Questions and Answers for A Modest Proposal
A Modest Proposal
What are three examples of irony in A Modest Proposal?
Irony is continually present in A Modest Proposal, not least in the title since, if intended seriously, Swift’s proposal would be far from modest but very radical indeed. He writes that his idea...
A Modest Proposal
What are the six principal advantages of Jonathan Swift's plan in A Modest Proposal?
In Jonathan Swift's famous work of satire "A Modest Proposal," he suggests that the conditions of poverty in Ireland might be solved by the cannibalization of its infants. Be aware, Smith's purpose...
A Modest Proposal
What is the purpose of "A Modest Proposal?" What is Swift trying to reform? Does he go too far in this essay?
Probably, as far as many of his contemporaries were concerned, this proposal did go too far, especially if they did not understand the text's ironic and embittered tone. Swift's point is that the...
A Modest Proposal
Hyperbole In A Modest Proposal
In this essay, in which an unnamed speaker suggests that the poor Irish sell their babies to the rich English as a new food source, Swift seeks to draw attention to the plight of the impoverished...
A Modest Proposal
What are 3 examples of either sarcasm, hyperbole, or understatement in "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathon Swift?
The question asks for three examples of either sarcasm, hyperbole or understatement in "A Modest Proposal." I have chosen three examples of sarcasm. Sarcasm means saying the opposite of what you...
A Modest Proposal
What is the main idea of "A Modest Proposal"?
In a “Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift recommends a remedy for the great number of paupers’ children in the streets. He thinks that these children can serve a useful purpose and become less...
A Modest Proposal
I need to find 2 metaphors in Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”...help!!
There are numerous metaphors in Swift's "A Modest Proposal." In addition to the two mentioned above, Swift uses mataphor when he writes: I grant this food will be somewhat dear [costly], and...
A Modest Proposal
How does the final paragraph of the essay "A Modest Proposal" contribute to Swift's rhetorical purpose?
In "A Modest Proposal," Swift develops his argument through satire. Swift's purpose is to criticize the English response to the severe poverty in Ireland that occurred as a result of the draught...
A Modest Proposal
What problem does Swift identify in "A Modest Proposal"? What general solution does he recommend?
Swift, in the persona of a learned scientist, attempts to tackle the chronic problem of over-population in Ireland. In turn, this problem leads to lots of other problems, such as poverty,...
A Modest Proposal
What is the purpose of the last paragraph of A Modest Proposal? a modest proposal
The last paragraph is designed to convince the reader of the author's absolute sincerity in advancing his "modest proposal." To the untrained eye it may seem that what he's proposing is pretty...
A Modest Proposal
What does Swift mean when he refers to women as breeders in "A Modest Proposal"?
The first thing to remember about Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is that it is a satire. He doesn't actually mean what he writes. Or least that's what all of my teachers told me. I suppose he could...
A Modest Proposal
List four benefits offered from "A Modest Proposal."
"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is a satire. This means that when the narrator suggests ways in which the Irish will benefit by selling babies for food or eating them, Swift does not actually...
A Modest Proposal
How does Jonathan Swift make his argument effective in "A Modest Proposal"?
Swift makes his argument so effective, in part, by making his narrator completely ridiculous. First, it is the narrator who ostensibly titles this piece "A Modest Proposal," and the idea that this...
A Modest Proposal
When does the reader begin to realize that "A Modest Proposal" is ironic/satirical?
When Jonathan Swift makes the nature of his proposal clear, a reader would immediately understand that the essay was meant to be satire. At first, it seems like Swift is really intending to make a...
A Modest Proposal
What are some of the other "expedients" that the author suggests in "A Modest Proposal"?
The clueless narrator of "A Modest Proposal" lists some other "expedients" (solutions) to the problem of poverty after he has outlined his own proposal in great detail. His proposal is to fatten,...
A Modest Proposal
What is Swift's proposal?
The proposal being made by the narrator is that the poor Irish sell their babies to the wealthy English as a food source. The narrator suggests that this would rid Ireland of many ills as well as...
A Modest Proposal
In Swift's "A Modest Proposal," what problem does the speaker describe in the first two paragraphs?
