A Summary and Analysis of Jonathon Swift’s “a Modest Proposal”

“A Modest Proposal,” written by Jonathon Swift, presents a number of problems in Ireland in 1729. Swift writes to an economically depressed, famine filled, and ill Ireland in an attempt to persuade families to help solve the countries sufferings. Stating, “mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood are forced to employ all their time in strolling, to beg sustenance for their helpless infants,” Swift effectively paints a picture for his audience to better understand the intensity of the situation. Strolling, or prostitution, was used widely to earn money to provide for families. Continuing to invoke emotion, Swift explains the hard-comings of the Irish people when he says, “they grow up either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native Country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbados.” Swift proposes that the inhabitants of Ireland should raise and sell children for a profit. The “Proposal” presents solid facts and statistics, appeals to logic of the higher and lower classes, and brings attention to the tribulations of Ireland.
When Swift states that there are nearly two-hundred thousand women around child baring age, and of that number only thirty thousand can afford having children, he proposes an idea that parents of poor families should fatten up their babies, until they are one year old, and put them on the meat market to sell. The rich land owners of Ireland would buy the children and use them for delicious meals, instead of the parents having abortions, which Swift says mothers do to avoid the expense rather than the shame. Selling babies would cut expenses and help families stay together, considering most fathers are not around to help due to the financial struggle, and mothers would not have to prostitute and beg street side. Swift gives examples of how babies will be sold, priced by weight, and draws a picture for the audience describing different dishes that could be cooked stating “stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled . . . fricassee or a ragout.” Swift proposes that not only could the babies be used as food, but as gloves and boots as well. Concluding his proposition Swift expresses that this proposition may be the best idea that has been brought forward to repair the economic problems of Ireland. This radical idea, eating human livestock, seems nearly reasonable given the fact that this would not only provide wealthy citizens with an exquisite meal, but also fatten the pockets of the breeders, resulting in less poverty, prostitution, begging, homelessness, and famine. Another benefit from Swift’s proposal is the creation of jobs, needing butchers to remove usable meats and skins to sell on the market and chefs that excel in the preparation of baby meat. This “Proposal” is a very well thought out and intellectual paper, likening babies to livestock, eating them, using them as clothing, which is all backed up with concrete reasoning to show why this would repair the poor economy, corrupt as it may sound. By using numbers, Swift dehumanizes the women of Ireland by grouping them together and labeling them as child bearers, while forgetting about the emotional side of having a child. However ethically and morally wrong it may be, Ireland in 1729 was in such a depressed state, anything was plausible, although poor mothers’ selling their babies to rich families was not truly what Swift wanted. Thinking and action is what Swift implies, manipulating government officials in hope that they might correct the economic disaster. Swift’s satirical writing methods seem to make eating babies justifiable. Swift, being the Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and being known for his other writings, such as Gulliver’s Travels, has a reputation to uphold. Swift, being held to a higher standard, knows this message will spread to English and Irish officials, so he writes this letter anonymously. Transforming into a new person while writing this essay, Swift challenges the government’s standard of what is right and wrong by captivating and enthralling his audience with his off-the-wall ideas. England ruling over Ireland has been a major influence to the downfall of the economy, conducting what is happening in the government from a different place in the world causes times without direct regulation. Ruling from so far away set a creeping incline in the poverty, famine, homelessness, and overall inability to raise a child.
Swift’s essay was an overall very effective way to get the citizens of Ireland thinking, although it was done with a harsh example. Irony and satire are used as types of reverse psychology to get the readers mind thinking outside the box. The effectiveness of this essay is astronomical considering what is written, because no person in their right mind would consider eating a child, but after reading this some would find it acceptable if they were in the same situation. Swift has a way with words and knows how to mend his audiences minds into his way of thinking. Appealing to audiences such as the higher and lower classes of both England and Ireland, government officials of both countries, also churches and clergymen, Swift presents concrete facts which are attributing to the misfortunes of Ireland. Using sound logic and imagery, such as butchering and eating children, to create a picture in the reader’s minds, Swift successfully persuades his audiences to conform to a higher level of thinking.