An Immodest Proposal
Sep. 21st, 2011 12:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
julz_sA Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland From Being a Burden on Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick was written by Jonathan Swift and published anonymously in 1729. It is a satirical essay written as a solution to the growing issue of poverty and famine plaguing Ireland after the English Civil War. It proposes cannibalism as a means to deal with the overpopulation of catholic peasant children which in turn would provide answers to the other economic issues of the country. Swift plays upon the fact that his readers will take the essay literally at first when in fact it is more of an immodest economic and political statement than a solution to anything.
Swift’s essay has two aspects of voice; the first is the “proposer” who seems pompous but delivers his argument in a calm and reasonable tone. When speaking of suffering humans he is apathetic and uses dehumanizing words like “breeders” (189.) and “savages” (190.) as if they are animals or statistical entities instead of living, breathing, human beings. The second aspect of voice is Swift’s own, his tone and opinions shine through in the irony and various jabs targeted at failed politicians, the general attitude towards the poor and England’s oppression of Ireland. The sarcastic quote "I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children" (190.) is Swift's true voice stating that the landlords have already consumed the Irish's money and resources along with their dignity and patriotism so they may as well eat their children too. His tone is generally exasperated and frustrated in relation to Ireland’s politicians, compassionate with regard to the poor and bitter towards England.
The style of Swifts essay mimics a political pamphlet, which in his day was a fashionable way for writers to express opinions and was used quite often to propose solutions for Ireland’s economic problems. His use of outrageous statistics “The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couples who are able to maintain their own children” (189.) takes a stab at the way political pamphleteers perceived the poor when devising their ignorant plans and used ridiculous statistics to prove their points.
Jonathan Swift’s intended audience were the English, the landlords who owned Irish land from abroad in particular. When the English Civil War ended in 1640 Ireland was left in ruins as England had destroyed most all of their profiting goods and resources. The English landlords took advantage of this situation and charged extremely high rent on the farms they owned in Ireland knowing that there was no other work for the peasants and they would be forced to pay one way or another. Swift believed that while some of the English might read his work and agree with the proposal's strategy (thus emphasizing their greed and lack of morality), in others it may inspire some sympathy for the Irish. Swift's other audience would be the Irish political leaders whom he hoped to impress upon the true gravity of the situation concerning the poor. Lastly, a portion of his Irish audience would have been Protestants and he addresses their prejudice towards the Catholics when he says “because the number of popish infants is at least three to one in this kingdom; and therefore it will have one other collateral advantage, by lessening the number of papists among us” (190.) he sarcastically implies that if all the Catholic children were eaten they would never grow up to attend church and carry on the religion.
Swift proposed cannibalism to shock his readers into thinking critically about the state of starving Ireland and how England’s greedy motivations had got them into such a horrible position to consider cannibalism a suitable solution to sustain a country. The proposal brings attention to the deterioration of Ireland by the British oppression and consumption of all things Irish. He also touches on prejudice of Protestants towards Catholics and on the ineptitude of Ireland’s politicians as well as the general population's attitude towards peasants. Swift was passionate about politics and while I found his essay did convey his underlying message in an extremely unique way I think his proposal may not have had the effect he intended. Although he did intend it to be a satirical piece I think he meant to cause more of an outraged stir by shocking his readers into feeling sympathy for the people of Ireland, unfortunately it was received as a big joke and his message may have been missed by many of his readers.
Swift’s essay has two aspects of voice; the first is the “proposer” who seems pompous but delivers his argument in a calm and reasonable tone. When speaking of suffering humans he is apathetic and uses dehumanizing words like “breeders” (189.) and “savages” (190.) as if they are animals or statistical entities instead of living, breathing, human beings. The second aspect of voice is Swift’s own, his tone and opinions shine through in the irony and various jabs targeted at failed politicians, the general attitude towards the poor and England’s oppression of Ireland. The sarcastic quote "I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children" (190.) is Swift's true voice stating that the landlords have already consumed the Irish's money and resources along with their dignity and patriotism so they may as well eat their children too. His tone is generally exasperated and frustrated in relation to Ireland’s politicians, compassionate with regard to the poor and bitter towards England.
The style of Swifts essay mimics a political pamphlet, which in his day was a fashionable way for writers to express opinions and was used quite often to propose solutions for Ireland’s economic problems. His use of outrageous statistics “The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couples who are able to maintain their own children” (189.) takes a stab at the way political pamphleteers perceived the poor when devising their ignorant plans and used ridiculous statistics to prove their points.
Jonathan Swift’s intended audience were the English, the landlords who owned Irish land from abroad in particular. When the English Civil War ended in 1640 Ireland was left in ruins as England had destroyed most all of their profiting goods and resources. The English landlords took advantage of this situation and charged extremely high rent on the farms they owned in Ireland knowing that there was no other work for the peasants and they would be forced to pay one way or another. Swift believed that while some of the English might read his work and agree with the proposal's strategy (thus emphasizing their greed and lack of morality), in others it may inspire some sympathy for the Irish. Swift's other audience would be the Irish political leaders whom he hoped to impress upon the true gravity of the situation concerning the poor. Lastly, a portion of his Irish audience would have been Protestants and he addresses their prejudice towards the Catholics when he says “because the number of popish infants is at least three to one in this kingdom; and therefore it will have one other collateral advantage, by lessening the number of papists among us” (190.) he sarcastically implies that if all the Catholic children were eaten they would never grow up to attend church and carry on the religion.
Swift proposed cannibalism to shock his readers into thinking critically about the state of starving Ireland and how England’s greedy motivations had got them into such a horrible position to consider cannibalism a suitable solution to sustain a country. The proposal brings attention to the deterioration of Ireland by the British oppression and consumption of all things Irish. He also touches on prejudice of Protestants towards Catholics and on the ineptitude of Ireland’s politicians as well as the general population's attitude towards peasants. Swift was passionate about politics and while I found his essay did convey his underlying message in an extremely unique way I think his proposal may not have had the effect he intended. Although he did intend it to be a satirical piece I think he meant to cause more of an outraged stir by shocking his readers into feeling sympathy for the people of Ireland, unfortunately it was received as a big joke and his message may have been missed by many of his readers.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-21 10:49 pm (UTC)However it didn't feel like your entry flowed very smoothly from paragraph to paragraph. The paragraphs each seemed like they were part of something different
no subject
Date: 2011-10-01 08:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-04 05:41 pm (UTC)