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Swift's Arguments in "A Modest Proposal"

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Published: Sep 12, 2018

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The essay analyzing Jonathan Smith's "A Modest Proposal" dissects the satirical nature of Smith's work. Smith's essay, not to be taken literally, suggests that the Irish should resort to cannibalism by eating their babies to alleviate their suffering during the famine. This grotesque proposal serves as a vehicle for Smith to convey a deeper message regarding the British response to the Irish famine.

Throughout the essay, Smith employs various rhetorical devices to underscore his underlying point. He initially uses an appeal to logic by crafting a seemingly rational argument for the consumption of Irish children. This approach highlights how logical arguments can be manipulated to suit a specific agenda, prompting readers to consider the broader implications of the Irish famine.

Furthermore, Smith uses humor and shock tactics to evoke emotions in his audience. He presents his proposal as a desperate solution and draws attention to England, appealing to readers' patriotic sentiments. This emotional manipulation forces readers to empathize with the Irish population and encourages them to contemplate the severity of the situation.

A modest proposal outline, a modest proposal essay example, introduction.

Overview of "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
The satirical nature of the work
The overtly absurd proposal of Irish people eating their babies to address starvation

The Real Message Behind the Proposal

Jonathan Swift's true message in the essay
The use of satire to convey a deeper point about the British response to Irish famine

Appeal to Logic

Example of logical argument presented in the essay
Analysis of how logical arguments can be manipulated to serve an agenda
The purpose of using logical appeal in the essay

Evoking Emotion

Emotional elements in the essay
The role of humor in educating the British about Ireland's issues
The emotional response generated by the proposal and its underlying message

Establishing Ethos

Smith's credibility as a narrator and proposer
The use of another credible person in the essay
The deeper message about credibility and the validity of arguments
The successful use of rhetorical devices in the essay
The purpose of highlighting how rational arguments can be misleading
The overall effectiveness of Swift's satirical approach in conveying his message

Works Cited

Swift, J. (1729). A Modest Proposal. Oxford University Press.
Lynch, J. (2003). The Age of Swift: Studies in Early Eighteenth-Century Literature. Associated University Presses.
Sexton, T. (2014). Swift: The Mystery of Jonathan Swift and the Strangest Satire Ever Written. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Rawson, C. (2018). Jonathan Swift and the Vested Word. Springer.
Starnes, D. S. (2010). The Cambridge Introduction to Jonathan Swift. Cambridge University Press.
Williams, K. (2006). The Canonization of Jonathan Swift: A Study of Reception. Cambridge University Press.
Mahony, R. (2002). Swift, Poet and Satirist: A Study of the Poems. University of Delaware Press.
Mahon, J. P. (Ed.). (2003). The Works of Jonathan Swift: Containing Interesting and Valuable Papers Not Hitherto Published. Ams Press.
Piper, D. (2001). Jonathan Swift: The Reluctant Rebel. Oxford University Press.
Novak, M. (1991). The Critical Reception of Swift's A Modest Proposal: A Critical History. Routledge.

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A Modest Proposal

Introduction of “a modest proposal”.

A Modest Proposal is an essay written by Jonathan Swift . The full title of the essay is ‘For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick’ and is commonly known as ‘A Modest Proposal’ in its short form. It was published in 1729 anonymously. The essay is labeled as the best example of a juvenile satire , directing its arrow of ironic strictures on the existing personalities and figures of his times. The essay revolves around his suggestion of poor Irish children to be sold for food for the elite class of that time in a very mockingly serious mood . The hyperbolic suggestion, sometimes, evokes highly reprehensible emotions amongst the readers.

Summary of “A Modest Proposal”

Written in the first person, the proposal outlines the problem of the children that Ireland was facing during the time of Jonathan Swift. The problem outlined was related to the women beggars filling the streets of the Irish cities. Some of them have no means to feed their young kids and the kids becoming beggars was another issue facing the country. During this time the Protestant minority English was ruling Ireland neglecting the poor Irish Catholics. Jonathan Swift has tried to invite the attention of the government toward this problem but it seems that after all of his efforts failed, he has chosen this selected and novel way to attract the attention of the authorities.

As a proposer of this suggestion, Jonathan claims that he has a plan to deal with this problem effectively and efficiently. He states that after he has reserved some years of his life to think of the best possible solution to the problem of child beggars, he has come up with a viable set of solutions. He says that some of his plans have not proved workable in the past due to his inability to accurately make calculations. Also, while others have presented their plans they ‘grossly mistaken in their Computation’. However, in the case of this proposal, he has accurately made calculations before offering them in the essay. He says that a child is supported with breast milk and two shillings per year. However, for the child to enter into the professed beggary takes time and the parents are too poor to provide them. He proposes that the parents or guardians will release the child from their care after the presentation of this proposal finding it financially rewarding.

According to this proposal, there are 200,000 Irish parents actively giving birth to children by which means that if 30,000 of the couples can take care of them, 50,000 face miscarriages, leaving 120,000 parents having the inability to bring up their children in an appropriate way. His contention is how to deal with this explosion of the childbirth rate and what to do with this rising number of children, for they cannot be used in agriculture, or cannot be made skillful workers. They are also too young to support themselves, he says, adding that they also cannot be sold as slaves, or else they would fetch a considerable amount of money. Therefore, he has suggested a comprehensive plan to deal with this increasing birth rate.

Jonathan says that he has been assured by his American friend, whom he does not name, has told him that the meat of a year-old child is very delectable Whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled and without any doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout. Therefore, he has made calculations that if they are total 120,000 can be reserved for breeding, and the rest can be reared to sell to the gentry for eating. He states that the wealthy landlords would be the likely buyers.

The reason is that they have already devoured several parents in their greed for more and that they deserve to take lead in this work. He also suggests that by doing this, they would be becoming a source of increasing profits for a considerable number of mothers. He further goes on by mocking the Catholic church that the Catholics produce more children than the Protests who were ruling the country since they are against the birth control that was introduced during that time even though there’s a spike in overpopulation and poverty . If such people, he argues, prove their ability in doing business, they can use the hide and other parts of the children to sharpen their business skills such as they can prepare gloves and shoes from their hide or sell it in the market. Calling his suggestion “innocent, cheap, easy and effectual” Swift states that he has no personal interest involved in this proposal as he has no child and that his wife, too, has passed the child-bearing age.

Major Themes in “A Modest Proposal”

Exploitation: Although the essay seems a simple satire, the underlying theme is the exploitation of the landlords of Ireland and England who left people with nothing to eat. They were thronging the streets to beg for food. The laws were unfair and maltreated the poor in favor of the rich or the elite class. The rents charged from the tenants and farmers were very high which led to poverty and begging. Therefore, the essay highlights this exploitation in the garb of this suggests that the parents could sell their children to feed themselves and that those children would be used for delicious dishes for the gentry.
Greed: The essay also shows the theme of greed lurking behind the lines. As it is not obvious, it is shown through the presence of beggars including women and children, who are “forced to employ their time in strolling to beg sustenance.” It shows that they have been forced by their landlords to go hungry or feed themselves and their children by begging. In other words, the greed of landlords brought the poor to the streets. Therefore, the proposal hints at the greed of the landlords.
Prejudice: The thematic idea, prejudice is not plainly noticeable but it makes up the background of the essay in that the British Protestants used to despise the Roman Catholics and have laws enacted to exploit their vulnerabilities, which left them to roam on the roads in search of food and security.
Irish Social Apathy: The essay also underlines the Irish social indifference as many people were begging in the streets with children and the government and social responses were almost non-existence as far as the essay shows. That was also a major reason behind his proposal of selling of the children to the gentry for meat and other purposes.
Poverty: The beginning of the essay shows that poverty was widespread in Ireland on account of the government’s lack of care, the indifference of the upper class and the landlords. The laws were enacted to crush the poor class, the reason that all women, children, and even men of this section of the society had been forced to come into the streets to beg for sustenance.
Colonialism: Although it is not modern colonialism, English rule on its adjoining lands and countries, unlike Asian and African countries, were for extraction of the sources by exploiting the local population making the situation of living worse in the British colonies. The Catholics were subjected to religious torture and legal exploitation, leaving a chunk of the Irish population to face starvation or beg in the streets.
Misanthropy: If read in literal teams, the essay shows extreme misanthropy of the author that he has discussed in his letter to Pope, yet when taken as a satire, it shows his love for humanity and his concern for the safety and security of the Irish children.

Writing Style of “A Modest Proposal”

Although the language is quite simple, Jonathan Swift adopted the rhetorical style in this essay to hook his audiences into reading it and applauding his style with detestation. The diction and sentences are formal, implying the proposer of the proposal is serious. However, the use of the trap Swift has exploited to hook his readers is quite unusual and interesting, for he has proposed this solution to end poverty by stressing upon the ills that poverty brings. The use of animal metaphors for human beings in a satiric tone has lessened the impact of misanthropy presented to satirize the Irish authorities of that time. The impact of this satiric-cum-serious tone lies in its impact on the readers.

Analysis of Literary Devices in “A Modest Proposal”

Anaphora : The essays shows the use of anaphora . For example, i. Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither cloaths, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ even from LAPLANDERS, and the inhabitants of TOPINAMBOO: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants. This example shows the use of “Of…” as an anaphora.
Anecdote : The essay shows the use of anecdote in the below example, It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes. This example shows the anecdote used as the hook or attention grabber of this essay.
Allusion : There are various examples of allusions given in the essay. For example, i. These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes. ii. As to our City of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this purpose, in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting. iii. But in order to justify my friend , he confessed, that this expedient was put into his head by the famous Salmanaazor, a native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to London . iv. For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of Papists, with whom we are yearly over-run, being the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most dangerous enemies, and who stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretende. The mention of Pretender of Spain and Barbados in the first, Dublin in the second, Salmanaazor and Formosa with London in the third and Papist and Pretender in the last are examples of geographical and theological allusions.
Asyndeton : The essay shows the use of asyndeton in the following example, i. I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. The example shows the omission of conjunction between most of the clauses here.
Dark Humor : The essay shows the use of dark humor in the below sentence , i. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone , the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter . This example shows the use of taboos of cannibalism in a light mood as if they can be exercised freely.
Ethos : The essay shows the use of ethos . For example, i. It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. This example shows how the author has established his ethos by presenting a common observable scene.
Foreshadow: The essay shows the following examples of foreshadowing , i. It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. ii. There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children. These quotes from “ A Modest Proposal ” foreshadow the suggestions that Swift is going to throw before his readers.
Hyperbole : Hyperbole or exaggeration occurs in the essay at various places, for example, i. I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust. The above sentence is hyperbole , and also it shows how the suggestion is horrible and disgusting.
Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, i. It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. ii. There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to avoid the expense than the shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast. iii. Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance. These examples show different images such as the images of squalor and poverty in the first, of murdering in the second, and of disabilities in the third.
Irony : The essay shows the use of irony in the below examples, i. There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to avoid the expence than the shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast. ii. But I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by cold and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected. And as to the young labourers, they are now in almost as hopeful a condition. Both of these examples show the use of irony as the meanings are not what the author has written but quite opposite to what he says.
Kairos : The essay shows the use of kairos as the credentials of the author, references to the domination of the Protestant, colonization of the different parts of the world by Britain, and other historical clues point to the context and temporality of the essay.
Logos : The essay shows the use of logos in the following sentences, i. The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couple, who are able to maintain their own children, (although I apprehend there cannot be so many, under the present distresses of the kingdom) but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders. ii. I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or a girl before twelve years old, is no saleable commodity, and even when they come to this age, they will not yield above three pounds, or three pounds and half a crown at most, on the exchange; which cannot turn to account either to the parents or kingdom, the charge of nutriments and rags having been at least four times that value. Both of these examples show the use of logos that is to use evidence to support one’s argument to make it convincing.
Metaphor : “A Modest Proposal” shows good use of various metaphors in the below examples, i. I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children. ii. Whereas the maintainance of an hundred thousand children, from two years old, and upwards, cannot be computed at less than ten shillings a piece per annum. iii. The constant breeders, besides the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year. The first example compares landlords to crocodiles as they devour, the second children to things about their maintenance and third parents to animals who are breeders.
Mood : The essay “A Modest Proposal” shows various moods but the prominent ones are formal, ironic and cynical.
Narrator : The essay is narrated from a first person point of view , which is the writer, Jonathan Swift.
Pathos : The essay shows the example of pathos as follows, i. It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. The example shows how Swift has used pathos to awaken pity and sympathy in his readers.
Repetition : The essay shows the use of repetition at several places such “I assure you…”, “I am sure…” and “I have been assured…”. These phrases have made it a convincing piece of rhetoric .
Rhetorical Questions : The essay shows good use of rhetorical questions at several places, for example, i. The question therefore is, How this number shall be reared, and provided for? which, as I have already said. This example shows the use of rhetorical questions posed by the narrator to stress upon the idea instead of asking the question.
Satire : The essay shows the use of satire in the following examples, i. ..whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound, useful members of the commonwealth would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation. ii. I am assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London; that a young healthy child, well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food; whether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled, and I make no doubt, that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or ragout. Both of these examples show the use of satire in the essay.
Simile : The essay shows good use of various similes in the following sentences, i. I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our school-boys. ii. …and the inhabitants of TOPINAMBOO: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken… These are similes as the use of the word “like” shows the comparison between different things.
Tone : The tone of the essay “A Modest Proposal” is satiric, sarcastic, and, at times, ironic.

Jonathan Swift
Gulliver’s Travels

argumentative essay on a modest proposal

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A Modest Proposal

Background of the Essay

Historical background.

The essay “A Modest Proposal” was written by Jonathan Swift. It was published in 1729. The full name of the essay was “A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to their Parents or Country and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick.” At that time, England was ruling Ireland, and Swift was one of the ruling class members. The people of Ireland suffered a lot during this rule.

The group of English people ruling England was protestant, and the people of Ireland were mainly Catholics. As a result, there was a vast chasm between the two. The protestant elites did not like the catholic citizens and never took steps for their betterment. Instead, they imposed religious restrictions on them. Moreover, the common people of Ireland were left very poor by imposing many restrictions on trade for them. To add to this problem of poverty, the country was also overpopulated.

Jonathan Swift wanted this situation to change. He made many attempts to persuade the government of that time to take steps for the progress of the country and the prosperity of the people. He wrote many letters in this regard but never got any positive response. So, this proposal is another attempt at making the government realize the woes of the people. He uses his skill of satire to show how grave the problems of common people are. At the same time, he was angry with the passivity and apathy of the Irish people and wanted to awaken them.

Literary Background of A Modest Proposal

“A Modest Proposal” is a satirical essay by genre. The author of this essay, Jonathan Swift, is regarded as one of the best satirists in English Literature ever. This essay holds a special place among his satirical writings. Its effect is enhanced by the shocking change of mood in the middle of the essay.

Satirical essays are characterized by the use of irony and shifts of moods. In this essay, too, the author starts with the description of the miserable condition of the beggar women and children wandering and begging in the streets of Ireland. He seems sympathetic and describes the plights of these beggars. At this point, the shock arrives, and the author presents his strange proposal. He comes up with the idea that these poor children of Ireland should be butchered and eaten. His tone remains totally objective as he supports his claim through various statistics. In this manner, he satirizes the method of objective analysis of social matters, which was very common at that time.

A Modest Proposal Summary

The essay opens with the narrator invoking the usual scene on the streets in Ireland i.e., the melancholy sight of female beggars begging along with their children. He says that these females are forced to beg for food because they are not able to work. The children grow up to become thieves or go to the Americas, searching for a better future.

After this empathy-inspiring description of female beggars and their children, the author goes on to claim that this is a matter of national concern. He says that these children, in particular, are a burden on the already crippled Kingdom. Therefore, he argues that if anyone can come up with a plan that can turn these beggar children into useful citizens, it will be a great service to the country and its people.

At this point, the author starts describing the authenticity and merits of his proposal. This proposal, he says, can solve the problem of beggar children. Moreover, it can also cater for all children of a specific age whose parents, even though they have not started begging, cannot support them in their current financial condition.

As the background of his proposal, the author provides the statistics of Ireland’s population. He argues that the proposals presented by others regarding this problem are insufficient to solve it. They have not considered the ground realities before proposing their schemes.

Having negated other proposals, the author proposes his own solution to the problem. He says that a child can easily be fed for the first year of his/her life. The total cost needed to bring up a child for the first year is no more than two shillings. The major part of the child’s diet in this period is covered through breast milk, which is free.

The problematic phase starts after the first year. The needs of children grow, and so does the cost of upbringing. So, the “modest” proposal provides a solution for one-year-old children. The author says that his proposal will result in making the setback an advantage. The children, who are now a burden on their families and the government, will become a source of food and clothing.

Moreover, the proposal will result in lessening the ill-practices of infanticide and abortion because the mothers will not have to worry about the expenses of upbringing the child. He says that many people commit these sins because they fear the expenses of feeding a child.

At this point, some more statistics are forwarded. The population of Ireland is around 1.5 million. Out of these 1.5 million people, around two hundred thousand women are adult enough to conceive a child. Out of these two hundred thousand women, only thirty thousand might be able to bring up their children without any financial worries. This leaves one hundred and seventy thousand breeders—as he calls them. Among these breeders, around fifty thousand children can be supposed to be miscarried or die during the first year of their lives.

So, it is clear that every year around one hundred and twenty thousand children are born in low-income families who are unable to feed them properly. Therefore, the problem needs to be solved. These kids cannot be given employment in the country that neither cultivates lands nor builds new houses. The children cannot be sold as slaves before they reach the age of twelve, and when they are sold after this age, they earn very little money. This money is not equal to the amount spent on their upbringing. All of them cannot become thieves as well before reaching the age of six years.

Having detailed the problem, the author forwards his solution to the problem. He says that an American person has told him that a child of one year is a very delicious and nutritious food. The child can be either boiled, or stewed, or bakes, or roasted.

Building upon this information, he says that a proper plan of action should be devised to dispose of the children born in low-income families. Out of the one hundred and twenty thousand children, twenty thousand should be allowed to live. They will serve the purpose of breeding and maintenance of the population.

However, a proper ratio of one male to four females should be maintained among them. One man will be adequate to serve four women in breeding. The remaining one hundred thousand children should be fed and fattened in order to be sold as a food delicacy. The author also suggests the different types of dishes that can be prepared with the meat of these children.

After giving the general idea of the proposal, the author goes on to explain specific details. The first point discussed is the cost of the meat of the children. An average baby at one year age weighs around twenty-eight pounds. This suggests that the meat will be more expensive than the other types of meat available in the market.

For this reason, the delicacy will be primarily available to the wealthy landlords of Ireland who have already eaten the majority of the parents of these children. Secondly, he points out that the meat will be available in the market all year round as the children are born every day of the year. Usually, there will be a surge in the supply during spring.

The author moves on to explain the difference between the cost and sale price of the children. On average, a child can be nursed for one year for less than two shillings. On the other hand, the meat of the child will yield ten shillings.

This way, the parents will make an easy profit of eight shillings. At the same time, the buyer will also not be at a loss. He/she will have around four dishes of delicious meat and will have fame in his/her society. Moreover, the skin of the child can also be used as leather when needed. The author says that he is quite sure that there will be many people in Dublin that will be ready to butcher the children and conduct the business.

The author says that he was advised to refine his scheme by a friend. The advice was that he should include teenagers in his proposal because there is a scarcity of deer meat on the tables of the wealthy landlords.

Furthermore, these teenagers are living a miserable life and are unable to find any employment. He, however, disagrees with this suggestion on two points.

Firstly, the meat of the teenagers is lean and hard, and its taste is also not very good.

Secondly, some people might—unjustly—censure this practice as cruelty. Therefore, it would not be wise to add this suggestion to the proposal.

The author admits that there are a lot of other poor people that are unable to find work for themselves and are a burden on society. These include sick, aged, and disable people. However, he does not show any worry about them because these people are going to die very soon.

The author admits that he has digressed and comes back to his original proposal. He says that his proposal is beneficial in the sense that the Catholics will lessen in number in this way. The Catholics are disadvantageous to the country as they have very large families. He accuses them of their political activities and calls them the enemy of the state.

Another advantage the proposal will have is that the underprivileged tenants will be able to clear their debts by selling their children. In this way, the economy of the nation will improve. Consequently, a liability will turn into a product of the national level. Moreover, a new dish will also be added to the cuisine of the landlords.

The benefit of selling their children will not stop at eight shillings only. The parents will not have to pay for the growing expenses of their children after the first year.

Moreover, the business of taverns will also shoot up as the poor people will have pennies in their hands. Morally speaking, the scheme will result in an increase in marriages and maternal love for children. Domestic violence will also go down for the period of the time of pregnancy. There will be a competition among mothers to bring the healthiest child to the sale. Other types of beef will then be exported more and will bring money to the country.

Inside the country, they will have to raise their standards in order to compete with the high-quality meat of the children. The author believes that the landlords in London will eat as much as the one-fifth of the total flesh procured in the whole country.

After explaining the minute details of the proposal, the author preempts any type of objections that can be raised. One such objection can be that the population of the country can be reduced very much in this manner. The author says that the reduction of the population is among the goals of the proposal as the population of Ireland is well above the limit. He says that this scheme was prepared for Ireland specifically and should not be applied in any other country.

The author rejects the already existing plans for the prosperity of the country and calls them unrealistic and naive. He says that he has become tired of such unrealistic schemes in the past and is now excited about his current discovery. This plan, according to him, is highly practical and realistic. This scheme also has the advantage that there is no chance that it will anger England. Rather, England will be happy to import this delicacy from Ireland. He says that there is a country that might be able to eat the Irish nation without preservatives.

The author claims that no substitute plan can equal his plan even if they are similarly easy, innocent, and cheap. The reason is that his proposal considers two main issues that cannot be addressed by any other plan. The first issue it addresses is that of clothing and feeding one hundred thousand useless children. The second issue is the extreme level of poverty. The author says that Irish people are so poor that they would be happy to be able to be sold for food.

The author says that this proposal is forwarded in the interest of the common people, and he seeks no benefit out of it. His own children have passed this age and can, therefore, not be sold. He just wants to advance the trade of the nation, relieve the unprivileged, provide for the kids, and give some pleasure to the landlords.

A Modest Proposal Analysis

In the essay “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift satirizes the elite class of Ireland and their British colonizers. At the same time, he vents his disgust at the Irish people for not doing anything for themselves. It also mocks the cold and inhumane methods of problem-solving in the eighteenth century. At that time, people used to give solutions to the grievous problems of humanity on the basis of irrelevant statistics.

In order to catch the attention of the audience and to convey his point, Swift makes his proposal sound barbarous without a tinge of human empathy. He talks of human slaughter and cooking like he is talking about cattle or poultry. He takes the path of utilitarianism and talks about solving the problem of poverty and overpopulation in an indifferent economic manner. His proposal can benefit society at the cost of a few humans. Through this technique, he shows how irrelevant utilitarianism is to human problems.

The Pattern of Rhetoric

In this essay, Jonathan Swift uses the traditional system of rhetoric to organize his argument. In this system, the argument is presented in five steps.

The first part of the argument introduces the subject and is called exordium.

The second part of the argument narrates the ground facts and realities. This part is called the narratio.

The third part of the argument confirms the claims of the argument through proofs and is called confirmatio.

The fourth part of the argument refutes any possible objections to the argument. This part is called confutatio.

The last part of the argument employs pathos and appeals to the audience. It also sums up the whole discussion and is called peroratio.

In the exordium part of the essay, the author describes the usual scene of the streets of Ireland. He says that the sight of women beggars, along with their children, is very common on the streets of Ireland. These kids are shabbily dressed and are malnourished. This description introduces the problem of hunger, begging, and poverty.

To this problem, the author presents his cheap and effortless solution. The solution is of nursing the babies of these low-income families for one year and then butchering them to be sold as meat to the landlords.

In the next part of the argument, the author presents the ground realities. He says that among the 1.5 million people living in Ireland, there will be around two hundred thousand breeders. Out of these two hundred thousand breeders, around one hundred and seventy thousand will be poor. If they give birth to children, they will not be able to bear the expenses.

Therefore, they become a burden on the country and their families. Subtracting another fifty thousand children who might die during the first year, a total of one hundred and twenty thousand poor babies are left. Among these children, the author proposes to leave twenty thousand for breeding and to butcher the remaining one hundred thousand for eating.

In this manner, they will bring income to their families and delicious meat to the tables of landlords. Moreover, it will help in controlling the population of the country.

In the confirmatio part of the argument, the author lists the benefits of his proposal. His proposal will help the poor people get rid of their poverty as they will get a profit of eight shillings and will not have to bear the expenses of children after the first year.

Moreover, they will be inclined to marry early and will leave behind the ill doings like abortion and infanticide. On the other hand, the elites will have a new delicious dish on their tables. The economy of the country will also move forward. At the same time, the number of Catholics will be reduced as they are not liked by the ruling class.

In the confutatio part of the argument, the author refutes any possible objection to his proposal. He says that some people might object that this proposal will result in lessening the population of the country. He replies by saying that it was one of his goals while he was forwarding his proposal as the country is overpopulated.

In the last part of the argument, the author employs pathos and says that his proposal is not based on any self-interest. Rather, his sole motive is the common good. He wants to relieve the burdens of ordinary people. As for his part, he says that he cannot benefit from this scheme as his youngest child is already nine years of age.

A Modest Proposal as a A Satirical Essay

The satire in this essay is of a very wide spectrum and ranges from the people of Ireland to the colonizers of England. Following is a brief account of the ways these different groups are satirized.

On the Irish Government

The government of Ireland is satirized for being apathetic and ignorant of the problems of the people of Ireland. They are also satirized for the religious restrictions they have put on the Catholics of Ireland.

On the Irish People

The people of Ireland are satirized for their inability to see and solve their own problems. They are shown to be so dull and lazy that they would even kill their own children but would not stand up for their rights.

On the English Rulers

The colonizers of England are satirized for their inhumane behavior towards the colonized people. The rulers of England are said to be ready to eat the whole nation. It is also said that England will have no objection to this trade of human flesh.

On Utilitarianism

The philosophy of utilitarianism is satirized for its inability to solve the problems of humans. The speaker of this essay employs a utilitarian approach in his proposal, and the ineptness of the approach becomes visible from the very start.

Tone of the Essay

The tone of the essay is thoroughly ironic and satirical. The author presents his proposal in a manner that the audiences are supposed to disagree with. He intends to mock the type of solution which his proposal has. In this way, the author does exactly what he wants to tackle. The inhumane speaker of the essay is the caricature of the followers of utilitarian philosophy.

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A Modest Proposal

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Modest Proposal: Introduction

Modest proposal: plot summary, modest proposal: detailed summary & analysis, modest proposal: themes, modest proposal: quotes, modest proposal: characters, modest proposal: symbols, modest proposal: literary devices, modest proposal: theme wheel, brief biography of jonathan swift.

Historical Context of A Modest Proposal

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Full Title: A Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burthen to their Parents, Or the Country, and For Making Them Beneficial to the Publick
When Written: 1729
Where Written: Dublin, Ireland
When Published: 1729
Literary Period: Enlightenment / Augustan Literature
Genre: Satirical essay / Polemic / Argumentative essay
Setting: Dublin, Ireland
Climax: The proposer, while trying to defend his call for cannibalism as the only possible solution to the crisis in Ireland, unknowingly gives a strong argument for the many sensible alternatives to his proposal.
Antagonist: The Anglo-Irish ruling class / the Irish poor / humankind
Point of View: First-person

Extra Credit for A Modest Proposal

You can’t hide behind a pseudonym. Despite the anonymity of the original pamphlet, many readers of “A Modest Proposal” knew immediately that Swift was behind it.

Famous Family. Jonathan Swift was a distant cousin to Jonathan Dryden, then one of the most famous poets in England.

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A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift | Summary & Analysis

Who is Jonathan Swift? Jonathan Swift was an Irish writer, poet, and satirist best known for his novel “Gulliver’s Travels” and his satirical essays. One of his most famous works, “A Modest Proposal,” is a satirical essay published in 1729. This essay is often studied for its biting social commentary and clever use of satire.

Table of Contents

Background of “A Modest Proposal”

“A Modest Proposal” was written during a time of great social and economic turmoil in Ireland. The country was suffering from poverty, famine, and overpopulation, and the British government’s policies were exacerbating these issues. Swift wrote “A Modest Proposal” as a way to draw attention to the dire conditions in Ireland and to criticize the British government’s handling of the situation.

Summary of “A Modest Proposal”

In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift presents a shocking solution to Ireland’s poverty problem: he suggests that impoverished Irish families should sell their children as food to wealthy English landlords. Swift argues that this solution would not only alleviate poverty but also provide a new source of income for the Irish people.

Swift’s proposal is presented in a straightforward and logical manner, but it quickly becomes apparent that he is using satire to critique the British government’s indifference to the suffering of the Irish people. By proposing something so outrageous and morally repugnant, Swift forces his readers to confront the reality of the situation in Ireland and to question the policies that have led to such extreme poverty and desperation.

Analysis of “A Modest Proposal”

Swift’s satirical approach is what makes “A Modest Proposal” such a powerful and effective piece of writing. By presenting his proposal in a calm and rational tone, Swift lulls his readers into a false sense of security before shocking them with the absurdity of his suggestion. This technique allows Swift to highlight the absurdity of the British government’s policies and to make a powerful statement about the moral bankruptcy of those in power.

In addition to its satirical elements, “A Modest Proposal” is also a scathing indictment of the social and political conditions in Ireland at the time. Swift uses his proposal to criticize the British government’s economic policies, which he argues have contributed to the poverty and suffering of the Irish people. He also highlights the hypocrisy of the wealthy English landlords who exploit the Irish peasantry for their own gain.

Impact and Reception of “A Modest Proposal”

When “A Modest Proposal” was first published, it caused a sensation and sparked a heated debate about the state of Ireland and the ethics of Swift’s proposal. Some readers were shocked and outraged by Swift’s suggestion, while others recognized it as a brilliant piece of satire that exposed the injustices of the time.

Over the years, “A Modest Proposal” has continued to be studied and analyzed by scholars and students alike. Its enduring relevance is a testament to Swift’s skill as a writer and the power of satire to provoke thought and inspire change.

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In conclusion, “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift is a masterful work of satire that uses humor and irony to expose the social and political injustices of its time. Swift’s biting critique of the British government and its policies continues to resonate with readers today, making “A Modest Proposal” a timeless classic of English literature.

Was “A Modest Proposal” actually intended to be taken seriously?

No, Jonathan Swift wrote “A Modest Proposal” as a satirical piece intended to criticize the British government’s policies in Ireland. It was not meant to be taken literally.

What was the reaction to “A Modest Proposal” when it was first published?

The essay sparked a heated debate, with some readers outraged by its content and others recognizing it as a work of satire.

What are some of the literary devices used in “A Modest Proposal”?

Swift employs irony, sarcasm, and exaggeration to make his point in “A Modest Proposal.”

What is the significance of the title “A Modest Proposal”?

The title is ironic, as Swift’s proposal is anything but modest. It is a scathing critique of the British government’s policies in Ireland.

Why is “A Modest Proposal” still studied today?

The essay remains relevant because of its powerful social and political commentary, as well as its timeless exploration of the use of satire as a tool for social change.

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A Modest Proposal

For preventing the children of poor people in ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick., by dr. jonathan swift.

It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.

I think it is agreed by all parties, that this prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these children sound and useful members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the publick, as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.

But my intention is very far from being confined to provide only for the children of professed beggars: it is of a much greater extent, and shall take in the whole number of infants at a certain age, who are born of parents in effect as little able to support them, as those who demand our charity in the streets.

As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of our projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in their computation. It is true, a child just dropt from its dam, may be supported by her milk, for a solar year, with little other nourishment: at most not above the value of two shillings, which the mother may certainly get, or the value in scraps, by her lawful occupation of begging; and it is exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner, as, instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing of many thousands.

There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to avoid the expence than the shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast.

The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple, whose wives are breeders; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couple, who are able to maintain their own children, (although I apprehend there cannot be so many under the present distresses of the kingdom) but this being granted, there will remain a hundred and seventy thousand breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand, for those women who miscarry, or whose children die by accident or disease within the year. There only remain a hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born. The question therefore is, How this number shall be reared and provided for? which, as I have already said, under the present situation of affairs, is utterly impossible by all the methods hitherto proposed. For we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; they neither build houses, (I mean in the country) nor cultivate land: they can very seldom pick up a livelihood by stealing till they arrive at six years old; except where they are of towardly parts, although I confess they learn the rudiments much earlier; during which time they can however be properly looked upon only as probationers; as I have been informed by a principal gentleman in the county of Cavan, who protested to me, that he never knew above one or two instances under the age of six, even in a part of the kingdom so renowned for the quickest proficiency in that art.

I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or a girl, before twelve years old, is no saleable commodity, and even when they come to this age, they will not yield above three pounds, or three pounds and half a crown at most, on the exchange; which cannot turn to account either to the parents or kingdom, the charge of nutriments and rags having been at least four times that value.

I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasee, or a ragoust.

I do therefore humbly offer it to publick consideration, that of the hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed, twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine, and my reason is, that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore, one male will be sufficient to serve four females. That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune, through the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump, and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.

I have reckoned upon a medium, that a child just born will weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, encreaseth to 28 pounds.

I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children.

Infant’s flesh will be in season throughout the year, but more plentiful in March, and a little before and after; for we are told by a grave author, an eminent French physician, that fish being a prolifick dyet, there are more children born in Roman Catholick countries about nine months after Lent, than at any other season; therefore, reckoning a year after Lent, the markets will be more glutted than usual, because the number of Popish infants, is at least three to one in this kingdom, and therefore it will have one other collateral advantage, by lessening the number of Papists among us.

I have already computed the charge of nursing a beggar’s child (in which list I reckon all cottagers, labourers, and four-fifths of the farmers) to be about two shillings per annum, rags included; and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which, as I have said, will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat, when he hath only some particular friend, or his own family to dine with him. Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and grow popular among his tenants, the mother will have eight shillings neat profit, and be fit for work till she produces another child.

Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass; the skin of which, artificially dressed, will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.

As to our City of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this purpose, in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting; although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.

A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased in discoursing on this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme. He said, that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well supplied by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not exceeding fourteen years of age, nor under twelve; so great a number of both sexes in every county being now ready to starve for want of work and service: and these to be disposed of by their parents if alive, or otherwise by their nearest relations. But with due deference to so excellent a friend, and so deserving a patriot, I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our schoolboys, by continual exercise, and their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them would not answer the charge. Then as to the females, it would, I think, with humble submission, be a loss to the publick, because they soon would become breeders themselves: and besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice, (although indeed very unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, how well soever intended.

But in order to justify my friend, he confessed, that this expedient was put into his head by the famous Psalmanaazor, a native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to London, above twenty years ago, and in conversation told my friend, that in his country, when any young person happened to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality, as a prime dainty; and that, in his time, the body of a plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison the Emperor, was sold to his imperial majesty’s prime minister of state, and other great mandarins of the court in joints from the gibbet, at four hundred crowns. Neither indeed can I deny, that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town, who without one single groat to their fortunes, cannot stir abroad without a chair, and appear at a playhouse and assemblies in foreign fineries which they never will pay for, the kingdom would not be the worse.

Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance. But I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by cold and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected. And as to the young labourers, they are now in almost as hopeful a condition. They cannot get work, and consequently pine away from want of nourishment, to a degree, that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labour, they have not strength to perform it, and thus the country and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come.

I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to my subject. I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made are obvious and many, as well as of the highest importance.

For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of Papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, being the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most dangerous enemies, and who stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good Protestants, who have chosen rather to leave their country, than stay at home and pay tithes against their conscience to an episcopal curate.

Secondly, The poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own, which by law may be made liable to a distress, and help to pay their landlord’s rent, their corn and cattle being already seized, and money a thing unknown.

Thirdly, Whereas the maintainance of a hundred thousand children, from two years old, and upwards, cannot be computed at less than ten shillings a piece per annum, the nation’s stock will be thereby encreased fifty thousand pounds per annum, besides the profit of a new dish, introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom, who have any refinement in taste. And the money will circulate among our selves, the goods being entirely of our own growth and manufacture.

Fourthly, The constant breeders, besides the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year.

Fifthly, This food would likewise bring great custom to taverns, where the vintners will certainly be so prudent as to procure the best receipts for dressing it to perfection; and consequently have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who justly value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating; and a skilful cook, who understands how to oblige his guests, will contrive to make it as expensive as they please.

Sixthly, This would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards, or enforced by laws and penalties. It would encrease the care and tenderness of mothers towards their children, when they were sure of a settlement for life to the poor babes, provided in some sort by the publick, to their annual profit instead of expence. We should soon see an honest emulation among the married women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the market. Men would become as fond of their wives, during the time of their pregnancy, as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in calf, or sows when they are ready to farrow; nor offer to beat or kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage.

Many other advantages might be enumerated. For instance, the addition of some thousand carcasses in our exportation of barrel’d beef: the propagation of swine’s flesh, and improvement in the art of making good bacon, so much wanted among us by the great destruction of pigs, too frequent at our tables; which are no way comparable in taste or magnificence to a well grown, fat yearling child, which roasted whole will make a considerable figure at a Lord Mayor’s feast, or any other publick entertainment. But this, and many others, I omit, being studious of brevity.

Supposing that one thousand families in this city, would be constant customers for infants flesh, besides others who might have it at merry meetings, particularly at weddings and christenings, I compute that Dublin would take off annually about twenty thousand carcasses; and the rest of the kingdom (where probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper) the remaining eighty thousand.

I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I freely own, and was indeed one principal design in offering it to the world. I desire the reader will observe, that I calculate my remedy for this one individual Kingdom of Ireland, and for no other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can be upon Earth. Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither clothes, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Topinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants. Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it.

Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients, till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice.

But, as to myself, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal, which, as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid and real, of no expence and little trouble, full in our own power, and whereby we can incur no danger in disobliging England. For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.

After all, I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion, as to reject any offer, proposed by wise men, which shall be found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual. But before something of that kind shall be advanced in contradiction to my scheme, and offering a better, I desire the author or authors will be pleased maturely to consider two points. First, As things now stand, how they will be able to find food and raiment for a hundred thousand useless mouths and backs. And secondly, There being a round million of creatures in humane figure throughout this kingdom, whose whole subsistence put into a common stock, would leave them in debt two million of pounds sterling, adding those who are beggars by profession, to the bulk of farmers, cottagers and labourers, with their wives and children, who are beggars in effect; I desire those politicians who dislike my overture, and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an answer, that they will first ask the parents of these mortals, whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food at a year old, in the manner I prescribe, and thereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes, as they have since gone through, by the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without money or trade, the want of common sustenance, with neither house nor clothes to cover them from the inclemencies of the weather, and the most inevitable prospect of intailing the like, or greater miseries, upon their breed for ever.

I profess in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children, by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.

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An Introduction to Satire: A Modest Proposal

by Kellie McGann | 34 comments

I was a junior in High School when I was first introduced to satire. I had been fluent in sarcasm for some time, but it was in my AP English class that I first became very, very confused.

We were instructed to come into the class, sit at our desks, and read the paper on our desks without speaking to one another. This wasn't abnormal, as our teacher often conducted weird class experiments. There on our desks was a thick packet with the cover page facing up, “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift.

A Modest Proposal: The Perfect Example of Satire

For those of you who have not read this piece, you must . ( I found a free version online here. )

While the class read through it, heads turned and concerned eyes met from students around the room. I remember rolling my eyes at a friend muttering how crazy our teacher was. (I had no idea why we were reading this or what it meant.)

Swift's, “A Modest Proposal” outlines the solution for the famine in Ireland in the early 1700's. The solution proposed by Swift is that poor families should sell their newborn babies to rich families to eat. He explains how logical it would be for poor families to make money, have less children to feed, and for rich families to have a high quality protein source. Swift is as kind as to include different ways and suggested recipes for cooking these babies.

When we finished reading our teacher asked us what we thought of the piece. Students began commenting, “What is this?”, “Is this real?”, and then “Hey, doesn't sound like such a bad idea.”

Before we got too far into our heated debate, our teacher introduced that this was satire . We still smiled blankly, but he finally began to explain the concept.

The Definition of Satire

Here is the definition of satire according to Google:

The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

In this case, Swift used satire as a way to express the issue of poverty in Ireland and to mock the rich's view towards the poor during the famine.

To be clear, Swift is not saying that eating children is a reasonable solution to the problem, rather he is demonstrating the heartless and cruel attitude of the rich, while pointing out the issues he sees with the Irish government.

Want to Write Satire?

Me too. Looks fun, and you get to make ridiculous arguments. Here are two techniques and tips to write great satire.

1. Use a Serious Tone

In “A Modest Proposal” Swift uses an intense, serious tone throughout the entire piece. One of the most important things about using tone is that we make sure we choose the correct tone to convey the message we so desire.

In satire, most commonly, the most effective tone to use is the serious tone. This is because the serious tone creates this confusion within the reader, just like my junior class was confused the first time we read satire. If the author was using joking language, we would understand that this wasn't real and lose interest, but because of the intense serious language, we couldn't stop talking about it.

Be definitive. Say crazy things. Give detail. Eat babies. (Just kidding, don't do that.)

2. Use Sustained Irony

Irony is saying one thing, while meaning the other, or in situations when the outcome is contrary to what is expected. “A Modest Proposal” is often hailed as one of the greatest examples of sustained irony in the English language. Swift accomplishes this by starting the piece highlighting the problem of starving families in Ireland, and then proposing his solution.

A young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or a ragout.”

How's that for irony?

Where You Can Read Satire

If you want to write satire, one of my biggest tips is that you read satire. Satire is a different way of thinking, and in order to understand it better and write it better, you must become acquainted with it's style, prose, and voice.

Check out a few of these satirical sites:

World News Daily Report

Do you enjoy satire? Have you ever written it? Let us know in the comments section .

Take fifteen minutes and practice writing some satire! Choose a popular subject and make your point. Don't forget to use irony and tone! Make sure you share your practice in the comments below !

Kellie McGann

Kellie McGann is the founder of Write a Better Book . She partners with leaders to help tell their stories in book form.

On the weekends, she writes poetry and prose.

She contributes to The Write Practice every other Wednesday.

Dialogue Tags: What They Are and How To Use Them with speech bubbles

34 Comments

I enjoy satire, to read and to view in a play or show, as long as it is ‘satirical’ and not mean or cruel, but subtle and humorous.

I agree Lillian!

This is a challenge. I’m curious to read posts from members.

Great topic! Here’s how I began a “humorous” speech recently. I guess this is satire:

When my mother turned 92, she told me: “If I’m still alive in two years… shoot me.” When she turned 94 she said the same thing. And this time she meant it. “Honour Thy Parents,” they say. It’s the Fifth Commandment, but wait a minute!

I CAN’T SHOOT MY MOTHER. Or can I?

Logically, we should shoot everyone over 80. The evidence against longevity is overwhelming: 1) Old people wish they were dead, and, 2) Old people can’t afford longevity!

I’ve done the research on longevity, done my due diligence, and I’m wondering now if perhaps I should just…go ahead and shoot her.

(NOTE: Some people in the audience were totally freaked out. They’re still talking about it. They keep asking how my mother is.)

Ha! PJ that’s great!

This is good, P J Reece. I must confess, my husband and I have been talking about no 1) and 2) and old people. He looked at me and said, “What am I doing here?” What could I say except, “We don’t have a gun.”

This is great, PJ. Old people take up so much space, and it’s only logical to shoot them while they’re ahead.

Absolutely. The worst part of this mother business is that my mother is now 101 and has no intention of surrendering. She has transcended fate. It’s scary.

Now that is satire! Was Jonathan Swift your ancestor?

Mind you, it would have been apt to shoot my father – at a much longer age! Mind you, I wouldn’t have actually done it, no matter how much he merited an abbreviated life span, but to have written a satire on the topic would have been so comforting! But is this really the wrong approach for this writing exercise? Pity.

Wow, awesome topic. I come from Serbia and we LOVE satire irony and dark humor! And I love your point about writing in “serious” tone. That is the very thing that makes people think and scratch their heads in astonishment. “Wait a minute, this guy is not serious!” That moment of confusion and re-thinking is the precious gift for a reader. Thank you for this call, i will definitely try to write satire and let you know how it went.

Milena, I agree! It’s so fun to watch people scratch their heads 🙂 Can’t wait to read your satire!

Love this. Satire can also be an amazing tool for dealing with personal stuff, as I’ve found out over the past few months. It’s oddly refreshing.

It’s interesting to note that Swift tried to get his point across in more conventional essays but was largely ignored. It wasn’t until he wrote A Modest Proposal and used pamphlets to distribute it widely, that it received any notice. Sometimes satire is the most powerful tool.

Wow Jay, interesting! I did not know that. Satire can be the most influential it seems. Thanks for sharing!

The United States Air Force has a number of B-17 bombers that could be used to destroy any ISIS stronghold. Fill the bombers with garbage and drop the waste. If ISIS tries to shoot down the falling garbage, it becomes more garbage. We now solve the ISIS problem and eliminate the need for garbage landfills. The bombers fly at a very high altitude and are out of harms way.

Great job Frank! Thanks for sharing.

Great solution, bury them in garbage!

A Proposal of Modesty, spoken in the voice of Foghorn Leghorn

Let us propose to move all the Gays, Lesbo’s and Queer mutha-fuckas to Canada. Lots of room up there, mostly penguins, deers, and polar bears. Perhaps them polar bears can eat some of those queers and Lesbo’s and help take the penguins off the endangered species list. Ya know whut they say, “If it ain’t got antlers!” Damn son, I kill my self sometimes. Of course if we do this, we will have to find something for Pat Robertson, southern congress-folk — you know them representatives and senators — and nearly all of the Christian folk to blame things on. Well, not the Presbyterians. Of course there might be room in Canada to ship all the Presbyterians as well. Think we could include the Lutherans?

I’m neither gay nor Christian nor a penguin, but there’s something not quite right about this satire. I offer up this criticism, Gary, just to point how difficult it is to write good satire. I’d love to see you rewrite this.. but according to what principles of satire, I’m not sure. Anybody have some insight into this?

Mostly I believe if I have to explain things, I got it wrong. Having said that, I have made some changes, and I too would be interested in other insight.

What I see mainly in your piece, Gary, is the courage to throw something on the page, because it’s a potent starting point. Yes, where’s the insight we’re looking for? Help!

I don’t know how much U.S. news you are familiar with. There has been a huge flack over same sex marriages here with the fundamentalist and a couple blaming everything from global warming and the fall of the economy on homosexuality. It’s gotten ridiculous. Foghorn Leghorn would have been the spokesman. Anyway that was the intent.

Here is a short start to some satire I have had in mind for quite some time.

I realized something long ago. When I was young boy and my father was telling me how lucky I was that I had my whole life ahead of me. He told me about my schooling ahead and how much there was going to learn. He told me that I would see the world from north to south, west to east. He teared up as he told me about the life i had coming. “What I wouldn’t give to be your age again” he told me. It was then I realized: Life is too long.

I began smoking at once. Two birds one stone cigarettes are, You kill time now AND later. I stared into the light of my phone, flicking my thumb up, down, left and right. I counted stars. I actually counted how many breaths I took in an hour once.

I began to write a book in my late twenties called “mediations on passing time”

This is great, I would love to hear more! I think your irony is great!

I chose to use a very light, whimsical tone, almost a caricature, instead of a serious tone in my prose poem on “woman on woman combat” or competition among females.

A bowl of chili explodes in the microwave. Office girls, run and see, gather round. Who left it there? How rude. Quite uncivilized. Remove it at once. Ouch, it’s hot! My hand!

Let’s run your hand under water until the paramedic arrives. A creamy white hand holds a pink, blistered one under water. A voice, so deep and calm, I’m here to save you. Thank you, Creamy Hands, for holding the Blistered Hand until I got here. You must say that to all the girls. Not all girls have such smooth, creamy hands.

What about me? I’m the one who’s hurt, Blistered Hand pouts, glancing knowingly at the circle of hands waiting round the cauldron. So you are, Deep Voice says, turning toward Blistered Hand as Creamy Hands tucks her tail and retreats to her desk.

Threat! She’s an irredeemable flirt. Her hands are so creamy! She’ll steal our boyfriends. Creamy Hands cannot have both creamy hands and flirty lips. It’s too much! It’s overwhelming. We must stop her. She’ll take over the office! Blistered Hand heals all afternoon, secret texts sent and received by her bandaged hand. Creamy Hands checks her email one last time, just before five. Subject: Indian night delayed. 7pm instead of 6. Shimmy your ta-tas to my place for a night of exotic curries and sangria!

A creamy hand knocks on the door at one minute to seven, cumin-scented rice balls the only thing brighter than her skin. Stand and wait, but no one’s home. The glances, the texts sent from under the desks. Creamy Hands begins to cry, the coven gathering round the cauldron at the bar down the lane.

Tears in her eyes, she mounts her motorcycle, cumin balls in her purse, tail tucked once more to retreat home in shame. Crash! Vision blurred, in a ditch, the blood drips from her creamy leg. She surrenders to the dirt, alone and outcast, and begs the siren to leave her be.

Deep Voice arrives. Creamy Hands, I think you missed me. How did you end up in this ditch, m’lady? Deep Voice, is that you? I made these rice balls for girls’ night, and the girls ditched me. Only jealous girls do the ditching. If you’ll hold my strong hand with your creamy one, I’ll pull you out of this ditch. Shall we? We shall, Deep Voice. Where to, Creamy Hands? To the bar down the lane for sangria.

Shall I order for us, Creamy Hands? Say, isn’t that Blistered Hand there with the ladies from round the cauldron? Wait a minute. Did you bring me here to make them jealous, Creamy Hands? But only as an afterthought, Deep Voice. I do like you! Creamy Hands, I’ll not be flaunted like a piece of deep-voiced meat. Leave me be to nurse my beer at the bar.

Ladies, I miss you, and I still have the cumin-scented rice balls I made for you. Hesitant glances abound, sizing up creamy-handed, flirty-lips when one of the coven spots Deep Voice leaving. Who is that? A cougar! Blistered Hand points to grey hair. He’s leaving with a cougar! But she’s so old and wrinkly, Creamy Hands pouted. There, there, dear, have a sangria. Some women! So cheap and easy! Blank stares round the cauldron. Creamy Hands breaks the silence. Did you see what curly hair wore to work today?

This is really funny Traci! You did a great job!! Pretty true..

Thank you, Kellie! Sad, but true. I think a large dose of humour helps when we confront the dark parts of ourselves. Great article!

How silly! Very cute though.

This is a plan that I’m putting forward to maintain the balance in our modern culture of tolerance.

There have been numerous legal accounts of business owners being ridiculed, sued, and then forced to respect the acts of clientele that are not of their personal interest. This is my solution.

At every Gay event, there is a tent meeting for biblical revivals and soul winning. The tent meeting should be allowed to be as large and as loud as they want.

Christian clothing companies should be allowed to stretch fabric along routes of Gay parades, to advertise their products. This of course might block the view of the parade itself, but that is a right the companies should have.

All businesses, from Starbucks cafes, to Apple’s corporate lobby will have a table available for any bible believer the right to drink coffee and hand out biblical tracts. The tracts might condemn the behaviour of homosexuality, and not show any acceptance to Gay marriage, but these bible believers should have the right.

These are just a sample of the many suggestions that I am proposing to alleviate this burden on our society. To read the complete proposal please got to http://www.thebibleisthewordofgod.com

I am currently writing a modest proposal essay for school and i cant think of anything to write about please help me!!!

OK – I’ll bite. Here’s my practice piece:

Well, it looks like the Grammar Police will finally take some action. Last week they made a proposal to revoke the literary licenses of people who constantly use the the wrong “there” in there writing. There licenses would be torn up and there fingers would be taped together, or better yet, Crazy glued together. There serious about this and are confident that this one step will improve the quality of the stories that we read. I believe that this is a good first step, but in step to, they should go after those who use the wrong to, to! Next they could go after the people who write “Wah Lah!”, problem solved.

I’m reading these entries, and stressing out that I’m not going to be able to write satire. Then read Jay Warner’s from a year ago –

It’s interesting to note that Swift tried to get his point across in more conventional essays but was largely ignored. Okay, I can work with that. Give me time. Thank’s Jay, and thanks to Kellie. I’m really stretching out of my comfort zone!

I have published several satire blogs recently on http://www.satireandmore.com about the U.K. and U.S. elections, E.U. Regulations, Greek financial crisis and other odds and ends.

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Teaching “a modest proposal”.

I don’t do anything magical when I teach it, and it’s certainly not creative or new, but maybe sharing what I do will help along someone whose never taught it before, and others of you who do fun things with it—feel free to share your ideas in the comments.

First, I think you need to introduce the concept of satire. I share an article from The Onion without telling students that’s where it’s from. You can take your pick, but one of my history teacher friends gave me this one that she has used for DBQ’s in AP European History: “ Industrial Revolution Provides Millions of Out-of-Work Children with Jobs .” The themes of both this article and Swift’s essay are similar—the exploitation of children for the benefit of adults, the loss of childhood innocence, harsh conditions for children.

Read the article and generate discussion. Ask students if they agree with it. They’ll probably say no. Ask why. What’s wrong with it? If they don’t figure out it’s satire, you need to lead them toward that conclusion. Then ask them to generate a definition for satire based on their understanding of what it is. Compare that definition to the one provided by your book or dictionary of literary terms. Ask what is the point of satire? Why not just present the problem and the solution in a realistic way? Why not just directly present an issue? What does satire accomplish? Have them list forms of satire they’re familiar with—mine shared mostly TV, but some of your students will know about The Onion or maybe even M.A.D. Magazine .

Next we look at the argument The Onion article made by analyzing the subject, occasion, audience, purpose, and speaker. I use the acronym SOAPS . Subject : What is this article about? Occasion : Why was it written? What is going on at the time that the author is mocking? Audience : Who is this article aimed at? Purpose : What does the author hope to achieve by writing it? and Speaker : How does the author establish himself/herself as an authority on the subject?

My students told me that the subject was children working in the industrial revolution. The occasion was the current economy and large number of out-of-work adults—they felt perhaps the author was drawing attention to the fact that times have been worse. Audience they felt could be virtually anyone living through our current tough economy. They felt the purpose was to give the reader historical perspective, to think about the difficult lives of children in the past. Finally, they felt using quotes from fake historians and the overall tone of the article established the speaker as someone to listen to. Of course, we talked about the rhetorical triangle in context of this analysis, too.

After we analyze The Onion article, we begin “A Modest Proposal.” I think the vocabulary is fairly difficult, so I read it in class with students. We stop and talk to clarify and define vocabulary. After reading the first few paragraphs, before Swift makes his proposal, I ask students what they think he will suggest. How would they solve poverty and hunger? They offer suggestions, and no one in my class at least thought of cannibalizing babies. After reading and discussing the entire essay and analyzing it as we did The Onion article, discussing the article’s effectiveness in drawing attention to the issue, discussing some of Swift’s better barbs, and in particular, drawing attention to the paragraph in which Swift reveals several reasonable solutions to the problems—taxing absentee landlords, manufacturing luxury goods in Great Britain, etc.—I suggest students write their own modest proposal modeled after Swift’s. It’s not the most creative assignment; I did the same assignment myself in high school, so I know I’m not the first person to come up with it. However, it remains my favorite assignment from high school, and I think it gives students free rein to go kind of crazy with their writing and still exercise persuasive writing skills.

We start by generating a list of social issues. Students should think of an outlandish solution to that problem. They should include a paragraph like Swift’s in which they introduce solutions that are actually reasonable and workable only to explain why the reader should not speak to the writer of such untenable solutions. Swift’s essay makes an excellent model for how to proceed. Students may need to do some research about their issue, too. Students usually have a lot of fun with this essay, but it’s also a great assignment for teaching rhetoric and argumentative writing.

Oh, and I still remember what I wrote about for my own essay in high school. Some of you older teachers remember the garbage barge full of NYC trash that had no place to dump? It was an issue in the news when I was in high school. Well, if we have no place to dump our trash, we should dump it in developing countries. Perhaps the toxicity of living with our trash would cause the inhabitants to die off, solving two problems in one: we would have a place for our trash, and we could stop supplying aid to developing countries and use the money for ourselves (preferably luxury goods).

Issues, ideas, and discussion in English Education and Technology

A Modest Proposal and Other Satires

By jonathan swift, a modest proposal and other satires essay questions.

Give examples of satire in “A Modest Proposal” and describe why they are satirical.

Answer: The entirety of “A Modest Proposal” is satirical because it makes fun of other grand ideas that people have proposed to solve big problems in society. The proposal itself—that the Irish should eat their babies—is satirical, too, because it makes fun of people who propose absurd things thinking that they are practical. Swift’s reference to boys and girls as not a “saleable commodity” is a good particular example because it suggests the cold thinking of people who argue for turning everything into questions of economics. A similar moment comes when Swift says that “those who are thrifty” may use the carcass of the infant for ladies’ gloves or gentlemen’s boots; this takes children as animals where the whole animal is used for different purposes. The narrator’s friend, the “very worthy person,” proposes that children of fourteen should be consumed as well, and the honest assessment of this idea is satirical along the same lines; the taste is what matters and, besides, it would limit the number of breeders (which is itself a strange argument if overpopulation or too many Irishmen were the problem). Swift’s final declaration that he has nothing to gain economically from his proposal satirizes the usual protestations of people who are claiming to be altruistic in their proposals.

Discuss the theme of religious prejudice in Swift’s satires.

Answer: “A Modest Proposal” takes on the theme of religious prejudice with the narrator’s assurance that his proposal that Ireland eat its young will decrease the number of “papists” (Roman Catholics). Assuming the narrative voice of a bigoted English Protestant, Swift says that the Irish Catholics are England’s “dangerous enemies.” Swift exposes the stereotype (taken here as a negative) that Catholics have many children by having his narrator call them the “chief breeders of the nation.” In “An Argument Abolishing Christianity,” too, Swift assumes the voice of someone with religious prejudices in order to expose those prejudices. The narrator says that the abolition of Christianity could invite “papists” (again, Catholics) to invade England or would give Freethinkers a lot less enjoyment in sinning or making fun of Christians. "A True and Faithful Narrative" points out Swift’s own prejudice, shared by many (perhaps because it is basic to human nature), that religious people tend to be hypocritical and unwilling to live up to their own ideals.

Why did Swift publish “A Modest Proposal” anonymously? How does this contribute to the effectiveness of his piece?

Answer: If Swift had not published his piece anonymously, readers may have been less likely to consider it serious. If readers knew from the beginning that “A Modest Proposal” was written by an accomplished satirist, they would be looking for the joke from the beginning and might not be taken in at all. The proposed solution for the poverty in Ireland might have been believed for just long enough to make readers appreciate the deeper level of satire against cold and calculating arguments that miss the elements of basic humanity. Assuming the guise of a fake, anonymous narrator allowed him to better parody the prejudices that someone like his narrator might have.

What attitude does “A Modest Proposal” take to the trend of answering social questions with mathematics?

Answer: “A Modest Proposal” mocks the idea that society’s ills can be cured by simple calculations. The piece is full of numbers: the number of people in the entire country, the number of couples, the number of poor couples, the number of children born into poor families, and many more. Swift conducts mathematics with these numbers in his proposal, subtracting, for example, the number of miscarriages or deaths by famine or disease from the total number of children born per year. By turning a tragic thing like the death of children into a math problem, Swift is mocking the tendency in the nineteenth century to view social questions dispassionately in terms of calculations, according to the new advances in science, math, and economics, instead of considering the human element.

Discuss the theme of economic inequality in “A Modest Proposal.”

Answer: Economic inequality was a chief concern of Swift’s, and he expressed this concern satirically in “A Modest Proposal.” The title itself hints at economic inequality—his proposal applies to “the poor people of Ireland.” The children that will be eaten, under this proposal, are poor children. Specifically, the poor children will be bought and eaten by the rich. This is only right, says the narrator, because the rich have already consumed their parents economically. Swift is making the point that economic exploitation is like actual consumption; the rich feed off the poor.

Why might Jonathan Swift have chosen to write so much satire? What is he able to do with a satirical piece that he is unable to do with a serious piece?

Answer: If Jonathan Swift had written serious pieces simply espousing his true beliefs—for instance, that the state of the poor in Ireland was deplorable, that something must be done to help them—he would have likely gotten little response, as there were many such pamphlets circulating at the time. It was hard enough to write a lasting piece in any genre, and at least people like to criticize and they like to laugh. A satirical parody (a shocking one in particular) was likely to get the public’s attention in ways that a seriously written piece could not achieve. “A Modest Proposal” surprised people and got them thinking about the condition of the poor in Ireland and what should seriously be done about it. And when very sensitive subjects are involved, such as criticizing the nation’s prevailing religion, it is much safer to be hard to read and to be seemingly joking rather than to directly challenge authority.

Is Swift’s “main objection” to his idea in “A Modest Proposal” a sincere objection? How does this contribute to the effectiveness of the piece?

Answer: If any reader still thinks that this is a serious piece by this point, the “main objection” ought to persuade them that it is not. The writer says that the main objection to the killing and eating of Irish young is that it will decrease the population. A truly serious objection from a normal human being would be that it is morally wrong to consume human flesh on such a large scale. Furthermore, it is a straw-man objection, since the author reminds the reader that reducing the population is the overall goal anyway. Taking up the real objections would distract the reader by introducing a level of seriousness that the reader already knows how to reply. Besides, Swift introduces indirectly a good objection: that there are better ways to fix the problem, and the narrator even lists a bunch of ideas while saying that he is not interested to consider them. The effectiveness of the piece comes in large measure because the reader becomes engaged in thinking about the real problem and real solutions.

What is going on in the battle of the Ancients and the Moderns in “The Battle of the Books?” Are they truly two separate sides?

Answer: Although the Ancients and the Moderns appear to be two distinct sides in “The Battle of the Books,” there is evidence in the text of their similarity. They fight in the same world over the same territory, and the librarian, for better or for worse, has mixed the Ancients and Moderns together in the library, presumably on the basis of subject matter. The most worthy Moderns use the best of what can be found in the Ancients. The spider and the bee, the allegorical representations of the two sides, are themselves embroiled; the bee gets caught in the spider’s web. Their sources of disagreement, too, do not seem irreconcilable. The quarrel has a lot to do with those Moderns who turn up their noses at the Ancients and arrogantly go on their own way, and with the great swarm of third-rate Moderns who try to make a name for themselves by tearing down the great works and great ideas of the Ancients, or who like to quarrel with one another about the actual value of the Ancients. Certain characters in “The Battle of the Books” are more successful in battle than others based on how Swift judges their literary quality; despite Swift’s usual preference for the best of the Ancients, sometimes a great Modern overcomes a weak Ancient.

Give examples of Jonathan Swift’s literary parody.

Answer: “A Modest Proposal” is a parody of pamphlets distributed at the time that professed to have the single cure for all social problems. Swift thought this “can-do” attitude with its prescriptive writing style was naïve. The introductory material and digressions in A Tale of a Tub are themselves parodies of a variety of types of writing: medical texts, religious texts, and political texts, as well as the kinds of things written in introductions and by booksellers. “Meditation Upon a Broomstick” is a parody of the writing style of Swift’s contemporary Robert Boyle. “The Battle of the Books” parodies many scenes in Homer’s war epic, the Iliad . His satires thus not only parody ideas and personalities but also certain ways of expressing those ideas.

Write an essay in Swift’s style.

Answer: Think of a political or social issue, preferably something relevant to your own place and time. If you choose school uniforms, for example, the next step is to come up with your idea of the problem that is supposedly being solved. Then, decide where you stand on the issue: do school uniforms solve the problem or not? Next, think of a way of expressing this solution that would be extreme (like eating babies in “A Modest Proposal”). For example, if the idea of uniforms is uniformity and you do not think this is a good enough reason for school uniforms, then you could make fun of it by arguing that the students should go to school naked. Your essay will then be in the voice of someone who believes the opposite, arguing for attending school naked for the sake of uniformity (just like Swift’s narrator argued that Ireland should eat its young, but Swift didn’t actually believe this, and like Swift made those in favor of repealing the Test Act seem to be anti-Christianity in “An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity”). Now, choose a method of literary parody. Maybe you will pretend that this is an opinion piece in the school newspaper. This helps establish your audience and the kind of writing you will make fun of. Now comes the hardest part of all: telling all the jokes in the way that Swift does. As you think of the reasons that your extreme solution might be purportedly a good idea, imagine what different people might be thinking—parents, teachers, politicians, prudes, nudists. These reasons can be as silly as you want to make them, and if you have some extra joke to make about these kinds of people, fold them into the arguments. You could say, for example, that going to school naked would mean that parents wouldn’t have to pay for their students’ clothes, which is an expensive thing because students are always trying to get their parents to pay for the latest faddish designers. Or you could say that going to school naked would keep students from developing tan lines, or reduce the need for “sexting” because everyone would already know what each other looks like naked. The more different levels of satire you can get to work at the same time, the more it will be in the style of Swift.

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A Modest Proposal and Other Satires Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Modest Proposal and Other Satires is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What impression do you get of the narrator in lines 22-39? on "A Modest Proposal"

What does Swift tell his readers is his proposed solution to the social problem?

a. Eat the poor Irish children

What does the extreme nature of the proposal imply about English treatment of the Irish?

Swift's persona highlights the economic inequality in Ireland and England with “A Modest Proposal.” In the beginning of the essay, he expresses great sympathy for the beggars of Ireland, describing their destitution in detail. His solution of...

Study Guide for A Modest Proposal and Other Satires

A Modest Proposal and Other Satires study guide contains a biography of Jonathan Swift, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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A Modest Proposal and Other Satires literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Modest Proposal and Other Satires.

A Modest Proposal
Mildred Pierce as a Tool of Instruction in Postwar America
Examining the Elusive in "A Modest Proposal"
The Means of Persuasion in "A Modest Proposal"
Poverty Through a Satirical Lens: Comparing Jonathan Swift and John Gay

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58 A Modest Proposal Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best a modest proposal topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ good research topics about a modest proposal, 👍 simple & easy a modest proposal essay titles.

Rhetoric in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift Swift does conduct some math to establish the number of miscarriages, deaths, and the number of children born in a year.
Satirical Features of “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift Indeed, he is a man who saw and is aware of the subhuman conditions of the Irish poor, both in Dublin and in the country.
A Literary Analysis of “A Modest Proposal” and “The Tempest” For example, the mother in the family in the 2019 remake is presented as a kind woman without any sins, with her daughters claiming that she is never angry and her partly corroborating this statement, […]
“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift: Life on the Island However, when a person gets to the island due to circumstances and cannot get out of there for more than one year, it is comparable to a prison in which fate is the warden.
Satire in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift Just like successful manipulative politicians, Swift carefully selects and presents facts to shift society’s attention from the proposed measure’s ethical inappropriateness to the practical benefits that it can promote.
Response to Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” In his satirical essay A Modest Proposal, Swift intends to showcase the absurdity of the economic state at the time, and the suffering already resulted from the income gap. Lastly, there is a question of […]
Poverty in “A Modest Proposal” by Swift The high number of children born to poor families presents significant problems for a country.”A Modest Proposal” is a satirical essay by Jonathan Swift that proposes a solution to the challenge facing the kingdom.
Jonathan Swift’s Essay “A Modest Proposal” The text begins with the description of the realities of society living in the time of famine. Since small children are not capable of work, they only constitute the source of expenditures to families and […]
Issues in “The Rape of the Lock” and “Modest Proposal” In both The Rape of the Lock and Modest Proposal, the writers use irony to satirize and mock the socio-political attitudes and values in British society in the 18th century.
Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” and Brady’s “I Want a Wife” As if supporting the general trend of the time towards emancipation of women, men take advantage of the situation and load the woman with both the housework and the role of the main breadwinner in […]
Mockery of the Life in Ireland in “A Modest Proposal“ by Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift, the author of the famous Gulliver Travels, takes a dig at the Irish and British Bureaucracy in his masterful satire, ‘A Modest Proposal,’ which in the true sense is a mockery of the […]
“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift and “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell In case of the abovementioned Swift’s work it is the problem of poverty and other social problems of Ireland of the 18th century.
Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”: Response The utilization of children will reduce the number of “papists who, according to Swift, were “most perilous enemies” and also the “principal breeders of the nation”.
Satire in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift Moreover, it is known that he published it anonymously to ensure that the reader is not aware of what to expect from this proposal.
Surprising Effect in Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” From the very beginning, the writer expressed his concern for the plight of the poor, which was central to the whole story.
Jonathan Swift’s a Modest Proposal: Swift’s Satire Approach Concerning the Social Problem of Dublin’s Starving Children Instead of suggesting the obvious limiting the number of children each female “breeder” should have he encourages the “breeders” to get pregnant, enjoy motherhood and nursing of their suckling infants for one year, and then […]
Review of “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift and Its Application to Solve School Violence Having analyzed violence in schools and the age of children maturity I have thus reached to a conclusion that this plan will be better applied to children under the age of 14.
Satire, Humor, and Shock in Swifts “A Modest Proposal”
Irish Oppression and Modern Parallels in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”: Rhetorical Devices – Example-Based Argumentation
The Basis for Satirical News Publications: Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
The Feminist Theory Throughout “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
Satire: Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”: Religious, Political, and Social Strife in Ireland
Satire and the Deployment of Irony in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
Comparing Carl Sagan’s “The Demon-Haunted World” and Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift: The Greatest Works of Irony and Satire in All Literature
George Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language” vs. Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
“A Modest Proposal”: The Most Popular and Controversial of Swift’s Essays
Three Excerpts From Jonathan Swifts “A Modest Proposal”: Social Issues
Ostracizing the “Other”: Foreignness and Social Class in “A Modest Proposal”
Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”: Excess Children and Social Problems in Ireland
“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift and Inhumanity of the Upper-Class English
Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”: Caustic Wit Becomes the Means to Critique Society to a More Receptive and Entertained Audience
Modern-Day American Life and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
The Concern of Poverty in Two Essays: “On Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
Satire in Voltaire’s “Candide” and Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
Jonathan Swift’s Real Argument: “A Modest Proposal”
How Jonathon Swift Use of Satire in “A Modest Proposal”
“A Modest Proposal” in the Context of Swift’s Irish Tracts
Similarities Between Martin Luther King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” and Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
Social Criticism and Jonathan Swift “A Modest Proposal”
Analysis of the Speaker in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
The Political and Social Issues Addressed in “A Modest Proposal,” “The Diary,” “The Education of Women,” and “The Spectator Club”
“The Lady’s Dressing Room” and “A Modest Proposal”: The Satirical Persona of Identities by Jonathan Swift
Replicating Jonathan Swift’s Satire in “A Modest Proposal”
“A Modest Proposal” and Swift’s a Hyperbolically Heartless Tone
Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”: An Early Example of Western Satire
Desperate Times, Desperate Measures in Jonathon Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” and Famine in Ireland
The Uses for Babies in Ireland in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift: A Masterpiece of Irony
The Surprise Ending in Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
What Are Swift’s Aims in “A Modest Proposal,” and How Does He Achieve Them
The Imagery and Irony in the Satirical Essay “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift Presents “The Marginalized” in “A Modest Proposal”
“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift and the British Government’s Inability to Solve the Problem of Poverty in Ireland
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N.Y.C. Parents Rebuked for Questioning Transgender Student-Athlete Rules

Over a dozen Democratic elected officials criticized a parent group that asked for a review of rules that let students play on sports teams that align with their gender identity.

A roomful of seated parents smile and hold up signs, including one that says “Rescind the resolution.”

By Troy Closson

This spring, a group of elected parent leaders in New York asked the city to review education department rules allowing transgender students to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity.

