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A Modest Proposal Comprehension Questions
A Modest Proposal
Swift's A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick is a satirical essay that shows the immense lack of common sense that was being shown during the ''Age of Reason''.
The essay was written during the 1700s, a time when Ireland was struggling with overpopulation. To make matters worse, a large part of that population was poor and they struggled to feed their children. Due to this issue, the government charged a number of men to come up with solutions to the issues the people were facing, but they were all based in logic and came across as callous and cruel.
Swift takes this to the extreme with A Modest Proposal. He proposes that children should be raised to become delicacies for the rich. He essentially proposes cannibalism of the Irish children. This would help with overpopulation and boost the economy as well. Although the story is satire, it brings into focus the callousness of other proposals presented in 18th-century Ireland.
Comprehension Questions on Writing Style
To help students deepen their understanding of A Modest Proposal, insightful comprehension questions can be used. The following questions are designed to help you gauge students' understanding of the writing style and emotions contained within it.
- What are your thoughts on Swift's proposal?
- What is satire?
- How does Swift use it in this story?
- What themes do you see in this story?
- What message is Swift trying to convey in A Modest Proposal?
- Does Swift uses symbolism?
- Does Swift use allusions?
- Do you think Swift's message is conveyed? Or do you think the subject matter makes the message get lost?
General Comprehension Question
The following questions are based on the essay and the proposal itself.
- Is there any emotion in this essay?
- Do you think emotion would have added or detracted from the story?
- Based on the logic Swift provided for his proposal, what do you think about it?
- What is Swift's proposal?
- What are the positive outcomes of following the proposal? The negatives?
- What does Swift think of the poor, according to the essay?
- Swift was from Ireland, but he lived in England. How does that affect your thoughts on the essay?
- For whom does Swift say he has created this essay?
- Who do you think Swift is actually defending?
- Does this relate to anything we are dealing with today? If so, what?
- Other than eating children, in what other ways would the children be used?
- What is Swift trying to convey to Ireland?
- What is Swift trying to convey to England?
- What does Swift say the poor babies will turn into when they grow up?
- What does he blame for the 'deplorable state of the kingdom?'
- How many children did Swift think should be turned into delicacies?
- At what age did he propose the children should be 'contributing to the feeding' of the rich?
- To whom or what is Swift referring with the term 'breeder?'
- What is a 'probationer?'
- Where does Swift state that he heard how tasty young children were?
- What does Swift compare children to? Why do you think he does this?
- How does Swift end his essay?
- Why do you think Swift chose this method of showing his disgust in England?
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BackA Modest Proposal Comprehension Questions
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