Hum 112 a Modest Proposal

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SURPRISE ENDING[pic 2]

Terika Clay

A Modest Proposal is a satirical essay by the 18th century author Jonathan Swift. In this essay, Swift proposed that the Ireland people eat their children. Recommending that this would be the solution for preventing the children of the poor people from being a burden to their parents or country but at the same time be beneficial to the public. Swift suggested that out of 120,000 children computed for in Ireland yearly at least 100,000 should be put up for sale to the most fortunate. Such as the flesh from newborn babies which he states would provide the most tender meat and their skin would make fine leather.

To back up his proposal swift stresses some of the examples of financial benefits of his proposition. Like eating our people would lower overpopulation, scarcity of food and that meat would be inexpensive. Ultimately Swift feels that preserving children and selling them would be restorative for the economy. He feels that this would put some source of income in the poor people’s pocket to be able to provide for their family.

By the end of this selection it seemed that Swift began to come to his senses and realized that this may not be the best way to go. This was not the best decision to better the country financially. With Swift stating in the selection that he has no infant children, his youngest being eight and his wife past the age of conceiving this wouldn’t be beneficial to him at all. At the end of the day this was a bizarre proposal to circulate money within the country.

The surprising part to me about the essay is Swift really thought that killing and consuming humans was a good idea. Picture a poor woman on the street begging for money to feed, cloth, or shelter her children. Then think about someone telling her I can help you out but you’d have to sacrifice your youngest child. To me this sounds like murder! It’s something you don’t want to imagine. This was the most unethical solution I’ve ever heard of. Overall gross but surprising mockery.

References

Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2017, from http://www. victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/modest.html