Who is the speaker in a modest proposal?

Who is the speaker in a modest proposal?

The unnamed speaker in A Modest Proposal is not Jonathan Swift himself, though at first he may appear to be. Rather, he is an exaggerated persona meant to represent a class of people whom Swift especially disdained.

How does the speaker feel about the British in a modest proposal?

Swift’s allegiances are firmly with the Irish. In “A Modest Proposal” as elsewhere, Swift satirizes British control over Ireland and its baleful effects, specifically in relation to the economy. He subscribed to the dominant British stereotype which saw the Irish as being feckless, lazy, and superstitious.

What problem does the speaker describe in a modest proposal?

The speaker describes the problem of poverty in Ireland, which he attributes to the lack of opportunities to earn money.

What is Swift’s point in a modest proposal?

Presented in the guise of an economic treatise, the essay proposes that the country ameliorate poverty in Ireland by butchering the children of the Irish poor and selling them as food to wealthy English landlords. Swift’s proposal is a savage comment on England’s legal and economic exploitation of Ireland.