A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal (AMP) by Jonathan Swift

Task

Work with a partner. Discuss each question, finding evidence from the text that supports your response.

  1. How does Swift portray himself throughout the essay?
  2. How does Swift dehumanize the people in this essay? What is his purpose in doing so?
  3. Why does Swift focus on the benefits of his plan before giving us the details of it?
  4. Reread the final paragraph. What is ironic about Swift’s comment about his own family?

 

5 reaktioner till “A Modest Proposal”

  1. 1. I don’t know Kevin.
    2. The door, Kevin. So that the reader will understand that the babies are being treated poorly.

    Gilla

  2. Colin and Carl

    1. How does Swift portray himself throughout the essay? In what places does he reveal an egotistical persona? (tone, attitude)
    2. How does Swift dehumanize the people in this essay? What is his purpose in doing so?

    1. He portrays himself as a more sophisticated & educated individual than the people of Ireland. He’s portaying himself more like a nationalist & socialist. As he takes up a plan to make his people grow and he wants them to start eating children. So he thinks about his country and the people in it. But then again it’s egoistic to not think about Ireland.

    2. He groups them together and puts a negative steriotype on them for example he says that all poor children grow up to become theives by the time they turn 6 years old. Or he compares them to animals in his proposal so they seem lesser beings. The reason for this is to make it seem like the proposal is not as absurd as it actually is. This tactic is also used when it comes to example war scenarios when the people in charge makes the enemy seem like worse beings so it is easier to slay them.

    Gilla

  3. 1. Swift kind of portrays himself as someone who wants to help, he makes it seem we are greedy and willing to do terrible actions. We see it in the sarcasm he uses and the extreme example he brings up.
    2. He dehumanizes people by saying people will have no problem eating and using children as stock resources. Such as food and leather. His purpose might be to make an impact or change and to make people think. or he’s just a sarcastic ass hat.
    3. Because humans will be easier manipulated if they first see whats good with a method before actually explaining it. If Swift started with the details on how we would eat children people would say ”oh no not the children :().
    4. He himself wouldn’t provide with his own children which further shows the irony of the text.

    Gilla

  4. How does Swift portray himself throughout the essay?

    He is smart, he makes it look like he dosen’t get any money out of that. He uses arguments to eat the childrens. He also thinks he is a really nice guy

    Gilla

  5. 1. How does Swift portray himself throughout the essay?
    Swift portrays himself as a rational but educated individual, but he also writes in a sophisticated way, so he portrays himself as a person who is a bit better than the average.

    Gilla

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