective change agent. The peopl...

• Word Count: 878
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate