“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
(p. 404 in Language of Composition book)
Background: Over the centuries, England gradually gained a foothold in Ireland. In 1541, the parliament in Dublin recognized England’s Henry VIII, a Protestant, as King of Ireland. In spite of repeated uprisings by Irish Catholics, English Protestants acquired more and more estates in Ireland. By 1703, they owned all but ten percent of the land. Meanwhile, legislation was enacted that severely limited the rights of the Irish to hold government office, purchase real estate, get an education, and advance themselves in other ways. As a result, many Irish fled to foreign lands, including America. Most of those who remained in Ireland lived in poverty, facing disease, starvation, and prejudice. It was this Ireland—an Ireland of the tyrannized and the downtrodden—that Jonathan Swift attempted to focus attention on in “A Modest Proposal” in 1720
1)A persona is a character who tells a story. The persona can be very much different from
the author of the work of literature. What persona does Swift adopt for this essay? What kind of person/narrator is speaking? What textual evidence supports your answer?
2)How would you describe the overall tone for “A Modest Proposal”? Does Swift ever break away from this tone? (Find examples of word(s) or line(s) in the text that help indicate Swift’s tone)
3)Take a look at Section 1 of the text (paragraphs 1 – 7). Which background information does Swift provide, and how does Swift describe the problem? Explain and give textual evidence to support your answer.
4)What foolish, flawed, or wrong human action or aspect of society is being made fun of? In other words, who or what is he criticizing? Give examples from the text that show Swift’s ridicule.
5)What is Swift’s overall purpose? (How does Swift wish the society, the individual, the body politic, or an institution to change or amend itself)?
6)What are the arguments for and the benefits of Swift’s proposal (according to the text?) This is mostly in paragraphs 18 – 28. Provide textual evidence to help support your answer.
7)When does Swift basically compare men, women, and/or children to animals? Is there a purpose to this?
8)What are Swift’s rebuttals to his solution? (These are in actuality the solutions that he is advising)
9)What methods/techniques (rhetorical devices, diction, syntax, types of humor) does the author employ to create the satire?