The Wife of Bath’s Tale and A Modest Proposal utilize satirical elements to better convey their message while also approaching similar themes, however A Modest Proposal was a more effective satire than The Wife of Bath’s Tale. They manage to stay authentic in their approach by using the various elements offered such as using humor or harshness to get their point across to the reader.
First and foremost, A Modest Proposal is a Juvenalian satire that relies on harshness and realism to get the messages across to the reader. A Model Proposal uses outrageous ideas and dark elements such as eating poor babies and children to disturb the reader by highlighting the struggles of the poor in Ireland. The story does not use euphemisms or humor to make …show more content…
They both address it, but they use two different methods to strengthen the theme. A Modest Proposal talks about suffering in a traditional and commonplace way. The story addresses the hardships of being poor and living in poverty, never having enough and never being able to get up in society. It is a common perspective of poverty that has been talked about before however this does not lessen the story or make it a cliche. It also uses elements of a Juvenalian satire to strengthen the message. On the other hand, The Wife of Bath’s Tale approaches the topic of poverty from a different angle, a little bit more flattering of an angle. This story talks about how being poor is more advantageous than being rich. The old woman says, “He who accepts his poverty unhurt I’d say is rich although he lacked a shirt. But truly poor are they who whine and fret and covet what they cannot hope to get, and he that, having nothing, covets not, is rich, though you may think he is a sot.” (Chaucer 164-65). The old woman expresses to the man that the poor are better off than the rich because they accept their poverty and don't covet material possessions. It is the small stuff that makes poverty ideal. Sometimes it is easier to be poor. The old woman makes poverty sound ideal and even desirable which is the complete opposite from A Modest Proposal’s more realistic and harsher perspective which also adds to the hilarity of the story.. This story also uses Horatian satirical elements to better convey the story, wanting the reader to laugh than to be shocked. This approach to poverty is different from A Modest Proposal however it is still as effective as The Wife of Bath’s Tale in addressing the theme of the poor and poverty. They both use effective approaches towards talking about the subject of poverty while also remaining true to their type of
First and foremost, A Modest Proposal is a Juvenalian satire that relies on harshness and realism to get the messages across to the reader. A Model Proposal uses outrageous ideas and dark elements such as eating poor babies and children to disturb the reader by highlighting the struggles of the poor in Ireland. The story does not use euphemisms or humor to make …show more content…
They both address it, but they use two different methods to strengthen the theme. A Modest Proposal talks about suffering in a traditional and commonplace way. The story addresses the hardships of being poor and living in poverty, never having enough and never being able to get up in society. It is a common perspective of poverty that has been talked about before however this does not lessen the story or make it a cliche. It also uses elements of a Juvenalian satire to strengthen the message. On the other hand, The Wife of Bath’s Tale approaches the topic of poverty from a different angle, a little bit more flattering of an angle. This story talks about how being poor is more advantageous than being rich. The old woman says, “He who accepts his poverty unhurt I’d say is rich although he lacked a shirt. But truly poor are they who whine and fret and covet what they cannot hope to get, and he that, having nothing, covets not, is rich, though you may think he is a sot.” (Chaucer 164-65). The old woman expresses to the man that the poor are better off than the rich because they accept their poverty and don't covet material possessions. It is the small stuff that makes poverty ideal. Sometimes it is easier to be poor. The old woman makes poverty sound ideal and even desirable which is the complete opposite from A Modest Proposal’s more realistic and harsher perspective which also adds to the hilarity of the story.. This story also uses Horatian satirical elements to better convey the story, wanting the reader to laugh than to be shocked. This approach to poverty is different from A Modest Proposal however it is still as effective as The Wife of Bath’s Tale in addressing the theme of the poor and poverty. They both use effective approaches towards talking about the subject of poverty while also remaining true to their type of