A Modest Proposal and Other Satires Lesson Plan

Why does the author emphasize his reliance on certain sources throughout the essay? Who are these sources, and how does their identity contribute to Swift's satire?

Students should observe that Swift uses this dependence on aristocratic sources to align his speaker, and his horrific suggestion, with many elements of the upper class who he aims to criticize: those living in London, those enjoying French haute cuisine, and those representing the new wealth of the American colonies. By connecting his speaker to the upper classes, Swift makes it painfully clear that he believes indulgence in luxury goods and opulent lifestyles have warped the perspectives of the wealthy,...