A Modest Proposal is an essay published by Jonathan Swift in 1729 Highly satirical, the essay uses extreme hyperbole to make a powerful and controversial point: poverty in Ireland can be significantly reduced if the country adopts an extreme solution. By personifying the poor Irish people as livestock and proposing to sell their children as food, Swift was able to create an exaggerated illustration of the injustices of poverty and misuse of human life.
The ironic and sarcastic tone of the essay has made it a timeless classic in literature. It can be used to discuss a variety of social issues and topics related to inequality, justice, and morality. Here are five essay topic ideas that could be inspired by a Modest Proposal:
1. An analysis of Swift’s use of hyperbole in his essay and its implications for modern society.
2. A comparison between Swift’s A Modest Proposal and other satire texts in Western literature.
3. Exploring the ethical implications of Swift’s essay and the modern debates on poverty and social injustice.
4. Exploring the different meanings of the phrase “modest proposal” and its contemporary usage in literature.
5. A comparison of Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal to the crisis wracked Irish economy in the 18th century, and the social implications of such economic conditions for the people of Ireland.