The parent council — representing the diverse local District 2 that weaves through the West Village, Hell’s Kitchen and the Upper East Side — said that the current policies present “challenges to youth athletes and coaches” and fail to consider the “well-being of girls.”

The schools chancellor, David C. Banks, called the proposal “despicable” and “no way in line with our values.”

Democratic officials also have responded to the parent council swiftly, and angrily.

In a letter made public on Monday, a coalition of 18 Democratic elected officials from New York called the proposal “hateful, discriminatory and actively harmful” to the city’s children. As officials in more conservative jurisdictions move to bar or restrict transgender athletes from competing, the resolution and ensuing backlash in New York illustrate how charged the issue is in one of the most heavily Democratic cities in the country.

The elected officials include Representative Jerry Nadler, Assemblyman Tony Simone, State Senators Liz Krueger and Brad Hoylman-Sigal, as well as five City Council members.

The officials argued that while some parents say they were “simply asking for a conversation,” the resolution “was based in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric” that has helped fuel harassment and mental health issues for young people. They demanded that the council formally rescind the resolution.

“The message to trans students that they are not welcome has reverberations, and the consequences can be dire,” the group’s letter said, adding that elected parent leaders “must be fighting for every student” and “not attack, ridicule, or marginalize the vulnerable.”

The Manhattan borough president, Mark Levine, a Democrat, announced earlier this month that one parent who voted in favor of the review would be ousted from his position on a local community board. He also signed the letter.

But opinions on this issue don’t necessarily break neatly along political lines.

There is limited polling on how New Yorkers view the issue. One Siena College poll last month found that about two-thirds of registered voters statewide — including 83 percent of Republicans and 77 percent of independents — support requiring high school athletes to “only compete with others of the same sex that they were assigned at birth.”

The poll also found that about 52 percent of Democrats supported the policy, in line with national surveys .

The argument in Manhattan comes as parent councils across New York, which represent the public school system’s 32 districts, have increasingly battled over a wider menu of divisive issues.

The resolution in District 2 — which passed in an 8-3 vote — drew a backlash from some local families, in part because the parent council’s purview includes Greenwich Village, which is home to Stonewall Inn, widely considered to be the birthplace of the L.G.B.T.Q. rights movement.

It is unclear, though, how many of the New York City school system’s some 45,000 student-athletes are transgender, or whether the issue has affected sports teams in the city.

The parent leaders who passed the resolution in District 2 said that the school system’s gender policies — which were adopted in 2019 — could lead to potential problems. At a meeting, some parents worried that their children could be disadvantaged or injured if transgender girls joined girls’ teams.

“This is an issue where our definitions of gender are continuing to evolve,” the council’s president, Leonard Silverman, said during the meeting.

“We can stick our head in the sand, and we can refuse to acknowledge that there are differences in athletes,” he said. “Or we can try to have an honest, open, transparent discussion about these issues.”

Other families questioned whether the parent council’s desire to review the policies about transgender athletes represents broader views within the district. The group received dozens of messages in opposition and only a handful in support in the lead-up to their meeting on the resolution, according to Gavin Healy, a parent on the council who voted against the proposal.

Alaina Daniels, a transgender educator who runs a local after-school program, said at the meeting that the proposal was part of a bigger threat. “Trans existence has long been a story of survival in the face of obstacles,” they said, adding, “We’re under attack in this very room.”

Mr. Simone, the assemblyman who signed the letter opposing the resolution, said in an interview on Monday that he was “personally outraged” by the council’s recommendation.

He said it “creates a conversation that is not needed,” and noted that city data shows one in three transgender youth in New York have “seriously thought about taking their lives.”

“I think they should be debating school issues,” said Mr. Simone, who represents parts of Manhattan including Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen and Midtown. “But this is not one of them. This is clearly a bigoted, targeted attack on one part of our community.”

The schools chancellor, Mr. Banks, has said that the city’s Education Department will not change its policies. He has criticized parent leaders for sending what he called an inappropriate message to transgender students.

“The language that we use as adults really matters,” Mr. Banks said at a town-hall meeting in Manhattan earlier this month.

Troy Closson reports on K-12 schools in New York City for The Times. More about Troy Closson

Politics in the New York Region

Limiting Donations to Israel: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who rarely wades into state politics, publicly backed a bill that could strip New York nonprofits of their tax-exempt status if their funds are used to support Israel’s military or settlements.

Transgender Student-Athlete Rules: A parent group in New York City asked for a review of rules that let students play on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Democratic officials responded angrily .

Equal Rights Amendment: As Election Day approaches, the proposed amendment to the State Constitution has become a divisive culture-war issue that encompasses abortion, discrimination and transgender athletes.

Office of Cannabis Management: The head of New York State’s cannabis agency will step down at the end of his three-year term in September as part of an overhaul of the embattled agency , Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

A Thorny Mayoral Race: Zellnor Myrie, an Afro-Latino state senator from Brooklyn known for backing progressive causes, announced that he is moving to challenge Mayor Eric Adams in next year’s Democratic primary in New York City.

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Swift's Arguments in "A Modest Proposal"
A Modest Proposal Essay Example. A Modest Proposal is a complex satirical piece written by Jonathan Smith. The work is not to be taken at face value and it is important to delve into the content by seeing it as very satirical. ... An example of a logical argument used in his essay is "I believe no Gentleman would repine to give Ten Shillings ...
A Modest Proposal
A Modest Proposal is an essay written by Jonathan Swift. The full title of the essay is 'For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick' and is commonly known as 'A Modest Proposal' in its short form. It was published in 1729 anonymously.
A Modest Proposal
A Modest Proposal, satiric essay by Jonathan Swift, published in pamphlet form in 1729. Presented in the guise of an economic treatise, the essay proposes that the country ameliorate poverty in Ireland by butchering the children of the Irish poor and selling them as food to wealthy English landlords.
A Modest Proposal Summary and Analysis
The essay "A Modest Proposal" was written by Jonathan Swift. It was published in 1729. The full name of the essay was "A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to their Parents or Country and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick.". At that time, England was ruling Ireland, and Swift was one ...
A Modest Proposal
A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick, commonly referred to as A Modest Proposal, is a Juvenalian satirical essay written and published anonymously by Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift in 1729. The essay suggests that poor people in Ireland could ease their ...
A Modest Proposal Analysis
A Modest Proposal Analysis. A Modest Proposal satirizes politicians and officials who sought to "solve" the food shortages in Ireland with figures and calculations. Swift's essay presents an ...
A Modest Proposal Summary & Analysis
In a troubling and hilarious reversal of expectations, the Proposer rejects his friend's amendment not because it strikes him as unethical, but because he doesn't believe a teenager would taste very good. At most he is worried that other people will see eating teenagers as cruel. Active Themes. Literary Devices.
A Modest Proposal Study Guide
A Modest Proposal was most obviously written in reaction to the flood of political essays written and circulated in early 18th-century England. Daniel Defoe's An Essay Upon Projects (1697), a series of proposals for the social and economic improvement of England, is a clear target of Swift's satire. (Swift considered Defoe his biggest literary rival.)
A Modest Proposal Critical Essays
This entry presents criticism of Swift's 1729 satire A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of the Poor People from Being a Burthen to Their Parents, or the Country, and for Making Them ...
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift
In conclusion, "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is a masterful work of satire that uses humor and irony to expose the social and political injustices of its time. Swift's biting critique of the British government and its policies continues to resonate with readers today, making "A Modest Proposal" a timeless classic of English ...
A Modest Proposal Summary
A Modest Proposal is a satirical essay by Jonathan Swift that offers up a potential solution to Ireland's devastating food shortage: eating babies. The narrator suggests that, of the 120,000 ...
A Modest Proposal
Title: A Modest Proposal. For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick. Author: Jonathan Swift. Release Date: October, 1997 [eBook #1080] [Most recently updated: October 17, 2019] Language: English.
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' is a satirical essay meant to underline the problems of both the English and the Irish in 1729. Satire is the use of irony, humor or exaggeration to criticize ...
An Introduction to Satire: A Modest Proposal
Here are two techniques and tips to write great satire. 1. Use a Serious Tone. In "A Modest Proposal" Swift uses an intense, serious tone throughout the entire piece. One of the most important things about using tone is that we make sure we choose the correct tone to convey the message we so desire. In satire, most commonly, the most ...
Teaching "A Modest Proposal"
After we analyze The Onion article, we begin "A Modest Proposal.". I think the vocabulary is fairly difficult, so I read it in class with students. We stop and talk to clarify and define vocabulary. After reading the first few paragraphs, before Swift makes his proposal, I ask students what they think he will suggest.
A Modest Proposal and Other Satires Essay Questions
5. Discuss the theme of economic inequality in "A Modest Proposal.". Answer: Economic inequality was a chief concern of Swift's, and he expressed this concern satirically in "A Modest Proposal.". The title itself hints at economic inequality—his proposal applies to "the poor people of Ireland.". The children that will be eaten ...
58 A Modest Proposal Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
Satirical Features of "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift. Indeed, he is a man who saw and is aware of the subhuman conditions of the Irish poor, both in Dublin and in the country. Swift's "A Modest Proposal": Response. The utilization of children will reduce the number of "papists who, according to Swift, were "most perilous ...
A Modest Proposal (Download Only) , resources.caih.jhu.edu
2017-12-22 Johnathan Swift A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick, [1] commonly referred to as A Modest Proposal, is a Juvenalian satirical essay written and published anonymously by Jonathan Swift in 1729.
What persuasive techniques does Jonathan Swift use in "A Modest
Any analysis of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" must deal with the fact that the essay is first and foremost a satirical piece. Swift is using the essay to create a farcical situation in ...
Democrats Criticize N.Y.C. Parents Who Questioned Transgender Athlete
The argument in Manhattan comes as parent councils across New York, which represent the public school system's 32 districts, have increasingly battled over a wider menu of divisive issues.

Swift's Arguments in "A Modest Proposal"

Table of contents

The Real Message Behind the Proposal

Appeal to Logic

Evoking Emotion

Establishing Ethos

Works Cited

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Background of the Essay

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The Pattern of Rhetoric

A Modest Proposal as a A Satirical Essay

On the Irish Government

On the Irish People

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Background of “A Modest Proposal”

Summary of “A Modest Proposal”

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A Modest Proposal

An Introduction to Satire: A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal: The Perfect Example of Satire

The Definition of Satire

Want to Write Satire?

1. Use a Serious Tone

2. Use Sustained Irony

Where You Can Read Satire

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