A Modest (Modern) Proposal

• Read A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. You can find it on canvas.

• As you read, annotate examples of the following:

  • Satirical techniques (irony, hyperbole, understatement, parody)

  • Rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos)

  • Tone shifts (Where does Swift’s tone change? Why?)

What is Swift’s real argument? How does he develop it through irony?

Identify one passage where Swift exaggerates his argument to an extreme. How does this affect the reader?

How does Swift establish credibility (ethos) even while making an outrageous claim?

Who is Swift criticizing in this piece? Provide evidence.

How does the structure of A Modest Proposal mimic a formal argumentative essay?

Write a 1-page satirical "modest proposal" in Swift’s style about a modern issue (e.g., climate change, student debt, fast food, technology addiction).

• Use at least two satirical techniques from Swift’s essay.

• Maintain a formal, logical tone while making an absurd argument.

• End with a paragraph that hints at your real stance, similar to how Swift subtly reveals his true argument.