A Modest Proposal

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?

How does the political and religious context of 18th-century Ireland affect your reading of the essay? What references does the narrator make to these contemporary issues? And how do his opinions on Catholicism and England place him within a certain socioeconomic class in Ireland of that era?

Name three literary devices Swift uses in A Modest Proposal. How do these devices communicate Swift’s sincere beliefs on the matter of poverty in Ireland, even as his narrator actively contradicts them?

How do Swift’s religious beliefs and socioeconomic status relate to the issues explored in the essay? Do you see his religious and social identity as contradictory to his political opinions on Catholicism, England, and poverty?