The speaker describes the problem of poverty in Ireland, which he attributes to the lack of opportunities to earn money. He writes of mothers, trailed by hungry children, forced to beg for food,...
A Modest Proposal
What evidence does the Swift give to prove that he will not benefit from "A Modest Proposal"?
Swift's narrator begins the essay by professing all of the myriad reasons that he believes his proposal to be a sound one: a plan that will benefit the country of Ireland and its people (with no...
A Modest Proposal
What are two examples each of ethos, pathos, and logos in the first 8 paragraphs of "A Modest Proposal"?
Although it's important to understand that these three strategies often overlap--that is, any one sentence or idea within a piece of text could simultaneously demonstrate two or even all three of...
A Modest Proposal
In "A Modest Proposal," a clear difference exists between Swift and the persona who makes this proposal. How can the...
The speaker that Jonathan Swift creates for “A Modest Proposal” is an intellectual, a philosopher, and probably a man of science. Although in Swift’s day the social sciences had not yet been...
A Modest Proposal
What are three examples of irony in "A Modest Proposal"?
There are several forms of irony, but the kind most frequently employed by Jonathan Swift in this work is verbal irony. Verbal irony is when someone says something which is the opposite of what...
A Modest Proposal
What is the sarcasm in A Modest Proposal?
Readers who don't catch the sarcasm in Swift's A Modest Proposal would think him a cruel and barbaric man, indeed. This type of sarcasm which is used to criticize others' ideas is actually called...
A Modest Proposal
How does "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift use satire?
In "A Modest Proposal," Swift uses satire to savage the English establishment for its treatment of Ireland as well as mock what he sees as the pretensions of the gentleman scientists of the Royal...
A Modest Proposal
In "A Modest Proposal," how does Swift use pathos to enhance his argument?
Swift’s central argument in A Modest Proposal is that children should not eternally remain the financial burden of their parents, and that the people and government of Ireland should take steps to...
A Modest Proposal
Consider the additional proposal Swift mentions in paragraph 17 of "A Modest Proposal." Explain the rhetorical...
In this paragraph, the speaker mentions another proposal that he heard from a person he holds in high esteem as both a patriotic and virtuous individual. This man suggests that the shortage of...
A Modest Proposal
What are the six advantages made by the proposal in A Modest Proposal?
After stunning the reader with his tongue-in-cheek "proposal" that Irish children be raised and sold for food, Jonathan Swift offers six advantages to this plan. The first, he assures the reader,...
A Modest Proposal
What are the possible objections to the proposal in "A Modest Proposal"?
This depends on whether you are taking it literally (which is a fairly obvious genre mistake) or not. On a literal level, one could start by suggesting that eating babies is morally wrong. Next,...
A Modest Proposal
Who was Jonathan Swift's audience in A Modest Proposal?
The elevated style of A Modest Proposal—a parody of scientific papers presented to the Royal Society—indicates that Swift's audience consists of men much like himself: learned, intelligent,...
A Modest Proposal
In "A Modest Proposal," why would Swift choose to have it be an American who first introduced the speaker to...
In "A Modest Proposal," Swift writes that he (or, more accurately, the persona he has assumed for the satire) has "been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London" that a...
A Modest Proposal
What literary devices does Jonathan Swift use in "A Modest Proposal"?
While Swift's 1729 piece is a social satire, it also employs dark humor to help him get his point across: A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines...
A Modest Proposal
Write a modest proposal of your own in the manner of Swift to remedy a real problem; that is, propose an outrageous...
Excellent answer above concerning your writing an essay in the manner of Swift's "A Modest Proposal." One thought comes to mind. Your satire should have targets, as Swift's does: English...
A Modest Proposal
How does Swift use satire and irony to make his points in "A Modest Proposal?"
Swift employs dramatic irony——irony created when the reader knows more or understands something that the character does not ——to masterful effect when he creates his narrator. Think of the narrator...
A Modest Proposal
What is the major logical fallacy in "A Modest Proposal"?
Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is a brilliant example of satire from one of the undisputed masters of the craft, and it's primary logical fallacy is an Appeal to Authority. Essentially,...
A Modest Proposal
What are the six advantages Swift believes about his proposal in A Modest Proposal?
