In this satirical essay, Jonathan Swift mocks the attitude that people, especially the rich, have towards the lower class. The communication and ideas of the Irish during the 18th century were not strong and were giving way for the British to keep controlling them, making Swift use satire to garner attention to the issue.   The essay also touches on the poor approach the British took in dealing with Irish. The difference in voice brings to light some of the concerns in 18th century Ireland, and does so in a way that forces action on behalf of the Irish. Swift does this by satirizing the solution to the British control. 

The poverty-stricken Irish were struggling in the 18th century, and left them spending all their time to find a solution to the food shortage. This meant less time for progress and innovation. Jonathan Swift immediately provided a solution for this, and that solution was raising the Irish kids as food for the wealthy citizens. Of course this seems outlandish, especially since he suggested that “only” 100,000 kids should be set-aside for dinner. In turn, this would mean less people in Ireland and therefore more of a risk that the British had an easier way of controlling and Irish society with fewer subjects. The reason for these suggestions was because the adults were too poor to even feed themselves let alone their children, so it would ultimately end in death for both groups and a collapse of Ireland; on the other hand if they sold 100,000 children away as food the Irish would have at least salvaged some of their people, which is better than none. 

This proposal came from the problems that were a scary reality during the 18th century in Ireland. The reason for the food shortage and child beggars was because of a terrible famine that struck Ireland in the 18th century that was made even worse by the density of the people and the extremely cold weather. Deaths from mass starvation were also compounded by an outbreak of fatal diseases. Very soon after A Modest Proposal was released, the “Great Frost” of 1741 hit Ireland with the worst weather conditions it had ever experienced. The famine experienced during the “Great Frost” was estimated to have killed about 500,000 of the 2.4 million 1740 population in the kingdom of Ireland (Muldoon). England is actually in control of Ireland during this time period but felt very little responsibility to combat this issue. 

According to Swift, if someone were to walk through the streets of Ireland, they would experience hundreds of encounters with child beggars. The reason for his proposal was due to his impression that most kids would eventually experience a downfall eventually and would be come thieves and beggars. He explains, “These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants, who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work “(Swift). The reason these women and children were on the streets begging for survival is because the famine led to many jobs being sacrificed. Farmers weren’t needed for growing, people weren’t needed for transportation and workers weren’t needed for processing the crops. Since employment was sparse, not only kids but also parents were losing jobs leaving them unable to provide for their families. Swift also argues that since the elderly are so sickly, and were only going to live a brief time longer, they should be spared and they should rather focus on the kids. Another one of his arguments was centered around the idea of religion. He says, “there are more children born in Roman Catholic countries about nine months after Lent than at any other season” (Swift).  Swift explains that when the kids would be eaten, it would solve another pressing issue as it reduces the number of “papists,” or Catholics who were known for having big families. He goes as far to name the Catholics as the enemy of the nation. For those large families to make Swift happy, they should sell off their kids and make more money, in turn becoming more valuable members of society since they wouldn’t be in debt and could supplement the economy. Swift argued that as a whole it would help everybody in the nation and improve the lifestyle, not only for the wealthy classes, but also the poor who were living in such awful conditions.

It is important to understand that Swift was actually part of the poor class he spoke about. First hand, he experienced the awful conditions that were apparent in 18th century Ireland (Cody). It helps us better understand and gives us come context on how he was related to the Irish culture and why he chose to write about them. Although he was technically Irish, he identified himself more as an English citizen. He actually would have preferred to be in England because he assumes he wouldn’t have lived in the same poor conditions (Quintana). He did support a lot of Irish causes but was often ambivalent in his support (Quintana). Swift eventually became engaged in Irish politics and valued his position (Quintana). This spurred his writing about the political injustices the nation faced, and his satirical works were recognizable to the people. 

It was in England’s best interest to keep the things in Ireland the way they were because a weak Ireland, posed no threat to overtaking the English rule. Swift was also enraged that the Irish were so passive in their approach to their relationship with the English. He saw them as incapable of making an effort to change it. The reason for Swift’s satire is in order to garner enough attention such that the Irish people could realize their ability to change their own fate. The proposal is so outrageous because it is meant to grab attention and force people to think about the issues. It was meant as an idea that wouldn’t work, so that the people would have to find a better solution, one that wasn’t so radical. Swift was still Irish at heart and wanted them to realize their potential for success. His reason for identifying with the English is because he shared their enthusiasm for being in control of their own destiny. He maintained that, “People are the riches of a nation. (Swift)” He understood that the Irish had a lot of value, but wanted people to take advantage of their opportunities to progress and evolve as time did. After 200 years of people studying his work, Ireland gained independence in 1921 (History Channel). His writing, though controversial, had a large influence on the success of his people. 

During this time period, in Ireland, not a lot was going right for the people. They were under the rule of the English and they were going to be kept unless something was done to combat that the matter head on. Jonathan Swift lived through all of this and understood the issues, the reason this piece was important in context with the time period. It was a satirical piece written to identify changes that needed to be made in their society if they wanted a free state. His influence cannot be understated and his writing will continue to be studied in order to understand this historical period. 
