Want this question answered?
In "A Modest Proposal," the speaker proposes that the poor in Ireland should sell their children as food to the rich as a solution to poverty and overpopulation. This satirical essay is intended to criticize British policies towards Ireland and highlight the desperation of the Irish people.
The essay "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift does not have a traditional protagonist in the narrative sense, as it is a satirical piece of literature. The main focus is on the speaker who proposes outrageous solutions to poverty and overpopulation in Ireland.
In "A Modest Proposal," Jonathan Swift satirically suggests that poor Irish families should sell their infants as a food source to wealthy English landlords to alleviate poverty and overpopulation in Ireland. It was a scathing critique of British economic policies in Ireland and the dehumanizing effect of inequality.
The tone shifts
One objection the speaker addresses in "A Modest Proposal" is the concern that the proposal suggests treating people as commodities or livestock. The speaker counters this by arguing that the proposal is a legitimate solution to poverty and overpopulation without resorting to inhumane practices.
A modest proposal
In the opening paragraphs of "A Modest Proposal," the speaker describes the dire poverty and overpopulation in Ireland, particularly among the Catholic families. He suggests that the surplus population of impoverished children could be a burden on society.
Swift's "A Modest Proposal"
Swift wants the British landlords to be the ones reading his work and gain something from it.
swifts a modest proposal
In "A Modest Proposal," the landlords are described as the best title holders to the children because by owning the children, they can monetize them as a commodity, making a profit off their sale and consumption. This satirical suggestion serves to criticize the exploitation and dehumanization of the Irish people by the wealthy ruling class.
"A Modest Proposal" is a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift in 1729. The essay suggests an outlandish solution to poverty in Ireland by proposing that impoverished families should sell their children as food to wealthy individuals. The proposal highlights the callousness of British policy towards Irish poverty and serves as a critique of political and economic exploitation.