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A Modest
Proposal
by
Jonathan Swift (an Anglo-Irish essayist, satirist, and poet; author of Gulliver’s Travels)
First
Published in 1729 as a pamphlet. It was printed in Dublin,
Ireland and later in London, England.
A MODEST
PROPOSAL FOR PREVENTING THE CHILDREN OF POOR PEOPLE IN IRELAND FROM
BEING A BURDEN TO THEIR PARENTS OR COUNTRY, AND FOR MAKING THEM BENEFICIAL TO
THE PUBLIC
It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this
great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and
cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four,
or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms. 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, or leave
their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell
themselves to the Barbadoes.
I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious
number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their
mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present deplorable state of
the kingdom a very great additional grievance; and, therefore, whoever could
find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound, useful
members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the public as to have his
statue set up for a preserver of the nation.
But my intention is very far from being confined to
provide only for the children of professed beggars; it is of a much greater
extent, and shall take in the whole number of infants at a certain age who are
born of parents in effect as little able to support them as those who demand
our charity in the streets.
As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many
years upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of
other projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in the computation.
It is true, a child just dropped from its dam may be supported by her milk for
a solar year, with little other nourishment; at most not above the value of 2s,
which the mother may certainly get, or the value in scraps, by her lawful
occupation of begging; and it is exactly at one year old that I propose to
provide for them in such a manner as instead of being a charge upon their
parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives,
they shall on the contrary contribute to the feeding, and partly to the
clothing, of many thousands.
There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme,
that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of
women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us!
sacrificing the poor innocent babes I doubt more to avoid the expense than the
shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast.
The number of souls in this kingdom being usually
reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two
hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders; from which number I subtract
thirty thousand couples who are able to maintain their own children, although I
apprehend there cannot be so many, under the present distresses of the kingdom;
but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand
breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand for those women who miscarry, or
whose children die by accident or disease within the year. There only remains
one hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born: the
question therefore is, how this number shall be reared and provided for, which,
as I have already said, under the present situation of affairs, is utterly
impossible by all the methods hitherto proposed. For we can neither employ them
in handicraft or agriculture; we neither build houses (I mean in the country)
nor cultivate land: they can very seldom pick up a livelihood by stealing, till
they arrive at six years old, except where they are of towardly parts, although
I confess they learn the rudiments much earlier, during which time, they can
however be properly looked upon only as probationers, as I have been informed
by a principal gentleman in the county of Cavan, who protested to me that he
never knew above one or two instances under the age of six, even in a part of
the kingdom so renowned for the quickest proficiency in that art.
I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or a girl
before twelve years old is no salable commodity; and even when they come to
this age they will not yield above three pounds, or three pounds and
half-a-crown at most on the exchange; which cannot turn to account either to
the parents or kingdom, the charge of nutriment and rags having been at least
four times that value.
I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts,
which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.
I have been assured by a very knowing American of my
acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old
a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted,
baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee
or a ragout.
I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration
that of the hundred and twenty thousand children already computed, twenty
thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one-fourth part to be males; which
is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle or swine; and my reason is, that
these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much
regarded by our savages, therefore one male will be sufficient to serve four
females. That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in
the sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom; always
advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to
render them plump and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an
entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind
quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt
will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.
I have reckoned upon a medium that a child just born will
weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, increaseth to 28
pounds.
I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore
very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the
parents, seem to have the best title to the children.
Infant's flesh will be in season throughout the year, but
more plentiful in March, and a little before and after; for we are told by a
grave author, an eminent French physician, that fish being a prolific diet,
there are more children born in Roman Catholic countries about nine months
after Lent than at any other season; therefore, reckoning a year after Lent,
the markets will be more glutted than usual, because the number of popish infants
is at least three to one in this kingdom: and therefore it will have one other
collateral advantage, by lessening the number of papists among us.
I have already computed the charge of nursing a beggar's
child (in which list I reckon all cottagers, laborers, and four-fifths of the
farmers) to be about two shillings per annum, rags included; and I believe no
gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat
child, which, as I have said, will make four dishes of excellent nutritive
meat, when he hath only some particular friend or his own family to dine with
him. Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and grow popular among
his tenants; the mother will have eight shillings net profit, and be fit for
work till she produces another child.
Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times
require) may flay the carcass; the skin of which artificially dressed will make
admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.
As to our city of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for
this purpose in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured
will not be wanting; although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and
dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.
