Questions We Can Help You To Answer

Paper instructions:

For this short essay, you will consider Jonathan Swift's essay, A Modest Proposal. A PDF of the essay is a section of this week's module. I'd like you to consider the questions below as the prompt for the essay. You should not number or bullet point your responses; this should be formatted like a standard essay with an intro, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

What sort of persona does Swift create for the "author" of A Modest Proposal?
If Swift does not actually think the Irish people should eat their children, what does he think they should do?
Who is the audience of this work?
When did it first become apparent to you that Swift's proposal was not serious? How did you respond?
What relevance does A Modest Proposal have for contemporary social and political issues? Can you think of historical situations that pose similar problems about ends and means?
Consider what you've learned over the semester with regard to irony/satire, rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), persona, and fallacy. Please pay close attention to grammar, punctuation, and MLA format.