A Modest Proposal

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the essay over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In his satirical essay, Swift uses the voice of the narrator to convey a message far different from his own beliefs. Compare and contrast the beliefs of Swift to those of his narrator.

• What writing technique(s) does Swift use to get his true point across? (topic sentence)
• Cite 3 details to exemplify your ideas.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate the effectiveness of Swift’s writing technique(s). What reaction from readers does Swift seek from 18th-century audiences, and what might lead him to success?

2. Swift uses this essay to highlight the Dehumanizing Attitudes that many wealthy people felt towards those experiencing poverty.

• Based on the text, what is the overall feeling that wealthy people had towards poorer classes? (topic sentence)
• Within the narrator’s “modest proposal,” identify 3 examples in which he suggests dehumanizing actions toward impoverished people.