An Annotated Bibliography of Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal'

This annotated bibliography focuses on Jonathan Swift's satirical essay, 'A Modest Proposal,' which addresses the severe poverty and starvation in Ireland. The essay sarcastically proposes using poor Irish children as food for the wealthy, highlighting the indifference of the upper class to the suffering of the poor. The annotations analyze Swift's use of satire, his critique of social conventions, and the enduring impact of his work as a commentary on social injustice. The bibliography includes various sources, such as critical essays and different editions of Swift's work, providing a comprehensive overview of scholarly perspectives on the essay. Desklib provides this and many other solved assignments for students.

Running head: Annotated bibliography on Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’
Annotated bibliography on Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’
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Running head: Annotated bibliography on Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’
Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’ is a juvenilia satirical essay that was written with
the aim of highlighting the issue of starvation among the children. The satirical essay is an
attempt in order to figure out a useful method to converting the starving children of Ireland into
the deserving member of commonwealth. The book highlights that the poor children mostly the
Catholics ,live within a squalor as the families of these children are extremely to feed them as
well cloth them in a proper way. Thus swift makes his argument stand from the hard edged
economic reasoning. Swift’s proposal is therefore aims to improve the standards of living of the
children. The paper begins by lamenting the fate of these starved children. Swift is of suggestion
that the best use of those children would be using them as food for the affluent class of the
society. Swift further extends his discussion by stating the benefits of using these children as
food. It is needless to state that the essay is a satire in all means. Rather it can be said that Swift
through the essay hurls attack on the affluent class of the people behave badly with starvation
stricken children.
The link for MLA in-text citation guide is as follows:
https://library.csun.edu/egarcia/documents/mlacitation_quickguide.pdf
Swift, Jonathan. "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 public." Child
and Youth Care Forum. Vol. 24. No. 1. Kluwer Academic Publishers-Human Sciences Press,
1995.
In accordance with Swift: pp 5-12, (1995), in a very satiric way Swift kept on describing
how these children will be cooked. Swift says that if anyone does not know how to cook child,
for he or she, there are suggestions such as how to roast a child or how to boil a child and so on.

Running head: Annotated bibliography on Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’
Thus it can be easily understood that though swift’s initial aim is to amuse the readers but the
actual purpose or meaning of the essay is way more serious. Throughout the essay, Swift
strongly attacks the upper class society and the ill conventions of the society which support ill
practices against the people of lower strata (Swift: pp 5-12). Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest
Proposal' is a juvenilia sarcastic exposition that was composed with the point of featuring the
issue of starvation among the youngsters. The sarcastic article is an endeavor keeping in mind
the end goal to make sense of a helpful strategy to changing over the keeping youngsters from
Ireland into the meriting individual from province. The book features that the poor kids for the
most part the Catholics ,live inside a dirtiness as the groups of these kids are greatly to nourish
them also material them appropriately. Accordingly Swift influences his contention to remain
from the hard edged financial thinking. Swift's proposition is along these lines expects to
enhance the ways of life of the kids (Swift: pp 5-12). The paper starts by deploring the destiny of
these starved youngsters. Swift is of proposal that the best utilization of those youngsters would
utilize them as nourishment for the princely class of the general public.
Swift, Jonathan. A modest proposal and other satirical works. Courier Corporation, 2012.
As per the study (Swift: pp-15), Swift further expands his exchange by expressing the
advantages of utilizing these youngsters as sustenance. It is unnecessary to express that the paper
is a parody in all methods. Or maybe one might say that Swift through the paper heaves assault
on the rich class of the general population act severely with starvation stricken youngsters. In an
extremely satiric manner Swift continued depicting how these youngsters will be cooked. Swift
says that on the off chance that anybody does not know how to cook tyke, for he or she, there are
recommendations, for example, how to broil a kid or how to heat up a youngster et cetera. In this
way it can be effectively comprehended that however Swift's underlying point is to delight the

Running head: Annotated bibliography on Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’
pursuers yet the real reason or importance of the paper is far more genuine (Swift: pp-15).
Through the exposition, Swift emphatically assaults the high society and the evil traditions of the
general public which bolster sick practices against the general population of lower strata.
Swift, Jonathan. A Modest Proposal: For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland
from Being a Burden to Their Parents Or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the
Public. Virginia Tech, 2001.
According to the (Swift: pp-12), in terms of language and style of the essay, Swift kept
the language in a moderate level which can be understood by the readers easily yet swift gave a
lot of efforts while choosing the words. More than any other thing, the choice Swift stressed on
the style of the essay. Though he kept the tone satiric but he conveyed the strong message to the
readers. He compared children with food in order to make the people of upper middle class
society that the way they behave to the starved poor children need to be changed. Regarding
dialect and style of the exposition, Swift kept the dialect in a direct level which can be
comprehended by the pursuers effortlessly yet Swift gave a considerable measure of endeavors
while picking the words. More than some other thing, the decision Swift worried on the style of
the article. In spite of the fact that he kept the tone satiric with a solid message to pass on to the
pursuers (Swift: pp-12). He contrasted kids with sustenance all together with make the general
population of upper working class society that the way they carry on to the starved poor kids
should be changed.
Thus to conclude it will be eight to assert that swift through his satiric essay ‘A Modest
Proposal’ criticized the social structure. In respect to that, it needs to be mentioned that this easy
has been considered as one of the finest satires not only in English literature but in the world

Running head: Annotated bibliography on Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’
literature. The emerging issue in Ireland has been depicted through the essay while at the same
time the essay reveals Swift’s anger against the social convention. In this manner to finish up it
will be eight to affirm that Swift through his satiric paper 'A Modest Proposal' reprimanded the
social structure. In regard to that, it should be said this simple has been considered as one of the
best parodies in English writing as well as on the planet writing. The rising issue in Ireland has
been portrayed through the exposition while in the meantime the paper uncovers Swift's outrage
against the social tradition.

Running head: Annotated bibliography on Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’
Bibliography
Briggs, Peter M. "John Graunt, Sir William Petty, and Swift's Modest Proposal." Eighteenth-
Century Life 29.2 (2005): 3-24.
Swift, Jonathan. "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 public." Child and
Youth Care Forum. Vol. 24. No. 1. Kluwer Academic Publishers-Human Sciences Press, 1995.
Swift, Jonathan. A modest proposal and other satirical works. Courier Corporation, 2012.
Swift, Jonathan. A Modest Proposal: For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland
from Being a Burden to Their Parents Or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the
Public. Virginia Tech, 2001.
https://library.csun.edu/egarcia/documents/mlacitation_quickguide.pdf