“A Modest Proposal” Satirical Essay by Jonathan Swift

Think About It! O Imagine that you have come up with a great idea to solve a huge social problem. O You create a blog that gets some attention, but everyone dismisses your ideas. No one else has a good solution, but no one will listen to you. O What could you do to get people to listen to your ideas?

This Is Satire! O Satire mocks something in order to bring about change. O Sometimes satire uses hyperbole (extreme exaggeration) or verbal irony to make its point. O Verbal irony occurs when a writer or speaker says one thing but really means something quite different—usually the exact opposite. O Swift proposes an outrageous solution to the problem to get people thinking about real solutions.

Historical background O Swift writes in response to the impoverishment of the people of Ireland in the late 1720s. O Ireland had been subject to English control for almost 500 years. O While Scotland united with England in 1707, Ireland was excluded from the union. O Ireland had experienced years of poor crops and lacked trade opportunities, so the populace lived in poverty. Beggars and starving children were common sights. O Because Roman Catholicism was the most common religion in Ireland, large families were the norm, resulting in added stress to the country’s limited resources.

What were pamphlets? O During the 1700’s, pamphlets were a popular means used by writers to spread ideas. O Because of Ireland’s economic issues, pamphlets had circulated with ideas to alleviate the problem. However, these ideas were dismissed. O Because Swift felt that logical solutions to the problem were being dismissed without consideration, he wrote a satirical essay called “A Modest Proposal,” which parodies the style of real pamphlets. (Remember the articles I showed you from The Onion?) O Swift wanted change the way that people thought about these issues, especially those who were apathetic or unresponsive to the situation.