Modest Proposal
Published in 1729, Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal depicts England's economic oppression over Ireland during the 1700s. The essay is an attack on the English as well as on the Irish. England, however, is shown as bearing the greatest fault. "England is devouring Ireland" was a popular political expression during this time period. In A Modest Proposal, this political expression is depicted in a literal manner. Within the essay, the narrator takes the part of an economic forecaster who offers a frightful solution to Ireland's desperate economy. This solution consists of raising Irish babies until the age of one and then eating them in an attempt to end the suffering in Ireland. The appalling nature of the suggestion offered by the narrator, who differs from Swift in morality, forces the reader to examine the issue at hand and either side with the satire or do something about it.The essay begins with the narrator describing the worsening conditions in Ireland. The narrator 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 cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children
Although the narrator appears to be coldhearted, he also gives the impression that he is a logical man. This causes the reader to view the narrator as a foul individual and question his suggestion. The satiric nature of A Modest Proposal puts the reader in a position, though. The narrator's opinions and response to the situation, however, show that he has little regard for morality. Thus, the reader is given a choice of either accepting the proposal or doing something about it. This shows the inhumanity of the narrator's proposal. Massive amounts of people are starving to death. Similar courses of action were taken during the Holocaust. Thus a sort of sincerity of the narrator is evident. At the end of the essay, the narrator demonstrates that he has no intention of being personally affected by his proposition. The awful proposition raised by the narrator causes the reader to become angry and truly analyze Ireland's economic situation. This is evident when the narrator states, "I have no children by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past childbearing" (2479). These figures are well beyond illogical. The reader is then forced to either accept the satire or do something about the issue raised.
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