What's for dinner? How about a thirty-one pound, flame broiled, Italian dressing marinated, fifteen month old baby? In his essay "A Modest Proposal," Jonathan Swift paints a picture of Ireland in his day: the hypocrisy of the rich, the cruelty of the English, and the squalor in which so many Irish people live. In this essay, Swift's unusual word choice and brilliant use of hyperbole show the reader how he feels about the atrocities in Dublin. "A Modest Proposal" is full of surprises that shock the reader at first, but make him think critically about values and motives by the end. The alarm raised by Swift's piece serves as a metaphor for the terror that the people of Ireland were experiencing.
             Jonathan Swift begins his essay by painting a picture of crowded streets, begging gypsies, and starving children in the reader's mind. Swift then states that when the children of Dublin grow up they have three choices, none of which is positive. The children may become slaves, go fight in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes. Swift sets up this image of poverty to show that the children might as well just be served on a platter.
             The narrator wastes no time in making a proposal that is anything but modest. Swift states that "a very knowing American" has informed him that "a young healthy child well nursed" is a tasty treat "whether stewed, roasted, baked or broiled." The author writes about this human dish as if it were a piece of chicken to shock the reader.
             Swift having heard this information from an American is the first hint to the reader that he himself is a member of Ireland's upper class because in the 1700's, Americans only associated with wealthy Irishmen. This information shows that Swift is writing in a satirical tone.
             In the next paragraph, Swift goes into detail about what his proposed solution would entail. He states, "...