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Satire
Definition of Setting
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:
"A Modest Proposal" is set in Ireland, approximately contemporaneous to the text's publication in 1729. This comes just nine years after the Declaratory Act, which gave the British Parliament and House of Lords the ability to legislate and adjudicate for Ireland, respectively. Swift's satirical essay is in direct response to British control and exploitation of the Irish people, which began as early as the 12th century with the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. "A Modest Proposal" also takes place against the backdrop of European colonial violence, which had reached a fever pitch in the course of Swift's lifetime. Britain specifically developed and honed its tactics for colonization using Ireland as a test case, later expanding these methods to exploit people across the world.
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