I would highly recommend 'A Modest Proposal' by Jonathon Swift to anyone looking for a good read. Regardless of whether it is required for a class or not, it is an entertaining piece of literature all on its own. Part of what makes it such an entertaining read is how successful it is. This success is drawn from an excellent understanding of a few key points in every proposal.
The first key point to include in any proposal is to identify the problem you are proposing a solution for. Swift very clearly identifies the problem: starvation in Ireland and the overbearing English. This problem is very near and dear to his audience, so there is not much he has to do to get the readers attention.
The second thing Swift does is to state his solution. Now he doesn't just come out and say it simply, but leads you into it with small steps, each one only a little less likable than the last. This allows you to keeping reading long after a more upfront approach would have failed. This helps to connect to the third most important thing, which is show why your proposal is better than any other. Swift shows that the sale and subsequent consumption of babies would benefit all involved, save the babies themselves. The decrease in population, the increase in the income of the poor, the increase in the food and clothing available for the rich, are all good arguments he uses to support his proposal.
The fourth important thing in any proposal is to be able to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposal. Swift uses something that would seem like science to determine the exact age and size for a child to be properly harvested. His exact specifications and manipulation of language provide ample reason why this is feasible.
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