Jonathan Swift, a writer in the 1700s, wrote an article entitled “A Modest Proposal.” In his writing, Swift proposes an idea that he believes will prevent the children of the Irish poor from becoming a burden to their parents and country. Throughout Swift’s article, he adopts an informative tone in order for his suggestion to be viewed as an actual solution to the poverty issue sweeping Ireland.
In the 1700s, English landlords taxed the Irish land resulting in countless unemployed Irish. Several traveled to America in search of work, but most were driven to poverty. In response to the increasing issue, Swift argues that by eating the children at a prime age of one, the parents of these children can sell them as a source of food, ending hunger. Appealing to the poor in Ireland, Swift argues that by following this proposal, the Irish can change their ways of living and can prevent their children from evolving into burdensome beggars such as themselves. Swift applies facts and statistics along with emotional appeals to support the argument he is making as he assumes the Irish will suppo...
An Oxford University graduate, Jonathan Swift, in his article, A Modest Proposal, proposes a solution to Irelands growing poverty in the 18th century by proposing the selling and eating of innocent babies. Swift’s purpose is to state the benefits that the poor would gain from selling their one year old children to the wealthy to eat them. He takes on a concerning tone in order to convince the people of Ireland to consider and adopts his obscene plan.
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.
Political issues or matters concerning the well-being of mankind is not something new to us. Social and political hierarchies have existed for millennia, yet the ways in which people have voiced their concerns or opinions on sensitive topics related to these hierarchies have evolved over time. One way in which people have addressed important society matters has been through satire. Typically satirical writings are fueled by anger brought about by a political event or societal issue. Instead of voicing their anger directly to the people, Jonathan Swift and other satirical authors, have used satire as “the engine of anger, rather than the direct expression of anger” (Egendorf 40). In doing so,
Jonathan Swift says that the people, politicians, and English are all at fault for the terrible state and poverty of Ireland. Swift states that if a poor infant passes the dangerous years of childhood, they would “leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain” or “they would sell themselves to the Barbados,” as indentured servants.
his idea will be charitable and will actually help the poor as well as the
“A Modest Proposal”, written in 1979 by Jonathan Swift, is a fascinating sardonic, irrefutable hyperbole. He reconnoiters the miserable fate of poverty-striven Irish whose struggle in vain in an effort to feed their huge emaciated families. In the essay, Swift advocates that the penurious Irish should sell their babies to the rich ladies and gentlemen and obtain monetary power required to ease their economic predicaments. The babies will in turn be turned into ‘delicious’ food for the wealthy landlords. The straight-faced parody that features predominantly in the essay makes it outstanding in exploring the tarnished relationship between England and Ireland as well as comprehending the strategies that were thought to be best in resolving the
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 a “Modest Proposal”, by Dr. Jonathan Swift, the author proposes a solution to the overpopulation and poverty in eighteenth century Ireland. The proposal is for Irish parents to sell their children as food, so they can earn money. The proposal was brought up in the year of 1729, when the problems were present in Ireland. The proposal was a way to get rid of the poverty stricken families, overpopulation, and malnutrition in Ireland. The parents were to plump their children up, by feeding the kid milk from their mother. Once the child reaches one year of age, they will sell him/her to someone of fortune, such as a landlord. In today’s society we have homeless citizens on the streets, families too poor to provide for their children, and a portion
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.
In Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift talks about solution that he thought may solve Ireland’s economic and social problems. Jonathan’s plan to reduce poverty was to kill and eat babies. He believed that his idea was the best because he said that by killing babies, you can get and that way poverty will go down and also their population will decrease. Although he was trying solve the problem and thought it was a good idea, I disagree with him. I get that he was trying to solve the problem but I don’t think this is a right way to solve this problem. You cannot just kill someone to solve a problem. I don’t think that killing can ever be a solution to any problem. There’s always another option, an option that doesn’t involve killing at least.
Comedy and humor do more than entertain. They are intertwined into people’s everyday existence and are used to change the way people feel, think, and act. Therefore, humor allows people to approach sensitive matters, such as social relationships. Society is full of prejudices, which comedy helps combat in addition to stimulating the economy and local culture. Comedy represents a social function through which the comedian and audience can question and hold those in power to account.
In Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”, he proposes that children of the poor become a food source that could possibly balance the economic structure of the kingdom. Swift is aware of the scarcity of food, and he empathizes with the struggling and damaged mothers of Ireland throughout the poem. Being a well-rounded individual of education and wealth, his proposed plan for the commonwealth is quite appealing. His educational backgrounds include schooling from Kilkenny School followed by Trinity College in Dublin (Swift, pg. 2464). These opportunities afforded him the position of a satirist within a British church (2464). Swift’s strategy includes him mentioning how children are expensive and he explains how they aid in the economic decline of Ireland;
In A Modest Proposal, author Jonathan swift begins by discussing the dire poverty that is rampant in Ireland due to England’s exploitation, and the terrible state of the social classes. Swift then proposes that the poor people of Ireland sell their babies as food to the rich to ease their economic troubles as well as to improve Ireland’s economy and standard of living. Swift says this because the women in Ireland continued to have babies, but were unable to provide for them. He states his proposal will make the babies “beneficial to the public” (Swift 2). Swift also, blames the politicians for Irelands grim living standards because of the lack of concern they presented in the decision making process to resolve the poor conditions.
Today I like to talk about the article I read for this week’s discussion. I read the modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. The purpose of this reading quite difficult to understand without knowing some background information. The article takes place in 18th century Ireland during the potato famine and tax hikes. Many hardships were had across the country, leaving over 100,000 children homeless and hungry. The writer John Swift proposed that, “ To provide for them in such a manner as instead of being a charge upon their parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall on the contrary contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many thousands” (2012). Simply put, he wanted to eat the children