Jonathan Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal" against a turbulent political situation in Ireland. England had interfered with the politics of Ireland since the late 12th century, and the Irish were divided against each other into Protestant and Catholic factions. Create a timeline of significant dates in Irish-British history leading up to the publishing of Swift's essay in 1729, as well as significant events that occurred between Catholics and Protestants. You may also include dates after the essay's publication to illustrate the continuation of these conflicts into the present. Assign a date or event to each student and ask them to write a brief report describing the event and tying it back to "A Modest Proposal." In addition to their report, each student must make an index card that lists the key points of her event. Affix all of the dates on the timeline as students present their events in chronological order to the class.
While many people believe they have a keen sense of irony, in reality few people know what an ironic statement entails. Irony takes a situation and turns it on its head; it presents the facts and then offers a response that deliberately twists the expected outcome into something unrecognizable. Swift takes the cold truth of the starvation of the Irish under the harsh laws of the British, and instead of suggesting that Britain send food or aid Swift suggests that the Irish give once more to England by selling their own babies as food. Irony can be difficult to pinpoint, so ask students to bring an example of what they think illustrates irony for an in-class discussion. Lyrics and music, advertisements, passages from books and film clips can all be dissected to determine whether or not the materials are ironic or illustrate something entirely different.
The modern world is full of conflict and hypocrisy, perfect for inspiring student's own modest proposals. Have students write their own modest proposals that tackle issues that are relevant to them. This activity works best if students have been educated on the art of irony first. For advanced English classes, ask each student to write their own proposal, while beginning and intermediate level classes may benefit from a group work scenario. Students should have the freedom to express their opinions and viewpoints, but you may want to monitor the draft process or have students clear their topics with you to ensure that the material presented does not violate your school's code of conduct. Have each student or group present proposals to the rest of the class and include time for discussion.
Swift states that both the Irish and the British will benefit from the sale of Irish children for food. By arguing persuasively for both sides, Swift also implicitly condemns both sides for their roles in creating this crisis. Divide the class into two groups; ask one to argue for the Irish and one to argue for the British. In the first half of the class task students with debating who will benefit the most by selling the Irish children for food; in the second half ask students to debate who is the most at fault for the starvation of the Irish. The second portion of this debate will require students to conduct additional research, but by engaging with the text from multiple perspectives, the understanding of Swift's arguments will be fuller and deeper.