In reading Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal", we are being required to write a "short" response on our thoughts and feelings of his satirical writing style. In my opinion, seven hundred and fifty words is a bit of a stretch for "short." Nevertheless, Swift discusses the problem in his home country, Ireland, during the early 1700s of famine and poverty. He is writing to the people and even more so to the government, persuading them to make a call to action to solve the problem of starvation and reduce the population of the homeless. No one seems to be listening or trying to make any effort to fix their problem, so Swift, in order to wake people up, writes an essay proposing that the people of Ireland begin to eat the babies ranging from one to two years old. The notion itself is absurd and unethical but it is just drastic enough to catch the attention of the government. The babies would provide food for those who are hungry and limit the number of mouths that will need to be fed later on.
Though eating a child or any other human being is cannibalism, the way Swift explains his reasons makes it sound completely reasonable and normal. He states that from a source he heard that "a young healthy child well nursed, at a year old, [is] a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled" so at least we know a child would taste good. Although the taste alone should be enough, he goes on to say that "a child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone... [it] will be very good on the fourth day." A baby is capable of providing multiple meals which would greatly help the famine problem for many families. It would also serve as an entertainment dish during dinner parties and might be seen as a delicacy. Swift take his proposal to another level when he mentions the babies' skin being used to "make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen." Harvesting the children would be considered fashionable as well.
His proposal will benefit those woman, or "breeders," too in which they will be paid eight shillings per annum for selling their children to be eaten and will also be reimbursed for the money they spent on the first year of nursing them to plumpness. Swift has the audacity to state that the country's stock will be increased by fifty thousand shillings per annum because of the marketing of baby meat and gain the "profit of a new dish." The food would most likely bring new people to taverns and restaurants and cooks could make it a more sophisticated and expensive plate. Also, he said marriages and life in the home would be dramatically improved for the men would no longer have any want to beat their wives while pregnant for damaging the little bundle of cash inside of them.
The reason we cannot eat children of older age, Swift says, is that boys become lean and hardened and have the consistency of leather. Girls, on the other hand, would not have the problem of taste but they are the ones set aside to be the breeders and so must be kept around once they have passed the age of eating.
Throughout the essay, Swift refers to a number of well-trusted people from America, London, and various other places that have given him solid insight on the taste and profitable aspect of eating babies. He never actually states their names, but that's probably because they're made up. He uses these fake sources to give himself credibility on the subject, and maybe wants the reader to think that the information given by these people was given discreetly and they do not wish for their names to be shared over such a touchy subject.
In his fifth to last paragraph, he gives a "counter argument" which, in reality, is his actual argument and solid ideas for solving the problems of his country. The way he writes this paragraph is very accusatory towards the government and has the feeling of "hello! wake up! I have actual solutions and ways to help this country if you would just listen!" He says that no one should speak to him of these "expedients" until they have some attempt to put them into practice. As for the idea of eating children, Swift finally explains, he has no intention of putting it into practice. The reader reads plainly that it was not his intention and he could not even contribute to the idea if he wanted to, for he has a nine-year old child and a wife that is well past child-bearing.
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