Jonathan Swift's masterful satire, "A Modest Proposal," [mockingly!] proposes to solve the devastating poverty in Ireland by selling poor children as food for wealthy families. Swift goes on to explain how this would solve all of Ireland's problems from domestic abuse to poverty. Swift 's Projector explains his proposal in depth, in many ways treating these children as nothing more than a new type of livestock. Towards the end, however, Swift lists numerous reforms that could help the country. This list makes a change in tone. However, these reforms differ from Swift's "modest proposal" because instead of the poor sacrificing their children, it would involve the rich sacrificing some of their luxuries.



1. Overall how successful is Swift's piece? At this point when Swift mentions real reforms that could help Ireland, has the satire become overpowering in the piece or does it strengthen this moment? Is the reader desensitized to the essay by this point? Does this moment have the impact it should?

2. Obviously much of Swift's piece is satire, yet, how should lines referring to Catholics and Jews be interrupted? Does the border of satire reach so far as to include these comments or are they real prejudices coming through in the essay?

3. Swift's social politics seem to come through fairly clearly here, placing much of the blame for the state of the nation on the greed of the wealthy; however do you think that it is as simple as that for Swift?

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Last modified 9 February 2005