Social Criticism- Jonathan Swift “A Modest Proposal”
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Social Criticism- Jonathan Swift “A Modest Proposal”
Jonathan Swift in “A Modest Proposal” discusses his annoyance with the ineffectiveness of Ireland’s politicians and the dirtiness that many of the Irish people were forced to live in. Some of the major political issues that Swift felt contributed to the poor living conditions of the Irish people were high levels of poverty, too many children, and poor trade opportunities. A review of our society quickly reveals that these same political issues are still major concerns for citizens today. The U.S. poverty levels continue to rise; people are still using abortion as a means of birth control; and there has been a great improvement in trade relationships in many countries, thereby making child labor against the law.
Swift paints a clear picture of how poor the Irish people were in Ireland. He stated, “The roads are crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants” (Swift). Poverty is lacking the essential items such as food, water, clothing, and shelter needed for proper living. The Census Bureau uses a set of income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. The official poverty rate for the US in 2010 was 46.2 million people.
This is the fourth consecutive annual increase in the number of people in poverty
(Bureau). Much like the people of Ireland in 1729, poverty stills seems to be a political and social issue for our society. Swift was annoyed that politicians were not working towards solutions. In our society, politicians are trying to find solutions to the poverty problems. President Obama’s administration is addressing poverty through the
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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes acts to fight
Social Criticism- Jonathan Swift “A Modest Proposal”
Jonathan Swift in “A Modest Proposal” discusses his annoyance with the ineffectiveness of Ireland’s politicians and the dirtiness that many of the Irish people were forced to live in. Some of the major political issues that Swift felt contributed to the poor living conditions of the Irish people were high levels of poverty, too many children, and poor trade opportunities. A review of our society quickly reveals that these same political issues are still major concerns for citizens today. The U.S. poverty levels continue to rise; people are still using abortion as a means of birth control; and there has been a great improvement in trade relationships in many countries, thereby making child labor against the law.
Swift paints a clear picture of how poor the Irish people were in Ireland. He stated, “The roads are crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants” (Swift). Poverty is lacking the essential items such as food, water, clothing, and shelter needed for proper living. The Census Bureau uses a set of income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. The official poverty rate for the US in 2010 was 46.2 million people.
This is the fourth consecutive annual increase in the number of people in poverty
(Bureau). Much like the people of Ireland in 1729, poverty stills seems to be a political and social issue for our society. Swift was annoyed that politicians were not working towards solutions. In our society, politicians are trying to find solutions to the poverty problems. President Obama’s administration is addressing poverty through the
2
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes acts to fight
Cited: Scholastic. History of Child Labor. 2012. 18 April 2012 .