In Margaret Atwood’s Ka-Ching!, the passage has a nostalgic and contemplative tone as she reflects on her first job. She fondly recalls the small hotel coffee shop where she worked, describing it as clean, well-lighted, with booths, counters, and waitresses. Despite it being perceived as a challenging experience, Atwood looks back on it with fondness.
The core of Machiavellian qualities was to employ any means necessary to attain and uphold power. In Shakespeare’s era, being a ruler had no connection to being morally upright or acting justly. Claudius embodies traits such as manipulation, remorselessness, and extreme selfishness.
Tone Assignment: Peter Sigouin
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift ENG4U
The passage exudes a prevailing tone of cynicism and satire.
The text suggests that Swift’s portrayal of using babies or children as food is both cynical and satirical. Swift presents the idea of cannibalism as if it were normal and ignores the fact that it is socially taboo and not acceptable. While we understand that eating children would never happen, Swift’s choice of words creates a sarcastic and cynical tone. Through appropriate word choice, the author reveals the terrible conditions in Ireland and establishes the dominant tone. The passage suggests that the narrator may be serious in proposing this solution, but there is a detectable level of cynicism. Additionally, the text hints at the inability to export this “commodity” due to its delicate nature. Despite this, the narrator implies that there might be a country willing to consume their nation without any preservation methods.
Jonathan Swift employs a great deal of sarcasm to depict the troubling concept of exporting humans to be sold and consumed by other nations. This cynical portrayal reflects the belief that people can be driven solely by selfish motives. Through this passage, Swift effectively presents his views on the conditions in Ireland, although they may not be realistic. Sarcasm, which can be characterized as a rude or acrimonious remark toward a thought or perspective, is employed by Swift in a connotative manner to suggest that consuming and trading humans is a viable solution for improving the country and its inhabitants.
