The Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift

Eighteenth century Ireland was littered with starving families and crime. The overpopulation there was largely due to the amount of children each family was having. In Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” Swift tells people to sell their children because of the overpopulation, poverty, and standard of living in Ireland.

In the 1700s, Ireland was under the control of the British. They also owned Northern Ireland. The British were causing immense numbers of problems for the Irish people because their policies were leaving people homeless and starving. Jonathan Swift was a man who was born and raised in Ireland during these times. He engrossed himself in Irish politics especially during this time. Swift saw the struggles of the Irish people and became outraged by their conditions. He decided to fight against the British’s actions in a unique way, hoping that it would end this time of extreme poverty for the Irish. To do so, Swift wrote the satirical essay “A Modest Proposal”, using the voice of an upper class

Swift illustrates the purpose of the essay with his insincerity because for starters, he does not put the blame of the state's struggles on only the people but the British and politicians as well. He stated that after a poverty-stricken infant lived through his childhood years, they'd either abandon Ireland to fight for Spain or even sell themselves as servants to the Barbadoes. Here he advocated how these people have no pride or sense of nationalism towards their own native country and ultimately will lead them to their demise. By putting this idea out there, Swift suggested that the people of Ireland willingly work as a proud nation and bring forth

Swift writes the essay during a time when Ireland was flourished and overpopulated with underprivileged people who could not even afford to nourish their children. The kids, for instance , "either turn thieves for want of work,or leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain" (Swift 6-8). The author, as

Swift begins his essay by pointing out that Ireland has already faced lots of death and seen acts of evil against children before. He mentions abortion, the practice of women murdering their own children because they feel that they aren’t able to take care of them. He estimates, by figuring that 170,000 women are giving birth to children that would go on to live per year, that 120,000 children are born into poor families per year. Furthermore, he mentions the exact monetary value that he thinks each child could earn before the age of 12, pointing out that this value is still much too low to survive on. After stating his solution, he then goes on to numerically divide the 120,000 children into 20,000 breeders and 100,000 products. Swift’s use of figures shows that he has put time and thought into this subject, and is invested in the matter at hand. Swift’s audience, the people and government of Ireland, will be more likely to believe that Swift cares about his country.

In Jonathan Swift essay he states quite a few complaints about the economic system of Ireland and how he aims to fix. He thought that the situation was so dire that he suggested the rather extreme measure of eating babies or selling them like livestock. But I'm sure that the situation was not so dire that the country of Ireland had to resort to the cannibalism of young infants, he did that to raise awareness of the situation for that was the only way to get the attention of the people. In the essay, he states how poverty was ravaging the nation and that every corner of a street had female beggars with at least 3 on their backs children piled up on the streets. That the papist was mistreating the Irish people because they were Protestants, and landlords were treating their tenants like slaves

Ireland, during a time of economic depression due to an overwhelming amount of taxes and demands from Great Britain, was plunged into extreme poverty and a state of disarray. At the time of 1729, Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” offered a proposition to Ireland’s difficult situation. The proposal included the idea of selling the infant children of Ireland as livestock to the rich and wealthy people of Ireland for consumption. This would reduce the overpopulation of Ireland and provide a stable source of food. The parents would no longer have to feed an extra mouth and take care of a child that needs to be constantly watched. The proposal would cost many lives but save an even greater amount. I agree with Swift’s proposal to save the lives of many at

In his “A Modest Proposal”, Johnathon Swift employs no shortage of phrases that dehumanize the Irish people. He likens women and the poor to “breeders,” implying that the only thing they are good for in life is to procreate and profit from their offspring. He goes on to reference, “child dropped from its dam,” as if making a comparison between women and animals. Swift furthers that with talk of allowing a number of women for breeding reserves, and it being more than the allotted number to that of livestock. Swift continues his dehumanization by making the people and children themselves seem inconsequential. He reduces them to mere numbers—statistics. By dividing and lessening their numbers (poor people who cannot sustain their children vs women who lose their babies), Swift makes the Irish people seem even more inconsequential. His proposal is revolting and ultimately ironic. There were vast numbers of people dying—and yet no one seemed to care. I think Swift chose his method of dehumanization because it just further made his point and it compels the person reading to think on whether they could view fellow human beings in such a cold manner.

Ireland, Swift's home country, was under deep poverty and famine in the time period of this writing. Many citizens were stuck in a financial hole with no escape from the latches of poverty. In addition, many of the impoverished class consisted of mothers with multiple children. As a result, many

Swift suggests that Irish women should sell their children as food and other necessities to the rich populace in order to benefit the economy and fight the problem of overpopulation. To specify, Swift proposes if the children are sold, there would be many more utilizations of the children instead of having to survive on the streets scraping for money. He uses this ridiculous example in hope that it will benefit the rich population as well as solve the predicament of overpopulation. As he states, “Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass;

The issue Swift attempts to solve is the over population of children and the lack of food in Ireland. Ireland in the 1720s was fairly poor especially in Dublin, where Swift lived. The Irish government begged for help from Britain but they did nothing to aid. Dublin’s issue was to feed millions with the little food they have grown. Swift believed he had an excellent idea to solve the poverty in Dublin’s streets. Since he

To understand Swift’s case for systematic slaughter and consumption of our children in, A Modest Proposal, we need to look at the context of in which it written. Swift’s Ireland had been under the oppressive thumb of England’s rule for nearly 500 years. Ireland suffered from a weak voice in Parliament and restricted trade regulations when denied union in 1707. By the 1720’s, Swift’s political views became well known through a series of pamphlets, essays, and satirical works ( another one of his

After reading Swift's "Modest Proposal", I have to say I am completely appalled, disturbed, and offended of considering to consume a little baby to solve the nation's problems. With this intention, I am not an advocate of Mr. Swift's suggestion, considering all the pain my child and I have experienced; including our connection, and love that we have shared it breaks my tender heart that there might be people who would be willing to take a baby's life to save their selfish motives, only because life is beginning to get troublesome and severe. More importantly, announcing that a mother breeder should feed their child milk for their first year and then sell them. Could this be a joke? For weeks my innocent baby has been naked, cold, and no longer

Jonathan Swifts is an Anglican priest who wrote the essay “A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public.” (687) This satiric proposal is one of irony, mockery, exaggeration, humor and sarcasm. Swift begins his proposal by creating a picture for the audience. He states, “It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and the cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms. “ (687) He lays the foundation for his proposal by using mockery to

In his biting political satire called ?A Modest Proposal,? Jonathan Swift seeks to create empathy for the poor through his ironic portrayal of the children of Irish beggars as commodities that can be regulated and even eaten. He is able to poke fun at the dehumanization of the multitudes of poor people in Ireland by ironically commenting on what he sees as an extension of the current situation. Swift?s essay seeks to comment on the terrible condition of starvation that a huge portion of Ireland has been forced into, and the inane rationalizations that the rich are quick to submit in order to justify the economic inequality. He is able to highlight the absurdity of these attempted