50 pages • 1 hour read
Jonathan SwiftA Modest Proposal
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1729A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
How does the structure of A Modest Proposal facilitate its comedic and satirical qualities? How does this structure mirror that of similar pamphlets published in 18th-century Europe?
Why does the narrator devote so much energy to a mathematical accounting of Ireland’s population and the potential revenue earned through his scheme? How does this reflect prevailing economic methodologies of Swift’s era? And what do you think Swift’s own opinions are regarding these methodologies?
A common economic mantra of Swift’s time was “people are the riches of a nation.” How does the essay interrogate and undermine this mantra?
