Satirical Essay – in the manner of Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”

Write a one-two page essay following the style and structure of Swift’s essay.

Format:

·  Title: A Modest Proposal

·  Subtitle: For…(use the same structure as Swift)

·  Length: 2 pages typed, single-spaced, 12-point font

·  MLA heading top left

Style:

·  Use similar diction (word choice) and sentence structure to Swift

·  Use literary devices such as: euphemism, understatement, satire, verbal irony, situational irony.

·  Tone: serious, outraged, morally superior

Content:

·  Your essay must be about a contemporary social issue

·  Your proposal must address this issue directly

·  Your solution must be as outrageously ironic as Swift’s

·  Your solution must explain all “beneficial” consequences

Examples:

Social Issue / Proposed Solution
Teen pregnancy / Mandatory sterilization for all 13 year-old girls of certain social classes!
Drunk driving / Make all convicted drunk drivers ride on roller coasters 24-hours a day for a month, while inebriated!
Poverty / Send all poor people to labor camps and solve the problem of outsourcing!

Essay must be submitted on Turnitin.com by 8 PM 4/13/12

Printed essay, with rubric and originality report must be submitted at the beginning of class on April 16, 2012


Grading Rubric Student Name:______

Class Period:______

Essay must be submitted on Turnitin.com by 8 PM 4/13/12

Printed essay, with rubric and originality report must be submitted at the beginning of class on April 16, 2012

Criteria / 10 Points / 8 Points / 5 Points
Format / Perfect MLA Heading
12-point font
Typed
Single spaced
Two Pages
Title and subtitle as directed / One format error
according to guidelines
Less than 2 full pages / Two or more format errors according to guidelines
One page or less
Style / Uses at least 10 actual words and phrases from Swift’s essay and incorporates them appropriately
Sentence variety and elegant use of complex and compound sentence structure
Ironic tone consistently achieved by using literary devices in Swift’s Style / Uses 8-5 actual words and phrases from Swift’s essay and incorporates them appropriately
Some use of complex sentence structure
Ironic tone uneven; some use of literary devices in Swift’s Style / Uses 5 or less actual words and phrases from Swift’s essay and does not incorporate them appropriately
Very limited sentence variety
Irony is crude or non-existent; few if any literary devices
Content / Authentic and serious social problem is identified in a focused and clear manner
Proposal is clear and powerful/extreme
Solution is well-defended in terms of logic and persuasion
Essay reveals political and philosophical outlook/sophistication / Somewhat authentic and thoughtful social problem – though not entirely clearly stated
Proposal is clear but a little weak
Solution is defended, though not entirely logically; persuasion may be weak / Spurious or random choice of issue, not clearly stated
Unclear and incomplete proposal
Solution is not coherent or logical;
unpersuasive