Question

this brief essay by author and college professor charles augustus eggert was published in california in 1913 as part of the collection why i am opposed to socialism: original papers by leading men and women. socialism was a popular and controversial theory at that time, four years before the russian revolution. no government had yet tried to put the theory of socialism into practice. why i am opposed to socialism by charles augustus eggert i am opposed to socialism, first, because it is not an inductively obtained system, but an \ism\ that postulates qualities in the individuality of a nation which no nation, or community even, has yet developed to a sufficiently high state to make this \ism\ fit to be seriously tried. \it is to be hoped they will die quietly of hunger.\ how does blanc use this sentence to help develop his overall theme? by taking the point of view of the employer, blanc shows the complexity of the issue. by saying the opposite of what he means, blanc highlights the evils of the current system. by starting with the phrase \it is to be hoped,\ blanc draws attention to future possibilities. by using the word \quietly,\ blanc implies that riots and violence may erupt instead.

Explanation:

The statement "It is to be hoped they will die quietly of hunger" is likely a sarcastic or ironic statement. Blanc is probably using irony (saying the opposite of what is actually meant) to highlight the harshness and wrong - doings of the current system. This is a common rhetorical device in writing to draw attention to social or political issues.

Answer:

By saying the opposite of what he means, Blanc highlights the evils of the current system.