In a modest proposal by Jonathan Swift what is ironic about the speakers comments on stealing?

Answer 1

What would be ironic is that the author assumes that stealing is the legitimate (or at least the expected) livelihood of Irish youth. Since this is a parody it follows through logically that Swift is stating that the English view Irish children as little more than thieves. To take this one step even further, the act of thievery is to make one's livelihood off of others and that is what the English accused the Irish of doing during this current crisis (the Irish Potatoe Famine). In other words, since the Irish can not feed themselves at this point in time, they are relying upon others for their continued livelihood (and also asking the world to help provide for them as well) and Swift is inferring that the English do not consider this to be "giving alms to the poor" but instead the Irish stealing it from the rest of the world (since the Irish are "dirty" and "not worthy" of what was donated to them by others).

Answer 2

In "A Modest Proposal," the speaker's comments on stealing are ironic because he suggests stealing as a solution to poverty while proposing something much more extreme and controversial: eating the surplus babies of poor Irish families. The speaker's proposal to steal food in order to survive is overshadowed by his larger, more shocking proposal.