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

Issues

Economy
Population
Religion

Proposed
Solution A
Pop: 1.5 M
Child-bearing women: 200, 000
Able to support own children: 30, 000
Breeders: 170, 000
Will miscarry: 50, 000
Annual no. of births: 120, 000
To continue breeding: 20, 000 (1 male : 4 females)
For culinary delights: 100, 000

Justification &
Benefits
Decrease the number of papists, Irish mercenaries
The poor will have something of their own (profit
of 8 shillings for the parents)
Increased stock of 50, 000 pounds per annum
New dishes, more food; extra leather goods
Better marriages (lessen abortion and infanticide)
Export additional meat

Proposed
Solution B

Tax absentees at 5 shillings per

pound
Buy and support own products
Cure vices and improve virtues
Unity
Landlords to be more merciful
Improve skill and industry of shopkeepers

Satire
a literary genre where vices,
follies, abuses, and
shortcomings are mocked and
held in contempt with the intent
of shaming individuals or society
for improvement. It is meant to
be constructive using wit and
other elements of satire.

Elements of
Satire
Sarcasm/Irony - expressing ones meaning
by using language that normally signifies
the opposite
Parody/Hyperbole - deliberate exaggeration
for comic effect
Double entendre - a word or phrase open to
two interpretations, one of which is usually
risqu (sexually suggestive)
Dark humor - the use of cynicism and
skepticism in satire, especially about death

Paper:
Persuasive essay
A.

B.
C.

D.

E.

Choose a Philippine issue that you want

to tackle (economic, politics, religious,
social, etc.); discuss your issue/topic
Present your modest proposal
Discuss how the proposal is going to
work including the benefits (use the
satirical elements)
Present real, doable, and helpful
solutions
Come up with a nice and appropriate
closing

Essay Specs
1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.

Form groups of five students each (one

may be four)
Discuss essay and submit an outline
Follow MLA format (Purdue OWL)
font size 12; TNR, Helvetica, or Arial only
Min 3000 words, max 3500 words
Required citation/bibliography: min 3
printed & 5 web sources
Submission: Two weeks from now

Questions?