50 pages • 1 hour read
Jonathan SwiftA Modest Proposal
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1729A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Jonathan Swift's satirical essay A Modest Proposal, the narrator proposes that impoverished families in Ireland sell their infant children to be killed and eaten by the rich, believing this would alleviate poverty and provide economic benefits. The essay uses irony and hyperbole to highlight and criticize the inhumane attitudes towards the poor held by English and Irish elites. The text includes descriptions of cannibalism and mistreatment of individuals in poverty.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal masterfully combines satire and social criticism, offering a provocative critique of 18th-century British policy towards Ireland. Critics praise its biting irony and wit, though some find its shocking content unsettling. Overall, it remains a powerful, thought-provoking read that stimulates debate on ethical and political issues.
Who Should Read A Modest Proposal?
A reader who enjoys A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is likely to appreciate incisive satire and dark humor. Comparable to admirers of George Orwell's Animal Farm and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, these readers seek critical social commentary blended with irony and wit.