An Analysis of Jonathan Swift: "A Modest Proposal"

In 1729, Jonathan Swift wrote and published anonymously “A Modest Proposal” in which he bitterly satirizes the cruel treatment of the Irish by the English government. England showed little regard for the condition of Ireland or its citizens at that critical time. Swift begins his essay by describing the undeniable poverty of people in Ireland, shares his concerns, and presents facts and analysis, demonstrating that the Irish have the problem of an excess of children who cannot be fed. Over a million Irish citizens died from famine caused by a third successive year of bad harvests. Irish parents, unable to feed their children, were forced to abandon them. After visiting Ireland, Swift witnessed the critical situation, returned to England outraged and wrote his essay "A Modest Proposal" in which he offers his ideas to improve Ireland’s economy and standard of living. In his proposal, Swift suggests using Irish infants to "contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many thousands." Instead of letting them go to waste through death, he recommends that Irish parents sell their children to rich ladies and gentlemen. (1200) By selling her infant "the mother will have eight shillings net profit" (1202) He calls the impoverished women "breeders" since they kept having children but couldn't provide for them. (1200)

In his essay, Swift takes the voice of a nonchalant economist, offering statistics to demonstrate that selling one’s children is profitable, and providing disturbing details about how his approach could turn famine into a potential feast. Swift makes the outrageous claim that, according to his American acquaintance, a healthy child at one-year-old is “a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome Food, whether Stewed, Roasted, Baked or Boiled”. (1201) Swift has an American suggest cannibalism, mocking the view that the English are cultured and civilized and that the Irish are ignorant and barbaric. The English presume that the Native Americans are inferior savages comparing to themselves. Swift does not blame the Irish people for Ireland’s poverty but effectively uses satire and extreme rhetorical devices to expose corrupt Irish and English politicians who take advantage of poor Irish citizens. Swift states that the majority of the population in Ireland is Catholic, and the minority is Protestant. The religious differences within Ireland itself and between Ireland and England caused a political clash resulting in the subjection of Irish Catholics and allowing the Protestant Irish and English to control the country and exploit its people. The Protestants owned most of the land in Ireland and collaborated with the English government to pass laws revoking the rights of Catholics. Swift suggests an ethnic cleansing and mocks anti-Catholic religious prejudice as part of his proposal. "the Number of Popish Infants, is at least three to one in this Kingdom, and therefore it will have one other Collateral advantage by lessening the Number of Papists among us". (1201)

For years the British controlled and ruled Ireland and lay heavy restrictions on the Irish, such as limiting Ireland’s ability to trade with other countries, bringing severe economic hardship to the country for the benefit of England. Swift calls for anyone to offer a better solution than his suggestion to alleviate the hunger and poverty from which Ireland was suffering. At no point in the essay does Swift abandon the horrible ideas of his proposal to return to his senses. His proposal has no flaw and could work. The only problem is that it is immoral. Swift’s main reason for writing this satire is to shake up and wake up the consciousness of his readers and get them to act. Swift makes the following statement at the beginning of his essay before proposing his ideas: "as to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important subject…" England ignored the problem in Ireland giving it mere lip service, acknowledging the horror but not taking any action to help bring about the country’s stability. What can one do to make things better? This Is the moral question that Swift intended to instill in people’s minds in order to motive them to action to save the unfortunate children of Ireland.

Swift, Jonathan. A Modest Proposal. The Norton Anthology: English Literature. Ed. Julia, Reidhead. New York: W.W Norton & Company, Inc 2013