A Modest Proposal, by Jonathan Swift Essay - 733 Words

Jonathan Swift in his essay â€Å"A Modest Proposal† uses satire to attack governmental injustices and political abuse. He addresses Irish poverty and contends that the problem can be solved, and the economy saved by eating Irish babies. In the process, he emphasizes the number and extent of Irelands social ills and the indifference and neglect with which they have been treated. He talks about the abuses on Irish Catholics by English Protestants who owned farms where the poor Irish men worked and charged high rents that the Irish were not able to pay. This leaves many Irish parents jobless or without decent jobs to support their children, so they spend all their time walking the streets to beg for money. In this case, he attacks the English†¦show more content†¦His ironic words show that the poor people were seen as no better than animals, and this is shown when he says â€Å"†¦although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from th e knife, as we do roasting pigs† (Swift 487). He also proposes several ways of serving the baby’s meat: whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled showing that he doesn’t feel sorry for the babies. Swift even talks about how an older child will be of less importance and what they can do is just work in the farms since their meat is tough and lean and their taste is disagreeable (Swift 486) He brings to our attention that Americans also eat babies when he says, â€Å"I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food†¦ and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust† (Swift 485). He also mentions Americans when he says, â€Å"I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that their flesh was generally tough and lean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Swift 486). Swifts also indicts the English for being not only cruel landlords, but also Protestants who have cruel and inhumane treatment of the Catholics. Papists, also known as poor Catholics were oppressed by the English both politically and economically, and he proposes that eating the Irish babies would not only helpShow MoreRelatedA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift Essay836 Words   |  4 PagesIn Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal†, we are exposed to the timeless issue of homelessness and the state’s role in their social welfare. Swift was a fervent Irish patriot who was disgusted by the flourishing trend of beggars and hungry children that flooded the streets of his beloved country. This topic is relatable as this is a social issue that plagues many countries in the present age. 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