On a Modest Proposal published by Jonathan Swift - Essay Example

A Modest Proposal This critical analysis discusses the satirical excerpt, A Modest Proposal, published by Jonathan Swift. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was an Anglo-Irish poet, satirist, political analyst and essay writer who later chaired the St. Patrick’s Cathedral as Dean. He is known for his marvelous works such as Gulliver’s Travels, A journey to Stella and The Battle of Books etc. In this essay he proposes a method to mitigate the tense and misery in the life of the poverty stricken Irish people. While describing the family conditions of the beggars and the woeful economic situation of the Irish laborers who couldn’t feed their family and their infants, Swift points out a “surplus” of those infants who could not be fed. By considering the possibility of selling the children into slavery once they reach at the age of twelve, he objects that scheme, not because of the brutality in that scheme but because of its impracticality. Swift said that twelve years is a long time in which a child cannot be fed because of the fragile conditions of his parents, and that he came to know from his acquaintance in America that a one year old child in good healthis : “a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome Food, whether Stewed, Roasted, Baked or Boiled”(Swift, n.p.). From this point onwards, Swift supports his idea of subjecting the children into cannibalism at earlier age than to nurse the child for twelve years. Following this scheme the mother of the child has only one year to milk him/her so as to make him/her a perfect food for the upper class. After selling her child she would get enough time to work until she is pregnant again. He also showed that this idea if implied would help in reducing the Catholics too, as a Catholic child breeds rapidly as compared to a Protestant child. People could make use of their skin as well. Next he discusses the recipe for older children but refutes it because the meat of an older child would never be as fresh as the infant’s meat. He concludes with six advantages of this scheme and says that nobody should object his proposal until and unless somebody comes with a genuine counter argument and that this entire proposal is in the favor of the Irish prosperity. Critical Analysis Jonathan Swift is known for his satirical writings about the political situation prevailing at that time in his country and the snide comments about the unjust policies of his time. In this article he talked about the somber and murky situation of the poor people of Ireland and the condition of the streets and public places full of beggars followed by a team of their ill conditioned children. The mother of such children instead of earning are forced to beg their infants. All this strive for those children who would either turn themselves into thieves (because of the deprivation of basic necessities), or sell themselves to Barbados or fight for Spain, provide no actual benefit to the country. This fragile and solemn condition of these helpless infants adds more to the already present country grieves. Having explained this weird condition in a melancholic tone he suddenly shocked the audience by his own seemingly a very ruthless and brutal solution of the problem. He calculates and shows the result that a 12 year breeding of children and then selling them is an impractical scheme and that it costs too much to the parents. However by using a very shrewd stance and highlighting all the negative aspects of the aforesaid scheme he puts forward his own idea of subjecting the infants to cannibalism at the age of one year. The audience had not yet recovered from the shock his seemingly hysteric and madding ideaand he started giving the calculations regarding the saving of a family who follows this proposal. He continued to explain the need of such an idea which if implemented save a thousands of currency per annum. At this point one reading all this juxtaposition of problem and solution would think that the author of this essay could be a serial killer or a cannibal himself or a psychopath. However with next segments of this essay to come, showed that author took no notice of the fact that he might have soundedweird on his tracks to some readers and that he should either altogether propose a sensible scheme or adapt a stance to pacify the infuriated audience. Swift went on explaining that he had this statement from his American acquaintance that one year old child tastes delicious whether cooked, roasted, stewed or boiled and hence the upper class and fortunate class would easily adopt this recipe. The fresh flesh of one year old child is enough to serve a small gathering however if the family dines alone the meat would suffice for days. He showed by calculations that how this seemingly brutal scheme is more effective than the child’s labor and selling after breeding for twelve years. Following the proposed method the mother of a child if free to work after one year until she is impregnated again. The cost of breeding a child for one year is 2 shillings (one shilling = 1/20 pounds) and a profit of 8 shillings is the result of this proposal. In the next part Swift coherently discusses another topic relevant to the above mentioned scheme. He explained that how his proposal would stop involuntary abortions from the society when people have this hope to get a handsome amount of money for letting their offspring roasted for the fortunate and elite class meals and dinners. Because of this scheme, there will be prevention of the illegitimates murders in the society and mothers will stop hunting their bastard children into their womb. However one flaw which I could point out in this excerpt is that Jonathan Swift kept explaining the genuineness of his proposal without even formulating a parallel and sane solution for this problem and then comparing the two. Nevertheless the article itself is an amalgamation of interest, shock, wisdom and the mockery which Swift had done one the politics and the irresponsible stance of the government. He explained that a Catholic child breeds faster than a protestant one so it is a good chance to reduce the number of papist among us. The beauty of this essay is that it is a complete package of melancholy, laugh (small puns), mockery on society and a lesson for those who have some conscience remained alive in them. The author best makes a sinusoidal view of thoughts, criticism and condemnation of the irresponsible government policies present at that time. Swift showed the cost comparison of nursing a child for one year and for twelve years. After one year he evaluates the profit on the basis of child’s health and said that a good person would have no hesitation in paying ten shillings or more for a fat good child. In the perspective of his idea he demanded that a shamble must be provided to accomplish the slaughter of the one year old fresh food for elite class people and compare this slaughter no higher or sacred than the slaughter of buffaloes and pigs they used to have on daily basis. This again is marinated with sound mockery that how the poor and needy people are considered not very different from the pigs and other animals. So far the argument seems legit because Swift has provided all the reasons and logics in support of his proposal. There is a notable part present in the article which is primarily focused on the calculations of the results and comparison of the previously existing situation which had affected the people of Ireland adversely. In the next part he discusses the possibility of cannibalism applied on the older boys and girls but then himself refute this concept. He was of the view that the flesh of and infant in incomparable to any older human being. He also stress on the fact that the flesh would not be a suitable one because 12 years old boys are tough and lean and girls are on the position to start breeding their own kids, so he let this consideration go away and returned to the topic of attention. The author snidely comments again on the poor condition of the poor and old people who are the center of attention to most social welfare workers, however no sound work is done for the old people in order to provide them with the shelter. The author in his writing style paid no attention to this dilemma and just explained one of the fact that they are already dying so why to make life a misery by stuffing ourselves to the things of least interest so in his say we should let bygones be bygones. In the last part of the essay the author discusses the advantages of this proposal in the light of nation’s and a common person’s interests. He elaborated the fact that this scheme is quite useful for lessening the number of papist then it is also useful for the poorer tenants to whom money is very much valuable. Third advantages is that it will reduce the responsibility of the maintenance of two year children. The nation stock would eventually be amplified. Hence Swift proved the originality in the idea by formulating problem, its implementation, its demand and then impact on the national stock growth, poor people’s interests and the hustle bustle in the society due to poverty. He firmly rejected every futile attempt to counter argue with his idea which again renders the shameful attitude of government and its policies which never incorporates any solution proposal from the society and its poor and needy people. Conclusion: This essay is a standalone mockery and taunt on the governing body of his time who was woefully ignorant from the needs of its people and their basic necessities. The author expressed his anger on the government in a quite dual approach which is very interesting, enlightening, amusing and lessoning for a common person and simultaneously a backlash on the government’s disgusting face. This excerpt could be of some help to many of the political science student to extend their thinking in the immense expanse of the political ocean and help them to design a planned and uniform strategy which ensures the happiness of the common people. It is also used in the textbooks of the political science and n many literature program’s curriculum. References Top of Form Swift, Jonathan. A Modest Proposal. Champaign, Ill: Project Gutenberg, 1990. . Bottom of Form Read More