A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and
whose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased in discoursing on this matter
to offer a refinement upon my scheme. He said that many gentlemen of this
kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of
venison might be well supplied by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not
exceeding fourteen years of age nor under twelve; so great a number of both
sexes in every country being now ready to starve for want of work and service;
and these to be disposed of by their parents, if alive, or otherwise by their
nearest relations. But with due deference to so excellent a friend and so
deserving a patriot, I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the
males, my American acquaintance assured me, from frequent experience, that
their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our schoolboys by
continual exercise, and their taste disagreeable; and to fatten them would not
answer the charge. Then as to the females, it would, I think, with humble
submission be a loss to the public, because they soon would become breeders
themselves; and besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might
be apt to censure such a practice (although indeed very unjustly), as a little
bordering upon cruelty; which, I confess, hath always been with me the
strongest objection against any project, however so well intended.
But in order to justify my friend, he confessed that this
expedient was put into his head by the famous Psalmanazar, a native of the island
Formosa, who came from thence to London above twenty years ago, and in
conversation told my friend, that in his country when any young person happened
to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality as a
prime dainty; and that in his time the body of a plump girl of fifteen, who was
crucified for an attempt to poison the emperor, was sold to his imperial
majesty's prime minister of state, and other great mandarins of the court, in
joints from the gibbet, at four hundred crowns. Neither indeed can I deny, that
if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town, who
without one single groat to their fortunes cannot stir abroad without a chair,
and appear at playhouse and assemblies in foreign fineries which they never
will pay for, the kingdom would not be the worse.
Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern
about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed, and I
have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken to ease the
nation of so grievous an encumbrance. But I am not in the least pain upon that
matter, because it is very well known that they are every day dying and rotting
by cold and famine, and filth and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected.
And as to the young laborers, they are now in as hopeful a condition; they
cannot get work, and consequently pine away for want of nourishment, to a
degree that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labor, they
have not strength to perform it; and thus the country and themselves are
happily delivered from the evils to come.
I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to
my subject. I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made are
obvious and many, as well as of the highest importance.
For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly
lessen the number of papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, being the
principal breeders of the nation as well as our most dangerous enemies; and who
stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender,
hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good protestants, who
have chosen rather to leave their country than stay at home and pay tithes
against their conscience to an Episcopal curate.
Secondly, The poorer tenants will have something valuable
of their own, which by law may be made liable to distress and help to pay their
landlord's rent, their corn and cattle being already seized, and money a thing
unknown.
Thirdly, Whereas the maintenance of an hundred thousand
children, from two years old and upward, cannot be computed at less than ten
shillings a-piece per annum, the nation's stock will be thereby increased fifty
thousand pounds per annum, beside the profit of a new dish introduced to the
tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom who have any refinement in
taste. And the money will circulate among ourselves, the goods being entirely
of our own growth and manufacture.
Fourthly, The constant breeders, beside the gain of eight
shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the
charge of maintaining them after the first year. Fifthly, This food would
likewise bring great custom to taverns; where the vintners will certainly be so
prudent as to procure the best receipts for dressing it to perfection, and
consequently have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who justly
value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating: and a skilful cook, who
understands how to oblige his guests, will contrive to make it as expensive as
they please.
Sixthly, This would be a great inducement to marriage,
which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards or enforced by laws
and penalties. It would increase the care and tenderness of mothers toward
their children, when they were sure of a settlement for life to the poor babes,
provided in some sort by the public, to their annual profit instead of expense.
We should see an honest emulation among the married women, which of them could
bring the fattest child to the market. Men would become as fond of their wives
during the time of their pregnancy as they are now of their mares in foal,
their cows in calf, their sows when they are ready to farrow; nor offer to beat
or kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage.
Many other advantages might be enumerated. For instance,
the addition of some thousand carcasses in our exportation of barreled beef,
the propagation of swine's flesh, and improvement in the art of making good
bacon, so much wanted among us by the great destruction of pigs, too frequent
at our tables; which are no way comparable in taste or magnificence to a
well-grown, fat, yearling child, which roasted whole will make a considerable
figure at a lord mayor's feast or any other public entertainment. But this and
many others I omit, being studious of brevity.
Supposing
that one thousand families in this city would be constant customers for infants
flesh, besides others who might have it at merry meetings, particularly
weddings and christenings: I compute that Dublin
would take off annually about twenty thousand carcasses, and the rest of the
kingdom (where probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper) the remaining
eighty thousand.
I can think of no one that will possibly be raised
against this propasal, unless it should be urged that the number of people will
be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I freely own, and it was indeed
one principal design in offering it to the world. I desire the reader will
observe, that I calculated my remedy for this one individual Kingdom of Ireland,
and for no other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can be upon earth.
Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at
five shillings a pound: Of using neither clothes, nor household furniture,
except what is our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the
materials and instruments that promote foriegn luxury: Of curing the
expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of
introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence, and temperance: Of learning to love
our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of
Tompinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor act any longe like
the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was
taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for
nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards
their tenants. Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, into our
shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native
goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the
measure and goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair propasal
of just dealing, though often and ernestly invited to it.
Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and
the like expedients, till he hath at least a glimpse of hope that there will
ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them in practice. But as to
myself, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle,
visionary thoughts, and at length utterly dispairing of success, I fortunately
fell upon this propasal, which as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid
and real, of no expense and little trouble, full in our own power, and whereby
we can incur no danger in disobliging England. For this kind of commodity will
not bear exportation, the flesh being of too tender a consistence to admit a
long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country that would be
glad to eat up our whole nation without it.
After all, I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion
as to reject any offer proposed by wise men, which shall be found equally
innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual. But before something of that kind shall
be advanced in contradiction to my scheme, and offering a better, I desire the
author or authors will be pleased maturely to consider two points. First, as
things now stand, how they will be able to find food and raiment for an hundred
thousand useless mouths and backs. And secondly, there being a round million of
creatures in human figure throughout this kingdom, whose whole subsistence put
into a common stock would leave them in debt two millions of pounds sterling,
adding those who are beggars by profession to the bulk of farmers, cottagers,
and laborers, with their wives and children who are beggars in effect: I desire
those politicians who dislike my overture, and may perhaps be so bold as to
attempt an answer, that they will first ask the parents of these mortals,
whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold
for food, at a year old in the manner I prescribe, and thereby have avoided
such a perpetual scene of misfortunes as they have since gone through by the
oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without money or
trade, the want of common sustenance, with neither house nor clothes to cover
them from the inclemencies of the weather, and the most inevitable prospect of
entailing the like or greater miseries upon their breed for ever.
I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not
the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work,
having no other motive than the public good of my country, by advancing our
trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to
the rich. I have no children by which I can propose to get a single penny; the
youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.
(1729)
THE END
S- Jonathan Swift (an Anglo-Irish essayist, satirist, and poet; author of Gulliver’s Travels)
ReplyDeleteO- The events, recent to the time in which the pamphlet was written, that the writer was not okay with; such as the mothers of the house having to stay home and single handedly take care of multiple children. This way of parenting creates a risk of children who do not positively contribute to their household or society.
A- The poor parents of children, and essentially the general public
P- To prevent the children of the poor people in Ireland from being burdens to their parents and country. A “proposal”, giving suggestions on how to better raise the audience’s children.
S- The children in Ireland and their behaviors, both the negative current ones and the hopeful productive ones.
Tone- Serious, personal, narrator sounds superior to his audience. Though it is called modest, it seems anything but.
S- Jonathan Swift. Irish author and father of two.
ReplyDeleteO- Situations in households of poor and rich parents. How the mothers deal with the children, and what happens to them.Explains the risks faced by the actions being taken, which leads to a not so possitive society, due to the lack of treatment or enforcment.
A- Mostly the poor parents of children, and sort of the children themselves.
P- To take away the title put on children, how they are burdens to the parents and society. Children have a meaning.
S- The negative and positive actions and choices made by parents and children of Ireland.
T- Stern at some points, but it is a truthful voice talking wich make the subject matter seious.
S- Johnathan Swift. Irish writer who lived in the 1700's
ReplyDeleteO- An economically unsound time in Irish history, with mothers being unable to properly raise their many children. Shortage of food with an increased population with misbehaving or ill mannered children. Upper class looking down on the lower class and the poor, thinking that their lives have no purpose because of their situations.
A- the whole public, mostly the upper class.
P- Social satire of the public, sarcastically bringing up flaws in how the community as a whole responds to those who are from a poor family. Saying "if you don't like them, do something about them. You have enough money, enjoy your feast."
S- The holes and issues with how their society is set up.
Tone- Satire. Dark humor with some wit. Eerily carefree.
S- The speaker of this is a middle age working class man with two children, who is trying to convince the audience that Dublin is in such a bad state that they should start eating children he was a fanatic and his voice made it seem like he was a genius and he used a broad vocabulary to try and make the speaker look educated.
ReplyDeleteO- The occasion is that Dublin is in a financial crisis and that the author made the speaker talk as if he had a solution to it all, in a way that wasn't far off from what Hitler did, though it came before him. This shows the speaker trying to use logic or logos to show how a infant is so much better off feeding and giving us other things than it does alive, having the parents struggle to feed the child and then the child would grow up to be a thief and have a miserable fate.
A- The audience was the middle and upper class people in Dublin because the speaker was trying to convince these people that it was good to eat children, and it would only be the children of families that can not support their children and then the middle and upper class won't have to worry about thieves and a lower class citizen. This also makes it so the lower class can become middle class.
