Analysis Of Jonathan Swifts A Modest Proposal

Jonathan Swifts “ A Modest Proposal”, a story written at the beginning of the 18th century, in a tongue in cheek style, to bring attention to various issues of the day including poverty, overpopulation and the hypocrisy of the Church. The subject on the surface is the proposition of selling human babies as food for profit, eradicating the poor people from the streets and providing a delicacy for the rich. The idea is presented in a very logical, straight forward way, the setting everyday life in Ireland circa 1729, with poor people begging for food or money, being an annoyance to the fine citizens. Swift uses several aspects of literature including vivid imagery of mothers with sad, hopeless eyes holding starving children, these children knowing they have no means of a better future. This may cause the reader to feel great sadness and pity for these people, setting a tone of despair and empathy or an agreement that the poor are a drain on society. Swift is attempting to make a point about the upper crust of society’s total disregard for the less fortunate and their children. Many wealthy view the poor as a blight on society, they feel no need to help them but simply want them removed from their view. The …show more content…
In addition this new source of revenue for the poor would cut down the amount of poaching the poor do, hunting the wealthy land owner’s deer, again showing no compassion for the less fortunate. Swift also brags on the benefits of the pregnant woman, remarking how they will be treated as well as breeding cattle, and beaten less by their husbands. He continues to sell his proposal by explaining who the idea first came from, someone who in actuality could not care less about Ireland’s wellbeing. All the advantages to the wealthy and poor of Ireland are still completely inhuman and should be taken mockingly. (Swift 4, 5