A Modest Proposal – Jonathan Swift

Swift’s ironical pamphlet whose full title is „A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick“ is an attempt to deal with the huge amount of starving children that Ireland is confronted with during the 18^th century and whose parents are too poor to nourish them. As a solution to this problem, Swifts suggests that the children should be fattened up and then sold as food to rich Irish people at the age of one. Swift argues that this way not only the children will be saved from a sad childhood but also the families will earn a little extra income and the wealthy population will have a new culinary experience. In addition, the author comes up with some data about his attempt to solve Ireland’s poverty and he suggests some recipes for preparing a child as a delicious meal.

Information on Jonathan Swift

Name: Jonathan Swift

Date of birth: November 30, 1667 in Dublin

Education: Swift studied theology at Dublin University and did his Master of Arts in Oxford

Famous works: A Tale of a Tub, The Battle of the Books, Gulliver’s Travels

Additional information: Swift also published some works with several pseudonyms (f.ex. Isaac Bickerstaff, A Dissenter, A Person of Quality, A Person of Honour, M.B. Drapier). Also, he was politically involved first with the Whigs and, after being disappointed by their politics, Swift supported the Tories. 

Information on A Modest Proposal

Full title: A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick

Publishing date: 1729 as a satire

Reactions: Some people thought that Swift's attempt is not ironic at all.

The early 18^th century

Dates: beginning of the 18^th century

Background information: This century was influenced by the Enlightment and thus the 18^th century also is the beginning of the modern period. The end of this century saw the French Revolution being a major event in the European history. Even though the industrialisation only started in the second half of the 18^th century, there were already some traces noticeable during the early stages of the 18^th century.

Main themes: social upheaval, reversals of personal status, political satire, geographical exploration

Famous authors and books: 1719 – Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, 1726 – Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, 1740 – Pamela by Samuel Richardson, 1749 – Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

A Modest Proposal can be read here:

http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html

Further information can be read here:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/modestproposal/summary.html

http://www.articlemyriad.com/analysis-summary-modest-proposal/

http://checkplease.humorfeed.com/issues/0201/20051024swift.php

http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/porter1.html

http://www.localhistories.org/18thcent.html