The narrator in "A Modest Proposal" hopes his plan won't face objections to emphasize its supposed reasonableness and to enhance the satirical effect. By claiming that no rational person would object, he ironically highlights the absurdity of his proposal to sell Irish children as food. This statement sets up the satire by presenting the proposal as reasonable, while Swift's true intent is to provoke moral outrage and criticize British policy towards the Irish.

In "A Modest Proposal," Jonathan Swift criticizes both the English and the Irish for Ireland's plight, but he primarily blames the Irish for not taking action to improve their situation. While he condemns the English for exploiting Ireland through absentee landownership and oppressive policies, he emphasizes the Irish need to adopt practical reforms like reducing imports and increasing exports. Swift's satire suggests that responsibility for change largely rests with the Irish themselves.

In paragraphs 9 and 10 of "A Modest Proposal," Swift contrasts his true opposition to British neglect of the Irish with the dark irony of his "solution"—cannibalism of Irish children. This hyperbolic suggestion is meant to shock readers, as Swift presents himself as monstrous to highlight British inaction during the famine. By proposing children as a food source, Swift exposes the dehumanizing attitudes of the British toward the Irish plight.

Both Jonathan Swift and Oliver Goldsmith criticize society's treatment of the poor, with Swift focusing on Ireland and Goldsmith on England. Swift's "A Modest Proposal" uses shocking satire to highlight the dehumanization of the poor, while Goldsmith's "The Deserted Village" employs a gentler, sentimental approach. Today, similar issues of income inequality and lack of empathy persist, with the rich often blamed for not alleviating poverty despite their capacity to do so.

A modern audience might be less offended by Swift's "A Modest Proposal" due to increased exposure to diverse opinions and satire, reducing its shock value. In contemporary culture, Swift's work might be seen as satirical "trolling," a concept familiar today. However, some, particularly social activists, might still find it offensive, interpreting it as an example of privilege or insensitivity to poverty, albeit not for the reasons Swift intended.

The speaker in "A Modest Proposal" reveals a bias against Catholics, criticizing them for having large families they cannot support. He dehumanizes Catholic children by comparing them to livestock, suggesting they be treated as such. Jonathan Swift's satire targets the English government's neglect, condemns business practices harming the Irish poor, and mocks both Protestants and Catholics for their roles in Ireland's problems. Swift's proposal to eat Catholic infants further highlights his critique of religious and societal issues.

The narrator of "A Modest Proposal" claims to seek the "publick good of his country," proposing the consumption of Irish children to benefit society. He asserts he has no personal gain, as his children are too old and his wife cannot bear more. This satirical conclusion highlights Swift's critique of those who propose rational, profit-driven solutions to social issues, underlining the essay's satirical nature.

Swift dissociates from the narrator at the end to highlight the dire conditions of the Irish poor. While maintaining the narrator's satirical voice, Swift shifts focus to the real issues—oppression by landlords and extreme poverty—suggesting that these conditions are so severe that death might be preferable. This move emphasizes the moral and human costs ignored by those proposing rational solutions, ensuring readers understand the gravity of the Irish plight beyond the satire.

In "A Modest Proposal," the speaker suggests that children become useful to society at one year old. At this age, they can be sold as a food source, thus benefiting their impoverished families and reducing the economic burden on parents and society. Jonathan Swift uses this outrageous proposition to satirically critique the indifference of the wealthy towards the poor in Ireland, highlighting the absurdity of treating human lives as mere economic commodities.

The speaker in "A Modest Proposal" is not "mainly" analyzing the causes of Ireland's problems or the effects. Instead, he's writing a satirical attack on Enlightenment era rationalism as a solution to such societal problems.