A Modest Proposal

Helps

The full name of Jonathan Swift’s pamphlet is A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick. This work is a Juvenalian satire which is a type of satirical writing that uses extreme hyperbole to mock or criticize some aspect of human behaviour, society, or government. A Modest Proposal mocks heartless attitudes towards the poor, as well as British policy towards the Irish in general. The title is itself ironic because Swift’s proposal is not at all modest but is disgusting and absurd. The essay starts by lamenting the sad fate of the children of the poverty-stricken Irish who live in squalor because their parents are too poor to keep them fed and clothed. Swift argues that the problem of too many children could be turned into a boon if the children of the poor were fattened up and sold into a meat market at the age of one year old. He uses hard-edged economic reasoning to support his proposal and lists six advantages to selling Irish babies as food, namely, reducing the number of Catholics, allowing the poor to pay rent, improving the menus at eating establishments, relieving poor parents of the financial burden of raising children, improving marriage and family life for the Irish by making the children assets of value and the mothers’ contributors to the financial wealth of the family, and enriching the Irish nation. Swift goes on to cite statistics in support of his argument in the form of specific data about the number of children to be sold, their weight and price, and the projected consumption patterns of the purchasers. He also suggests recipes for the preparation and cooking of the children. His essay concludes that his proposal would solve Ireland’s complex social, political, and economic problems. The purpose of A Modest Proposal is to comment on England’s legal and economic exploitation of Ireland. While the essay sometimes argues that the Irish themselves are partially to blame for their country’s problems, his main viewpoint is that the English were responsible for destroying Ireland’s economy and culture. A Modest Proposal is a shocking but excellent piece of writing that highlights political and social injustices by using logical extremes to make a ridiculous argument for solving the problem of poverty in Ireland in 1729 when the piece was published. A Modest Proposal is still relevant because extreme poverty still plagues many countries in the world. Quotes from A Modest Proposal “I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, 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 fricasie, or a ragoust.” “I have already computed the charge of nursing a beggar’s child ... to be about two shillings per annum, rags included; and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which, as I have said, will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat. Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass; the skin of which artificially dressed will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.” “whoever could find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these children sound and useful members of the common-wealth, would deserve so well of the public, as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.”

Good little satire, and a nice piece for any library.

Classic satire. Probably not recognized as such today

I know this is a satire but it was still uck to read! Excuse me while I go puke!

classic

fascinating proposal for the british economy to include the sale and consumption of babies and infants. if for nothing else read it for the lulz

Love

My favorite short story. The font in this little book makes it challenging to read.

Swifts facetious proposal must be read at least twice to catch all the nuances that he loaded this piece with. One of the best essays ever written.