Jonathan Swift- a Modest Proposal

Jonathan spry, a celebrated name during the eighteenth nose candy, was an economist, a writer, and a cleric who was later named Dean of St. Patricks duomo in Dublin. Although quick took on galore(postnominal) different roles throughout his c atomic number 18er, the literary form of satire fixmed to be his realm of expertise. Because satire flourished during the eighteenth century, Jonathan Swift is arguably adept of the al approximately influential political satirists of his time. In hotshotness of his famous essays, A small(a) Proposal, Swift expresses his anger and frustration towards the oppressiveness of the Irish by the English judicature.In order to gain attention from his audience, Swift proposes the outrageous thesis that the solution to Irelands problem of poverty is to run for children of the poor to the soused, aristocratic families. To whom Swift is directing his satire towards is a multifarious question. Taking on the persona of an intellectual economist, Swift attacks England for their ignorance, criticizes the Irish for their docile ways, and on a deeper level, censures the reader who embodies tout ensemble that disregard the cruelties of the world.Although Ireland was an autonomous region during the eighteenth century, the English Parliament still exerted its power from afar. The weak kind relations made it so that England overlooked the economical instability in Ireland. The anger that lies behind A Modest Proposal holds both England and Ireland dually creditworthy for the turmoil. This is illustrated first by de pieceizing the Irish concourse.The public mover compares them to livestock, referring to the women as breeders (Swift 342), and proposes, a adolescent healthy child bequeath serve as a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled (Swift 342). By doing this, Swift criticizes both the English government for merely viewing the people of Ireland as insignificant, and also attacks the Irish for allowing themselves to be reduced to that of livestock. Children are viewed as a commodity whose form is worth ten shillings (Swift 343).For the wealthy, the proposer suggests that the skin of the carcass will b other admirable gloves for ladies, and fine boots for gentle gentleman (Swift 342). A child is regarded by many cultures as inferior, naive, and innocent. The idea of a child being marketed as an incident employ for economic purposes emphasizes the inhumaneness inflicted on someone as confounded as a child. Here, Swift cleverly brings Englands ignorance and Irelands passivity to attention by using a vulnerable child as a victim. The use of dehumanization is also shown when Swift speaks of the Irish as statistical data.Regarding the hundred and xx thousand children already computed, the proposer explains that, twenty thousand may be reserved for breed (Swift 343). Once again, England referring to people in a statistical, numerical sense dismisses the individuality of a human being. Swifts feelings of enragement with the Irish Catholics lack of self-respect are clearly portrayed as they too permit themselves to be separate as a number. Swift also shows that both countries are liable for the poverty in Ireland when he censures the politics that surround the answer.In the treatise, the idea of cannibalism is apply as an analogy for the oppression in Ireland. Towards the check of the essay, this is shown when the proposer remarks that peradventure he could name a country which would be glad to eat up our whole province without this proposal (Swift 346). Here, Swift makes a counterargument towards the people of England who would be offend at such(prenominal) a cannibalistic idea. Even in the absence of this proposal, Swift explains that England would still devour Irelands resources and undermines its people.This analogy is also used to attack Ireland when the treatise addresses the value of a plump child. Because this f ood will be expensive, Swift remarks that it should be, very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children (Swift 343). In other words, the wealthy Irish landlords have already taken everything they can from the poor. Not moreover has England oppressed Ireland, but also the Irish have oppressed themselves.Due to the grieve-stricken conditions Ireland faces during the eighteenth century, Swift speculates that the as the children age, they either flee Ireland to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes (Swift 341). Here, the proposer unmistakably attacks the Irish for being un-American to their dear native country (Swift 341), by fighting for the English government and fleeing to America. Reading further in between the lines, one can see that Swift is also blaming England for engaging its citizens in military action. To let ones country suffer while they fight or the nation that enables their poverty, illustrates a weak and cowardly nation. In the same sense, England should be reprimanded as well for using the poor to their advantage, and overlooking the poverty dilemma. In amplification to Irelands disloyalty issue, Swift also attacks current marriage laws in place. Marriage, the proposer states, is get alongd by rewards, or enforced by laws and penalties (Swift 345). These rules and regulations were non besides enforced by England, but all wise nations (Swift 345) during the eighteenth century as well.Specifically designed for absolute patriarchal power, these marriage laws were unjust in which Swift attempts to bring to the readers attention. Instead of this, Swift argues, the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and playing period in our women (Swift 346) should be stopped. Through various portrayals, it is proven that Swifts treatise was not intended to only blame the British for their cruelty, but the Irish for their passivity as well. In at tacking England and Ireland on equal levels, one cannot fail to recognize the satire Swift directs towards the reader.The reader serves as a representation of all mankind who blatantly disregard the fellow man in need of nourishment. Through critiquing the reader, Swift can give us a broader perspective of the inhumanity that occurs everywhere and still occurs unnoticed. In the end of his argument, Swift does offer a number of solutions that are actually rational, such as taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound, or stand firming the materials and instruments that advertize foreign luxury (Swift 346).However, he dismisses these sound ideas quickly since there will never be some meetty and sincere attempts to put them in practice (Swift 291). Until the public makes an effort to enforce these rational proposals, the idea of alimentation children to the wealthy stands as the only logical suggestion. Next, the proposer admits that he is not so violently bent upon my own opinion as to reject any offer proposed, but in hearing another proposition, it must(prenominal) be found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual (Swift 346).The proposer is willing to hear another proposition on the account that it addresses certain issues. This opens the readers eyes to the problem of poverty in Ireland as a labyrinthine one that cannot be solved with a quick solution. The significance of the issue increases and brings attention to the fact that the reader is a casualty to ignorance like all human beings. The satire that is produced by Jonathan Swift in A Modest Proposal, exemplifies many problems that seem to be overlooked and ignored.England, who enforces laws from afar, chooses to turn its head towards the developing poverty in Ireland. Ireland is equally responsible however, because their passivity rears them as helpless, and then they have not made any effort to encourage modify among their people. Swift does not forget to take a stab at the reader for par taking in the same cruelties as England and Ireland. In a broader perspective, inhumanity often goes unrecognized because we as humans choose to look the other way. Swift effectively uses satire to critique three different audiences and encourage change for the better.