The time period was the early 1700’s. Colonial England was a dominating force reaching vast expanses of territory throughout the world, exploiting and pillaging various cultures and societies for its own gain. During this time of territorial expansion, Ireland, England’s neighbor to the north, was oppressively governed by British rule. Centuries of invasions from the ruling Normans of England had severely crippled Irish economy. English rule strong-handedly imposed tight governance over Irish citizens, forcing them to abandon their lands, pay heavy taxes, and give revenues to the English. Alongside these economic hardships, many Irish were also marginalized due to their religious affiliation as Roman Catholics. English were predominately Protestant and forced many Irish to convert to Catholicism; as a result of this, many Irish fearfully converted in order to avoid harsh treatment and economic penalties. Due to their treatment as second-rate citizens, most Irish were unable to ascend to high social ranks. This lack of upward mobility created a system in which the majority of Irish peasants were subjected to rule by a few Irish landlord classes who were fiercely loyal to England. This created a governance system which largely benefited the English while the Irish peasants slowly bled to death. The Irish were not the benefactors of the crops they were laboriously producing in fields. These crops, rather, were exported to England to feed their own population. This cruel misappropriation of food and basic resources led to severe famines. These famines were further aggravated by poor weather conditions that led to even greater losses of human life. Johnathan Swift’s raw and unadulterated glimpse of these conditions gives a horrifying glimpse into the stark poverty and desperation of this time period. Through the use of satire, sardonic tone, and grotesque and vivid imagery, Johnathan Swift awakens the reader to the devastation of this time period. 

After reading this essay, the reader is left with a strong level of contempt at disgust for the writer. Swift’s solutions to the famine crisis are seen as incredibly insensible and inhumane. The reader may feel as if the writer is a callous monster with no regard for human life or decency.  Without a proper grasp of Swift’s actual intent or the historical context of this essay, most readers will find his solutions to the famine crisis as absurd. Although Swift’s essay is nothing short of a disgusting parody, it is powerful and grabs the reader’s interest through the very end. Swift’s proposal of cannibalism is so appalling the reader can’t help but continue to read through the bizarre suggestions. Swift makes disturbing correlations between the weight of a human, particularly infant, and the taste and quality of the meat when cooked.  In order to control overpopulation, he mentions a twisted two-fold method: killing humans to reduce the population and subsequently using their bodies to sustain the remainder of the population. His attitude towards these helpless humans is devoid of any of emotion or empathy. The disadvantaged peasants are seen purely as utility in the time of crisis. This is exemplified by his mention of using an infant’s skin to produce gloves for women.  He attempts to rationalize his proposal by making note of all benefits it will provide, including: lessening number of “dangerous Catholics”, providing the poor with property,  improving the overall economy,  bringing new culinary varieties into local restaurants and taverns, and providing incentives for couples to work together in order to produce viable healthy  children that can be commoditized for this bizarre proposal. 

Swift’s message is delivered in a very layered and nuanced satire. The reader must be able to discern his humor right away and have a historical understanding, otherwise the reader will not be able to grasp the actual intent of Swift’s message. The time period in which Swift wrote this prolific proposal was in the early 1700s. The majority of Irish Catholics at the time of his writing were extremely disenfranchised. Irish Catholics had seen significant dips in their overall quality of life and wealth. In 1961, Irish Catholics owned 59% of the land in Ireland. In a short span of simply 60 years, their land ownership rate had fallen to an abysmal 14%. Not only were Irish Catholics robbed of their land, they were also excluded and barred as much as possible from serving in Parliament or administrative positions. There were several harsh economic barriers placed on Ireland at the time that exacerbated financial conditions and led to some of the grotesque level of desperation Swift was contending in his Modest Proposal.  Two specific acts that severely damaged Ireland’s economy were the Cattle Acts (1666 and 1680) and the Woolen Act of 1699. Many Irish depended on cattle as a source of sustenance and money; the British decided to outlaw the import of cattle which created a significant constraint on many residents of Ireland. The Woolen act forbade Irish citizens from exporting their most commonly made good. The British cut off this economic opportunity from Ireland so they would not have to compete with other country’s for the resources. The British were determined to wreck Ireland’s agriculture and control much of its resources, which created major financial hardships throughout the country (Baker). Many of the Irish peasants who were afflicted by poverty were not eligible for any help or assistance. Only workhouse systems were in place to offer some job opportunities, and even these were scarce and consisted of deplorable conditions. Many tenant farmers lived on overcrowded and poorly constructed housing, leading to disease epidemics and intestinal problems. Potatoes were the main source of sustenance for many of the poor Irish at the time, who were forced to use the value of all their crops to simply pay for their land (Turner).

After gaining an understanding of this time period, Swift’s outlandish proposals are much less chilling as they are understandable.  By referencing the consumption of infants as food, Swift mentions “the poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own, which by law may be made liable to distress, and help pay their landlord’s rent, their corn and cattle already being seized, and money a thing unknown.” This excerpt from his proposal ties in perfectly with the conditions of the time period. The Irish peasants were unable to export their products nor were they allowed access to cattle. Unable to pay for their rent, desperation was the only way out. Though Swift was not genuinely proposing this idea, he was illustrating the height of depravity during this difficult period. Swift takes his sarcasm further, by stating “I granted this food will be somewhat dear and very proper for the landlords who have already devoured most of the parents” In this line, Swift is referencing the barbaric practice of the English nobility who have left many young children orphans due to a drop in life expectancy of adults in this time period. 

Seen as a reformer, Johnathan Swift (originally British) was extremely opposed to the unethical practices of the British towards innocent Irish peasants and farmers. His work gained recognition and roused many influential figures to pay heed to the plight and suffering of the Irish. The Modest Proposal may initially appear ludicrous to a reader who is unfamiliar with the historical context of this time period. After examining the issues, it appears that Swift was a strong crusader for social injustice. His powerful use of satire was effective in bringing this issue to light.
