Swift's Proposal example essay topic

March 20, 2000 Paper #3 Jonathan Swift in his essay, 'A Modest Proposal's suggests a unique solution to the problem concerning poor children in Ireland. Swift uses several analytical techniques like statistics, induction, and testimony to persuade his readers. His idea is admirable because he suggests that instead of putting money into the problem, one can make money from the problem. However, his proposal is inhumane.

Swift wrote his proposal for those that were tired of looking at poor children of Ireland. He starts out explaining the situation in Ireland regarding single poor mothers that have three to six children and can not afford to feed or clothe them. The children of the poor are a burden and a disgrace for Ireland. He suggests that a certain number of the kids be set aside for breeding and the rest be auctioned off for consumption when they reach a year old. Swift backs his proposal with six key points. One, there will be a reduction of 'papists' in the country.

Two, the poor will have some valuable assets to help them with their economic needs. Three, the new goods will burst economy. Four, the parent /'s will gain money and will not have to support their children year after year. Five, 'would bring great custom to taverns.

' Six, there would be a greater incentive to marry and better child rearing practices. Swift uses statistical information to back up his proposal. He claims that there are about '200,000 couple whose wives are breeders; from which number I subtract 30,000 couple who are able to maintain their own children; but this being granted, there will remain 170,000 breeders. I again subtract 50,000 for those women who miscarry, or whose children die by accident or disease within the year. There only remain 120,000 children of poor parents annually born. ' He would keep about 20,000 for breeding and sell the rest for food.

Swift argues that this would boost the country economically by 8 shillings per child. That is at least 800,000 shillings compared to their debt of 2,000,000 pounds sterling. Swift also uses induction from a case where in Formosa (now Taiwan); anytime a young person was killed the state would sell the body for a fair price and was considered a delicacy. Also there was a young, fifteen-year-old girl that tried to kill the emperor and was sold to the Prime Minister for a good meal. He points out that there are same non-productive young people in their country who could be sold for a profit like in Formosa. He suggests that such 'a course may be taken to ease the nation of so grievous an encumbrance.'s swift then uses the testimony of a very 'worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose virtues I highly esteem.

' This person and many more gentlemen like himself supported Swift's proposal due to a lack of deer meat and the need for more money. 'He conceived that the want of venison might be well supplied by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not exceeding fourteen years of age nor under twelve. ' There were also testimonies from an American who backed the tastefulness of children at an early age. He was an experienced taster because he had done it many times and was going to continue doing it. Jonathan Swift's proposal is all but modest in dealing with the poor children of Ireland. He uses clever statistics to prove that selling children for 'table food' is better than going into debt creating a great burden on the country for the future.

Then he backs it up with some situations in other countries and lastly with testimonies from an experienced person whom he greatly respects. In the end Swift's proposal is for the good of the public and the country in that it will stimulate the economy but it is a little crude and improbable that a mother or other people would eat children for money.