Question

Jonathan Swift said, "Laws are like cobwebs which may catch small flies but let wasps and hornets break through." Jonathan Swift would most probably believe that A. prosecutors should be tough on criminals. B. pesticides should be used to deter large insects. C. small crimes should not be prosecuted. D. the powerful can often avoid serious criminal sentences. E. laws do not stop people from committing crimes.

Short answer

D. the powerful can often avoid serious criminal sentences.

Step-by-step solution

Parsing the Quote

Go through the quote by Swift, which is a metaphor - 'Laws are like cobwebs which may catch small flies but let wasps and hornets break through.' Cobwebs here represent laws, small flies denote less powerful or minor entities, and wasps and hornets symbolize more powerful or major entities. Jonathan Swift suggests that while the law may easily penalize minor entities (like small crimes or less powerful individuals), it fails to properly handle or control major entities (like major crimes or powerful individuals). Hence, the quote implies that Swift believes in the tendency of the legal system to fail when dealing with powerful entities or serious crimes.

Matching Quote with Options

The aim is to find out the option that matches with Swift's belief based on the interpretation of the quote. Check each options individually: \nOption A - This is too generic and does not specifically address the sentiments expressed by Swift. \nOption B - This option misinterprets the metaphor and takes it literally, which is not the way to approach this question. \nOption C - This may seem tempting but it's not what Swift conveyed. He didn't suggest that small crimes should not be prosecuted, but that they are easily 'caught' by the law. \nOption D - This option aligns well with the communicated idea in the quote – the notion that the powerful can often evade severe penalties resonates directly with the metaphor. \nOption E - Swift didn't advocate that laws do not deter crime, only that they seemingly favor the powerful over the weak in some cases.

Choosing the Correct Option

Based on the analysis in step 2, it is clear that Option D - 'the powerful can often avoid serious criminal sentences' aligns most fittingly with the conveyed idea in Swift's quote. Hence, this is the correct option.