A Modest Proposal (Jonathan Swift)

Yellow Box Questions: “A Modest Proposal”

1. In the first two paragraphs, the speaker describes the thousands of beggars and their multitudes of children that crowd the streets of cities in Ireland.

He says that the women who have many children can't get work, so the children eventually grow up to be thieves, slaves, or Catholics in order to make a livelihood.

Essentially, he describes a poor society that is in a deadly cycle.

2. The speaker suggests that children are ready to be useful to his plan at the “solar year”,

or when they are one year old and can can live without suckling their mothers' breasts.

3. The speaker's comments about stealing contain situational irony because he claims that children steal at the age of six, though they are perceived as the most innocent and kind of creatures.

He also uses verbal irony in calling thievery an “art” and calling people who have reached six years of age who have begun to steal “probationers” or apprentices. He's ironically calling thievery an honourable trade.

4. Jonathan Swift is actually proposing that one hundred thousand children be sold off to the rich to be eaten at parties and common dinner tables.

5. In this paragraph, the speaker of the essay reveals that he does not like papists (Catholics) in saying that eating Catholic children will reduce their numbers greatly.

6. In discussing the economics of his proposal, the speaker is making a logical appeal, as it appeals to one's sense of economic reason: a woman who sells her child for meat will make a profit of eight shillings and still be able to work until she can bear another.

7. When the speaker suggests, “dressing” children “hot from the knife”, he expects his word choice to create disgust and revulsion in the minds of his “civil” readers, which is ironic.

8. The speaker takes up the problem of the over hunting of deer in Ireland; briefly, there are no more deer to feed people. Thus, his suggestion to his readers is that the meat of children between twelve and fourteen should be considered a replacement for the aforementioned animal's. This suggestion is similar to his main proposal in that it is mainly economic and practical: it serves the purpose of feeding people.

9. a. The speaker's proposal would greatly lessen the number of Catholics

b.The speaker's proposal would provide the tenants with money by which they could pay their debts

c.The speaker's proposal would increase the nation's stock by fifty thousand pounds per year.

d The speaker's proposal would save the constant breeders the extra money of raising a child.

e. The speaker's proposal would make the taverns better places and their patrons more money.

f. The speaker's proposal would reduce the incidents of men beating their wives; the wives would be so oft pregnant that the husbands wouldn't dare beat them for fear of killing the child inside.

Basically, the people who are adults already will benefit from these “advantages”, however any children in the society that aren't set aside for breeding will suffer: they will die.

10. The speaker anticipates the objection that, “...the number of people will be thereby lessened in the kingdom.” He answers this objection the fact that he is proposing this solution for Ireland only, and no other country that ever was or ever will be.

11. Swift proposes that:
    a. The Irish tax the people who own the land that aren't working on it.

    b. The Irish only use Irish made products

    c. The people of Ireland completely reject foreign “luxury” items.

    d. The women of Ireland work to become less vain and lazy

    e. The people of Ireland work to become thrifty and prudent.

    f. The people of Ireland should gain more national pride, just like the Tupinamba.

    g. The Irish unite as one people, generally realize that they are one.

    h. The Irish keep their consciences intact.

    I. That Irish landlords show some kindness to their tenants.

    J. Shopkeepers of Ireland reform their ways to become more honest and hard working.

12. The ironies in this concluding paragraph are the ideas that he has no children who would suffer from his proposal, nor can he gain anymore because his wife cannot have children.

    This is ironic because we expect Swift to be sympathetic to the cause, but he really can't understand what its like for one's offspring to be taken, sold and eaten because he has no children of his own anymore.