SATIRE: A MODEST COLLABORATION
Task: Working groups of 3-4, write an essay that emulates Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.”
GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS
First, a note on collaboration
This is not a group project. It is not an individual exercise. It is meant to be collaborative—truly the product of your collective
efforts. Your individual input is invaluable. And, through reflection and discussion, you will be required in the end to account for
your specific role in this work. You and your peers must work together to conceive, outline, and write this essay, both in and out
of class.
To help with the collaborative aspect of this assignment, you will be given five consecutive class periods in which to work. You
may also wish to use Typewith.me, a collaborative website for writing; instructions for Typewith.me will be online.
And a note on inquiry-based learning
This time around, you must determine the appropriate process for the paper. Use the resources available to you in and out of
school, from the notes you took on “A Modest Proposal” to the wealth of information available through Google. You will have no
checkpoints as you work, but your progress and participation will be tracked every day; you must, therefore, budget your time
yourselves. The final essays will be compiled, edited, and presented beginning on Tuesday, April 10.
Here are the suggested steps for your collaborative work:
I. Determine the crux of your proposal.
Crux is Latin for “cross,” and it refers to the central point of your writing. This is the real problem you mean to solve (or to which
you mean to bring attention). You may choose from the following:
1.
School issues
Students who smoke in the bathroom
Students who are late to class
Academic cheating (e.g., copying homework)
Grade obsession and grubbing
Cyber bullying
Misuse of Facebook (e.g., incriminating photos)
Students who miss class for extracurriculars
2.
National issues (academic)
High cost of college
Difficulty of getting a job out of college
Weak American performance globally
Teacher tenure and salary
3.
National issues (non-academic)
Corporate greed and destruction (e.g., Bernie Madoff)
Sex and violence on TV
Sex and violence in video games
Overcrowded prisons
Homelessness and poverty
4.
Your choice
If you want to choose a topic outside of these lists, you must seek approval first. Your suggestion must be a real
problem that affects a significant number of people in a community; you may, however, define that community however
you like (e.g., this high school vs. the entire country).
II. Complete a collaborative SOAPSTONE outline.
Use your notes and previous SOAPSTONE work to complete the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Subject
Immediate Occasion
Larger Occasion
Audience
5.
6.
7.
8.
Satirical Purpose
True Purpose
Speaker/Persona
Tone
An effective SOAPSTONE will serve as an outline of your essay—not of each paragraph, but of the context and goals. Spend at
least one class period on this.
EURE/OSSO | REGENTS 10
SATIRE: A MODEST COLLABORATION
Note on speaker: Your speaker does not have to be one of your group members. In fact, it shouldn’t be one of you; it should be a
persona, or character created to serve as the speaker of the text. This persona can be as different from you as you like.
III. Gather details and generate appeals
Research the subject to gather evidence, especially that can be used in a logical appeal. Swift made up some of his facts and
figures; you can do the same. You can also make up some experts for your character appeals; you might also use real authorities,
however. You will also need to outline how you will make your speaker’s trustworthiness apparent, and how you will use
emotional appeals to sway the reader.
Note: You do not necessarily need to cite your sources in MLA format, but you should always track where you get your
information. Write down names, website addresses, and so on.
IV. Arrange the essay
Follow the general arrangement of Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” You do not need anywhere close to 33 paragraphs; you
will, however, need to include the following elements (¶ refers to the paragraphs in the original essay by Swift):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Prelude: Introduction and Overview
¶ 1: Set the context (physical setting and occasion for the proposal). Use emotional appeals to draw in the reader, and
allude to or mention specifically the problem being addressed.
Narration: Setting the Stage
¶ 2-7: Use appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos to further establish the context. Mention failed attempts to solve the
problem, your speaker’s credentials, and the necessity for a solution.
Thesis: the Proposal Itself
¶ 8-9: Briefly introduce the proposal. State your solution succinctly.
Argumentation: Defending the Proposal
¶ 10-16: Delineate aspects of the proposal, continuing to appeal to logos, ethos, and pathos. Defend your position and
its merits. Offer experts, statistics, and emotional manipulation (like Swift does in mentioning abortion to Catholics).
Digression: Optional Side Discussion
¶ 17-19: Digress to attack other, related aspects of the problem. Swift addresses the rich and spoiled in order to
highlight class differences.
Argumentation: More Defenses
¶ 20-28: Continue to list the various advantages of your speaker’s proposal.
Refutation: Counterargument
¶ 29-31: Present and ironically reject the counterargument to your satire—the real proposal. In other words, offer up a
real solution like Swift does, treating it is as impossible.
Conclusion
¶ 32-33: Invite other ideas and end with an appeal to your speaker’s character.
Feel free to experiment with this format.
V. Wilson Daily Prep vocabulary
Study lists 6-8. Gather three, four, or five words from each list that you can use in this collaborative writing. The more
vocabulary you use effectively, the more enrichment credit you stand to earn. The words must make sense in context, i.e., they
cannot be awkward or inaccurate. Only use words that help your writing!
When you submit your final paper, you will underline or highlight each of these words. Note: You will also have a vocabulary
quiz on lists 6-8 in late April. Study all the words.
VI. Begin to draft the essay
The final product must be typed and submitted to Turnitin, but your initial drafts can be handwritten—and probably should be,
considering the amount of time you will have in class. Focus on making each member’s ideas a part of the writing process.
Consider every paragraph and sentence together.
And, as always:
Communicate your concerns and questions in class and/or over email.
EURE/OSSO | REGENTS 10