A Proposal of Satire
Various types of proposals have been written for various reasons throughout time. Their purpose is to suggest a change or to sell something to better a process or suggest an idea to solve an issue. There have been many proposals written, however none as dark and sinister as, A Modest Proposal, written by Jonathan Swift. His proposal is considered by many literary scholars as one of the greatest pieces of satire ever written in history. In his essay, Swift suggested that the poor citizen of Ireland raise their children like swine, hence they could sell them at market to survive (Swift). Therefore, his grandiose idea would solve Ireland’s poverty issues in the early Eighteenth Century. Indeed, Swift’s clever usage of satire
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became an effective tool for enlightening governments and society on social issues that affected the nation. Jonathan Swift was born in Ireland in 1667 and was raised in both England and Ireland, until he eventually settled in Dublin, Ireland. He was very involved in politics in both countries and eventually became the dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. According to an article written in The Booklist, Carolyn Phelan writes, “For many years, he took up the causes of the Irish people in caustic, ironic, anonymous, and often-effective pamphlets, but he is best remembered as the author of Gulliver's Travels”(39). Throughout, his amazing life he was the author of many satirical works, but none more controversial than A Modest Proposal. In A Modest Proposal Swift starts the essay by describing the poor women of Ireland walking down the streets with their children in tow, knocking on doors for food to feed their children (Swift).
This is followed by a plea to others to come up with an idea to solve this social issue of poverty. As Swift states, “whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound, useful members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation”(Swift). This appeal to the people of Ireland shows his distaste with how the government was handling the poverty issue in Ireland. Therefore, time had come to make his proposal known at this …show more content…
time. During the succeeding paragraphs, he puts together sound logic with the numbers of the population that can participate in his idea, by subtracting various amounts of the population for reasons like miscarriages, accidents and disease.
Furthermore, he places a monetary value on each child from age twenty-four months until they reach the age of twelve. After this, Swift then states his proposal by starting out with,” I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London” (Swift). With this start, was Swift, possibly drawing attention away from him? He then goes on to state, “that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout” (Swift). Unfortunately, he is proposing that the children of Ireland would make a bountiful feast for the tables of the
rich. In the subsequent paragraphs, Swift informs the readers about the advantages of his proposal. Such as, the ability of the poor to pay their bills, relieve the parents from the cost of raising their children and encourage marriage. For example, Swift states, “Fourthly, The constant breeders, beside the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year” (Swift). Furthermore, he explains how his proposal would be very beneficial to the whole economy of Ireland. Subsequently, in the following paragraphs Swift explains that his proposal is only for Ireland and he goes on to mention other proposals that would help the kingdom. Swift writes, “Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither cloaths, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture” (Swift). Swift is letting the readers know that these proposals could help the issue of poverty; however they would need the rich to make sacrifices. In conclusion, Swift was trying to point out that the country needed to come up with a solution to fix the poverty issue in Ireland. Moreover, he felt Ireland’s poverty issue was created by England and the rich of Ireland. The reason for this can be found in the following statement, “I prescribe, and thereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes as they have since gone through by the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without money or trade, the want of common sustenance” (Swift). Undoubtedly, this piece of artistic satire must have garnered the attention of the government and all who took the time to read this piece of literature; hopefully, seeing that, something needed to be done to fix the poverty issue in Ireland.
Jonathan Swift is the speaker in the story, A Modest Proposal. He is also the author of many other books and stories. In the text of A Modest Proposal, Swift addresses what he believes to be a big issue in the magnificent country of Ireland, Dublin to be exact. Therefore, he proposes a solution to the problem, however, the solution is not what we would call humane, orthodox, reasonable, or even one that we would consider performing today. Swift wrote this piece for anyone that can read and comprehend what the text implies.
“A Modest Proposal” was written in 1729 by a satirical author by the name of Jonathan Swift. Swift studied at the University of Oxford and was also know for his popular writing in Gulliver’s Travel. The purpose for his satire “A Modest Proposal” was to enlighten the citizens of Ireland about their hardship and suffering. He informed them about their scares of food, money, and property, but provided a possible solution to their problem. To persuade the people Swift adopts a comforting and friendly tone to his audience for the people to react to his solution.
The essay “A Modest Proposal” written by Johnathan Swift takes a satirical view on how to solve the starvation issue in Ireland. Swift suggests an obviously satirical solution of eating children around the age of one. He used irony, ambiguity, and ethos to emphasize the satirical nature of the essay and present a captivating idea to the audience.
If Jonathan Swift had written a serious piece simply espousing his true beliefs he would not have received as much feedback, due to the fact that there were already informational advertisements at the time and nobody was interested in reading them. The only thing that would get the people 's attention was something that would create a lasting impression, so he wrote a satirical piece with trenchant humor and mochary. “A Modest Proposal” surprised people and got them thinking about the condition of the poor in Ireland and what should be done to solve it. For example Swift states that “those who are thrifty” can use the carcass of the infant for ladies’ gloves or gentlemen’s boots. This itself can help those reading the piece to begin to think about possible solutions to the substantial issues involving the poor in Ireland. He also proposes that children that are fourteen should be consumed as well so the poor don’t have to go hungry and that it would limit the number of breeders, in an attempt to illustrate the extremity of the circumstances. His sarcastic way of joking enlisted fear in the poor and concern in the rich, helping them realise the drastic issue present in the
In the time frame that Swifts’ A Modest Proposal was written Ireland was going through political, economic, and religious struggles. In 1729 England had contrived, with the help of Irish venality, to wreck Ireland’s merchant marine, agriculture, and wool industry. Prostitutes in Swift’s paper are having kids like senseless people, but yet they can’t afford to feed them. Jonathan Swift proposes that his people should sell the babies and eat them. He thinks this would help solve the problem of over population. Swift tried to give his people pamphlets on how to fix the problem that was plaguing their country, but they ignored them. Swift says “These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants.”(1) Swift proposes that the mothers sell the babies for 8 shillings; the rich would find the child to be a delicacy and the extra money would go to the landlord. So everyone would benefit from this proposal. He does this as a way of making his people aware of what is going on in their
With all of these problems, the parents couldn’t maintain their children, so they needed a solution. Now this incredible man comes with a solution that is going to blow your mind, Swift decides to give them a proposal. It was a really uncommon one, but very helpful for them. This proposal is going to stabilize once again the country of Ireland. He established the use of the children of the poor as a source of food.
Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is an attempt to bring attention to horrible the condition in which the poor or destitute people in Ireland are living in. His argument that children of these improvised people should be sold to “the persons of quality and fortune” (A Modest Proposal) for consumption, is Swift’s gruesome way of saying you might as well eat the babies, if no one is going to actually try to fix the problems of the poor in Ireland.
In 1729, Jonathan Swift published a pamphlet called “A Modest Proposal”. It is a satirical piece that described a radical and humorous proposal to a very serious problem. The problem Swift was attacking was the poverty and state of destitution that Ireland was in at the time. Swift wanted to bring attention to the seriousness of the problem and does so by satirically proposing to eat the babies of poor families in order to rid Ireland of poverty. Clearly, this proposal is not to be taken seriously, but merely to prompt others to work to better the state of the nation. Swift hoped to reach not only the people of Ireland who he was calling to action, but the British, who were oppressing the poor. He writes with contempt for those who are oppressing the Irish and also dissatisfaction with the people in Ireland themselves to be oppressed.
Imagine reading an anonymous work that promotes cannibalism! Swift eventually had to reveal himself and the purpose of his pamphlet, which was to exaggerate the steps necessary to stop the Irish famine and poverty epidemic. A Modest Proposal is almost a scare tactic. It brings attention to the distances people will go to stop hunger and homelessness. The audience of rich, land-owning men were expected to take the text to heart.
In “A Modest Proposal”, Swift does not blame everything on the people of Ireland. In fact, he says that the people, politicians, and English were all at fault for the horrendous state the country faced. One annoyance Swift states is that the poor infants, if they survive their childhood years, would “leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain” or “they would sell themselves to the Barbados,” as indentured servants (Swift). He suggests that the lack of nationalism and pride in their country has led citizens to just leave instead of trying to fix the problem leading to the country 's
Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is a shocking satire that discusses the dire poverty in Ireland. It says if one is born poor, they will stay that way unless society puts them to use. Children are food to be eaten. In an economic slump, children will be used to feed and clothe Ireland’s population. Swift’s purpose for writing A Modest Proposal was to call attention to the exploiting and oppressing by the English to the Irish.
Swift, in return, asks any author of contradiction to consider the debt 100,000 infants will soon bring to the country in addition to the lack of resources available to feed these many souls. Throughout Swift’s logical argument, he leaves no doubt that his proposal is the answer to Ireland’s troubles. In the satire “A Modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift successfully hooks, informs, and offers the people of Ireland a fail proof opportunity to reverse the poverty that has overcome most of his countrymen and women.
Swift wrote his proposal for those that were tired of looking at poor children of Ireland. He starts out explaining the situation in Ireland regarding single poor mothers that have three to six children and cannot afford to feed or clothe them. The children of the poor are a burden and a disgrace for Ireland. He suggests that a certain number of the kids be set aside for breeding and the rest be auctioned off for consumption when they reach a year old. Swift backs his proposal with six key points. One, there will be a reduction of "papists" in the country. Two, the poor will have some valuable assets to help them with their economic needs. Three, the new goods will burst economy. Four, the parent/s will gain money and will not have to support their children year after year. Five, "would bring great custom to taverns." Six, there would be a greater incentive to marry and better child rearing practices.
In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift employs a satirical tone to mock both the callous attitudes towards the poor and the poor themselves. Swifts “modest” solution to the fiscal and social issues going on in Ireland is nothing but the opposite, as he proposes that the impoverished should sell their infants as food for money. In using the word “modest” to describe his proposal of eating Irish infants and/or offering their flesh as a source of clothing, Swift makes the sarcasm of his story evident from the beginning. By using such an inconspicu...
Having “maturely weighted the several schemes of other projectors”(1288), Swift’s narrator asserts that other plans proposed to take care of the poor are inherently flawed as those children will still be a plague on society until they mature to working age. He goes on to describe the details of his plan, calculating that one hundred and twenty thousand poor children would be available to sell for food. Of this group it is proposed that twenty thousand of these be saved for breeding, and furthermore one fourth would be male “more than we [Irish society] allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine” (1289). Swift uses this line to let his piercing irony shine through for the first time in the pamphlet in dehumanizing the impoverished people of Ireland by speaking of them as strictly statistics and treating them as livestock. This ironic comparison brilliantly plays on the sad fact that, at the time, poor families were treated worse as humans than the livestock throughout the country. This dehumanization continues as Swift advises that mothers of poor children should receive payment of ten shillings, or roughly $65.38 in today’s money. The further irony here is that this amount of