A Modest Proposal Summary
Jonathan Swift

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift As dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Ireland, Jonathan Swift saw firsthand the devastating consequences of famine on the poorer segments of the Irish population. C... Read more

Biography EssayOn 14 August 1725, Jonathan Swift wrote to his friend Charles Ford: "I have finished my Travells, and I am now transcribing them; they are admirable Things, and will wonderfully mend th... Read more

Seventeenth-century British writer Jonathan Swift is considered to be perhaps the foremost prose satirist in the English language and one of the greatest masters of that form in world literature. Thro... Read more

(Editor's note: In a departure from normal DLB procedure, the author cites conjectural dates of composition, instead of dates of publication, after Swift 's titles in the text.)Jonathan Swift --autho... Read more

In one of the first major critical essays on A Modest Proposal, Wittkowsky remarks on the work within its contemporary economic context. There is an almost complete absence of sustained scholarship... Read more

In the following essay, Lockwood examines the role of the “economic projector” or narrator of A Modest Proposal, and his objective, if appalling, irony. The Modest Proposal has always... Read more

In the following essay, Willson disputes the general recognition of Swift's persona as an economic or political theorist, arguing instead that based on his puns and euphemisms, he is a decidedl... Read more

In the following essay, Rawson examines various segments of A Modest Proposal and their effects on popular interpretations of the reading. The title is famous, but still bears examination: A Modest... Read more

In the following essay, Davis discusses dialogism and its role in the ironic portrayal of Ireland's sociopolitical situation in A Modest Proposal. That Swift's A Modest Proposal is fi... Read more

In the following essay, Mahoney discusses the religious implications of A Modest Proposal, suggesting that Swift is actually alluding to the fear that Ireland's Catholics might “consume&... Read more

In the following essay, Richardson suggests that the attitudes of a society of slavery influenced and shaped the irony of A Modest Proposal. There are two key elements to A Modest Proposal: a dread... Read more

In the following essay, Landa remarks on Swift's perception that Ireland's citizens may only become a source of wealth to the nation if the country seizes its natural opportunities and r... Read more

In the following excerpt, Rosenheim provides a brief review of the satire in Swift's observations of the economy in A Modest Proposal. Strangely enough, A Modest Proposal1 presents the reade... Read more

Rogal observes in the following essay that A Modest Proposal has endured as a work of consequence because its rhetorical composition overshadows its outdated subject matter. Ricardo Quintana labels... Read more

Any reasonable person would agree that the problem of immigration to the United States is a pressing one. All compassion for this unfortunate group of creatures aside, it must be recognized that they... Read more

America is suffering greatly from gangs, drugs/crimes, stereotypes, and a dysfunctional cultural. It has also been plagued with lack of European alliances ever since their military campaigns in th... Read more

In "A Modest Proposal," Swift offers an outrageous solution to Ireland's problem of the desperate conditions in the 1730's-perhaps the most farfetched solution ever been offered. Swift takes the... Read more

A Truly Unmodest Proposal Satire is the use of wit, especially sarcasm, irony, and ridicule to criticize faults. Arguably the most renowned author of satire is Jonathan Swift, chiefly known for hi... Read more