Narrator In A Modest Proposal example essay topic

A Modest Proposal Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal is a story full of satire and irony focusing on England's economic oppression and nonchalant attitude over Ireland during the early 1700's. His use of irony was his way to reach the people of England in hopes that they would offer a more feasible social plan that would benefit both the economies of Ireland and England, and more importantly, the people themselves. The Narrator in A Modest Proposal begins by first walking the reader down the streets of Dublin, Ireland, to illustrate the disheartening conditions of the Irish people and the burden they induce upon the Commonwealth. He appears to be a logical and educated man, who for many years has studied the problem and has come up with a plan to solve the overpopulation, and thus ending the economic woes of the country as well. His plan, though not traditional, would not be confined to provide only for the children of professed beggars, [... ] shall take in the whole number of infants at a certain age [... ] who demand our charity in the streets (483). What proposal, the reader asks, could possibly be so beneficial to the people of means and all the children and residents of Ireland and England and could be implemented so easily and had never been thought of before?

The answer is child cannibalism! The Narrator, knowing the reader is in disbelief at this time, refers to a newborn baby being dropped from its dam (483), and even makes calculations as to the number of infants annually that can contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many thousands (484), to bring the reader back to the problem at hand– overpopulation and economic adversity. He uses the assurance of his American acquaintance in London to convey to the reader that his proposal is nothing new and that child cannibalism is a delicacy one should consider. He further calculates the cost of caring for the child to be about two shillings per annum, rags included; and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child [... ] the mother will have eight shillings net profit, and be fit for work till she produces another child (485), to defend the proposal. Next, the Narrator lists several advantages that his proposal would make. This list is offered to the reader to further justify the proposal on the basis of its economic and even moral benefits to Ireland and England.

For example, it would lessen the number of papists, with whom we are yearly overrun (487), give money to the poor, increase the country's treasury, and provide new recipes to the taverns, thus increasing patronage by all the fine gentlemen (487). Finally, the Narrator conveys to the reader that this proposal is not solely for his benefit alone. He professes in the sincerity of my heart, [... ] I have no children by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing (489).

Jonathan Swift felt it was his duty as a human being to convey to the English the horrific conditions of the Irish people and to criticize the reader as representative of all who endure calmly the intolerable actuality in the world [... ] of our own inhumanity to our fellow human beings (430). It is hoped that enough people read his essay and tried to make a difference.

Bibliography

Encyclopaedia Britannica. web / Swift, Jonathan. A Modest Proposal. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: W W Norton & Company, 1995.483-489.