Analysis of A Modest Proposal
Swift's 1729 satire forces its intended readers, the classed and wealthy of Ireland, to take a serious look at the poverty stricken society. By writing a humorous and ironic solution to reducing poverty he is attempting to "shock" the readers into evaluating the severity of the problem. His suggestion of utilizing the children of the poor as livestock in order to feed the wealthy reverses the socially acceptable code of human compassion into separating the masses and allowing the "mighty" to literally feed on the "weak."
With mothers, unusually unwed, forced into the money earning world of prostitution in order to feed their children, they continually become pregnant which enslaved them into the vicious cycle of more mouths to feed. As activist for human rights and a political journalist, Swift takes a stab at the countries leaders by reminding them that they put these women where they are, metaphorically and literally.
The children, in......
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Approximate Word Count: 330
Approximate Pages: 2 (260 words per double-spaced page) |