What do you think of Swift's satire? Knowing that the proposal is not meant to be taken seriously, did you find the satire humorous, outrageous, or shocking? Swift saw a problem (poor people starving in Ireland) and wanted to effect change by opening the eyes of the wealthy elite. Did you notice that in his outlandish proposal, he also included fragments of the truth and some real solutions?
Now it is your turn to propose your own satirical solution to a modern-day problem. Begin by brainstorming a list of problems such as global warming, pollution, hunger, illiteracy, the economy, etc. You may find it helpful to focus on the vices of human behavior or society, which you will later mock or and critique. Once you have selected a problem, create a satirical solution to the problem and share it in a modern, satirical essay. In your satire, you must describe the problem and offer a satirical proposal as a solution. Just as Swift did in "A Modest Proposal," you must also include at least one serious solution to the problem disguised within the satire. Finally, you must incorporate at least three of the satirical devices you have studied.
You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing resources. Before you begin, review the Modern Satire Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit.
This assignment might be a work sample that you want to include in your digital portfolio.
Once you have completed your satire, please submit your work to the dropbox.