Modest Proposal
The essay “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift was first published in 1729. This ironic essay satirizes the brutal treatment of Ireland by England during the early 18th century. The essay begins by establishing the speaker as a concerned citizen genuinely sympathetic to the Irish poor. He presents himself as sensitive, knowledgeable, and confident in his ability to resolve a serious problem by rational analysis. The modest proposal, which he presents, argues for the many advantages of the Irish people raising their children as food to be sold at great profit to the landlords throughout the kingdom.
LINCCWeb online catalog – Search Terms
· Swift, Jonathan (Subject)
Call Numbers for Browsing the Shelves
· PR3721 - PR3728
Circulating Books – A Selected List
· Bloom, Harold (ed.). Jonathan Swift: Modern Critical Views. 1986.
Call Number: PR3727 .J626 1986
· Mahony, Robert. Jonathan Swift: The Irish Identity. 1995.
Call Number: PR3728 .I67 M34 1995
· Palmeri, Frank (ed.). Critical Essays on Jonathan Swift. 1993.
Call Number: PR3727 .C76 1993
· Swift, Jonathan. Writings of Jonathan Swift. 1973.
Call Number: PR3722 .G7
Reference Materials
· Great Writers of the English Language: Satirists and Humorists – Call Number: REF PR85 .G66 1989
o Vol. 10, pg. 20, 26
· Literature and Its Times – Call Number: REF PN50 .L574 1997
o Vol. 1, pg. 266-72
· Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800 – Call Number: REF PN86 .L53
o Vol. 1, pg. 442, 447-48, 459-60, 481-82, 484-85, 490, 497, 513, 517, 519-22
Research Databases
To access Valencia’s research databases, open your Atlas account, select ‘Search the Library’, then select ‘Databases A-Z’.
· Academic Search Complete
· JSTOR
· Literature Resources from Gale
This Research Guide is designed to help users find information on a particular topic within the Valencia College East Campus Library. This is by no means a comprehensive list of resources and other resources may be available on this topic. Please check the LINCCWeb, Valencia East’s online catalog, to verify the availability of circulating books within the library. Feel free to ask a librarian for help if you need further assistance.
Copyright 2010
Valencia College East Campus Library
Last Revised on April 22, 2010