First, it is most important to realize that Swift most emphatically does not believe in the "modest" proposal his clueless narrator makes about eating the children of the poor. He creates a...
A Modest Proposal
How does "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift show quantification and dehumanization?
Swift quantifies the number of children it would it take to feed the thousands and calculates the saved expenses by enacting his proposal. He begins by counting the population and the number of...
A Modest Proposal
In "A Modest Proposal," does Jonathan Swift expect readers to take the speaker’s solution seriously?
Of course Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is not intended to be taken seriously, not by those who originally read it and not by modern readers. Swift's use of irony serves to shock his readers...
A Modest Proposal
If Swift does not actually think the Irish people should eat their children, what does he think they should do?
The narrator of this piece actually doesn't suggest that the Irish eat their own children; he suggests that the Irish sell their children to the English as a source of income. Not only would it...
A Modest Proposal
In "A Modest Proposal," what is ironic about the word “modest” in the title?
It is important to realise the different meanings that the word "modest" can have. Here, Swift ironically uses "modest" to mean "limited in scope." Note how throughout his pamphlet, Swift...
A Modest Proposal
What is the rebuttal in "A Modest Proposal"?
Swift's narrator seems to anticipate possible rebuttals to his proposal toward the end of the essay. He outlines a number of other suggestions that people might make rather than submit to the...
A Modest Proposal
In Jonathan Swift's essay "A Modest Proposal" could you expand on how Swift uses the word dressing in three different...
I found three references to the word dressing in the essay. The first reference, below has to do with the serving of roasted children, much in the same way that roasted pig is served, and carving...
A Modest Proposal
What is the target of Swift's satire "A Modest Proposal"? How successful is his attack?
Taken as a whole, I would suggest that in "A Modest Proposal," Jonathan Swift's satire works on two distinct levels. First, Swift is addressing the problem of poverty within Ireland (a problem that...
A Modest Proposal
Which targets does Swift ironically identify in paragraphs 21 and 22 of "A Modest Proposal"? By using such a method,...
In paragraph 21, the author of the Proposal tries to sell his big idea by suggesting that it would be a useful way of reducing the number of Roman Catholics in Ireland. If poor Catholics can breed...
A Modest Proposal
Indicate Swift's motivational appeals, specifically those to thrift, economy, and patriotism in "A Modest Proposal."...
Swift's callous and clueless speaker emphasizes both "ease" and "thrift" as positive attributes of his proposal that poor mothers sell their children when they are one year old to be killed and...
A Modest Proposal
Discuss the relevance of "A Modest Proposal" in today's social and political reality, and possible future. Discuss...
After using a more serious voice to attempt to bring change to impoverished Ireland, Swift felt that his ideas were not being heard and turned to satire in order to shed light on the problems...
A Modest Proposal
In "A Modest Proposal" why does the narrator express the hope that his plan will not be liable to the least objection...
Even before the narrator expresses this hope, he begins to outline the importance of his plan as well as some of its intended benefits, though not the plan itself. He describes poor Irish mothers...
A Modest Proposal
In "A Modest Proposal," in paragraph 9, why doesn't Swift end the sentence after the word food?
A normal person would end this sentence after the word food, because he would have the sensitivity not to get too graphic about his proposal. However, the fact that the narrator actually adds that...
A Modest Proposal
What are some examples of hyperbole in "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift?
Most readers would agree that Swift's satirical piece is hyperbolic in the sense that it is premised on showing a persona that is an exaggerated example of cruelty and hypocrisy. The speaker, under...
A Modest Proposal
What is the purpose of the last paragraph of "A Modest Proposal"?
Swift's real reason for writing "A Modest Proposal" was to shame the wealthy people of Ireland and England who were responsible for the sufferings of the poor of Ireland. However, he chose to...
A Modest Proposal
In what ways does Jonathan Swift support his argument in "A Modest Proposal"?
The full title of the satirical essay "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is "A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or...
A Modest Proposal
What are some examples of irony in "A Modest Proposal"?
Dramatic irony occurs when the audience or reader knows more than the character. Some might find it difficult to argue for the existence of dramatic irony in this essay, but if you were going to...
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