A modest proposal questions

1. “A Modest Proposal” is an ironic essay: the author deliberately writes what he does not mean. What is the real thesis? Is there more than one?
I think he was saying how difficult life is for the lower class, and cruel the rich can be. It was not very clear though, because he did a decent job at backing up his horrible points. This writing was very confusing for me.

2. Look closely at paragraphs 4, 6, and 7, and study how the appeals to logic are put in mathematical and economic terms. Underline those words and phrases.
"I have always found them grossly mistaken in the computation. It is true, a child just dropped from its dam may be supported by her milk for a solar year, with little other nourishment; at most not above the value of 2s., "
"this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders. "

3. When does the reader begin to realize that the essay is ironic? Before or after the actual proposal is made in paragraph 10?
I believe it is made apparent a bit before paragraph 10 because it starts to get more ridiculous and extreme.

4. Which groups of people are singled out as special targets for Swifts’ attack? Are the Irish presented completely as victims, or are they also to blame?
The rich and middle upper class, he seems to also imply the irish people who are more rich.

5. Does the essay merely function as a satirical attack? Does Swift ever present any serious proposals for improving conditions? If so, where?
I dont think it is purely an attack because he also kind of makes points out of his crazy statements throughout and then at the end he does have realistic statements and meaning for what he actually wants.

6. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?
To blatently place his real views and show his intetions and clear up any doubt that this was a satire.


7. The character proposing the measure uses various techniques to convince. These include statistics and appeals to the authority of prominent figures. Can you spot any others? Have you done any sort of "labor" job? Did you resist your employer and, if you did, what forms did your resistance take? Is there a strong link between humor, anger, or other emotional states and resistance? Can you give examples of things you did to vent frustration (particularly if they were funny?)
I think he has a very strong link between his emotions and humor because its funny to read but also a very negative and on serious and harsh topics. You can tell its not just lighthearted. When mad or frustarated sometimes I will begin to laugh from frustration or like walk away and keep coming back and go semi crazy for a little bit haha.


8. If you were, conversely, given the job of marketing babies, do you think it could be done, and how? We have a tradition, in English, of keeping the French names for the meats of animals eaten primarily by the rich. Would the first step be calling baby meat something French? Would it be by processing the baby to the point of non-recognition?
I dont think it could actually be done because the rich are all about image and being all civilized and cannabilism is the opposite, the main market would more likely be the people that couldnt pay for it. But yes, to make it more likely it would need to be named something misleading and have no correlation to a human child in appearance to the people being sold it.