P- The purpose of this is to show that people can be horrible people and that people have to help each other they can make life better for everyone. This also tries to show how people need to support each other.
S- The support that the speaker uses is the many people in the lower class, and how these people can not support the many children they have. He uses the fact that people used to use every part of a animal when it was killed and so he was looking at that perspective. This made it so that if a baby died and you were to use every part of it how would it be used.
Tone- In this passage the tone was dark, but the speaker was very enthusiastic about his idea and that he had the idea of a life time and he had the way to get rid of poverty.
S - Jonathan Swift; an Anglo-Irish essayist, satirist, poet, and author. He is married and has children of his own, the youngest being nine. He may or may not promote cannibalism and infanticide.
ReplyDeleteO - A time of financial crisis in Ireland when the lower class were looked down upon and offered little assistance. Other problems of the time included unruly children, a shortage of available food for the poor, and a growing number of people living in poverty. As stated by the author stated there were over a dozen different ways to try to improve the economy, none of which were being implemented in a great enough way.
A - The general public, though more focused on the upper class.
P - The purpose was to persuade others to come up with solutions to help the impoverished. He did this by being as morally horrifying as possible, which would send the reader into a state of disbelief. When given the prompt to think of another way of gong about improving the economical situation in Ireland, they would readily jump at the chance.
S - The focus of the essay was the plights of the lower class and how to remedy their poor conditions. It also hints towards the “devouring” of the lower class by the upper class.
Tone - The overall tone was a mixture of satirical humor and black comedy.
S: Jonathan Swift, an Anglo-Irish satirist, poet, political pamphleteer, and cleric. Married with two children, one being under nine years old.
ReplyDeleteO: Dublin, Ireland is in the midst of a financial crisis and the middle class has descended to the lower classes and has very little money to support their children. Mothers are forced to beg in the streets and children to steal. It’s implied by the author that there have been many unsuccessful suggestions to help the economy and the poor of the country and he is mocking them.
A: The general public, it’s a pamphlet though some the upper class may be more apt to be able to read it and be affected although the pamphlet seems to be aimed at the lower classes.
P: To satirically point out that the upper class was incredibly critical and judging of the poor classes even though they were doing nothing about it. Essentially telling the higher classes off for not doing anything about their communities, especially the poorer parts.
S: The negative aspects of Irelands political, social and economic issues.
T: The tone tends to be very dark, sarcastic, satirical, and critical of the people who are critical.
S- Jonathan Swift an Anglo-Irish essayist in the 1700's. Witnesses the struggles of the poor in his daily life and wants to help find a solution to the problems at hand.
ReplyDeleteO- Tough times in Dublin: financial problems, too many people, badly raised children, not enough food or housing to the poor. Dublin was in the need for change and repair.
A- The people of Dublin, Ireland and later, London, England. They are the people suffering and in need of the reconstruction. he needs to reach out to them and see the opinions of his proposal.
P- To try and persuade the readers and people of Dublin that his proposal is worth while and a good idea. He is trying to inform them about the problems and exactly how he would solve them, as well as persuade then to agree with him.
S- The proposal of breeding human babies and putting them up for sale as you would meat to reduce the population size and provide people with food as well as a way to make income to provide for themselves.
Tone- The writer is very serious in his writing. He really believes that this is a good idea and that Dublin should try it. There is no joking tone in the writing, he really believes that it would be a good idea to breed children and sell them to eat.
Speaker- Jonathan Swift. A satirist who, three years earlier, had written "Gulliver's Travels." He wrote political pamphlet, and was known as an "Irish patriot."
ReplyDeleteOccasion- 1729. There was politcal, economic, and religious conflic within Ireland. There were food shortages, and many people were living on the streets and had to beg for food. Many of these people had children who sometimes couldn't be fed. http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lyman/english320/sg-Swift-18thC.htm
Audience- The audience is for the people of Ireland. Swift probably was hoping for his pamphlet to be seen by someone who was in power, so his words could have a greater impact. He seems to be speaking, though, to both the poor people of Ireland as well as the rich.
Purpose- To illustrate the ridiculousness of the different social classes, as well as show how desperate situations have become. Many people were starving, but there was also the rich peope of Ireland as well. There were gaps between social classes at this time, and it seems that Swift believes that that gap shouldn't be as big as it was.
Tone- Despite the fact that Swift seems to be enthusiastic on the surface, it becomes clear, as the argument continues, that he's being sarcastic. He never seems remorseful and even goes so far to say that he "can think of no one that will possibly be raised against this propasal." This lack of a conscience emphasizes his sarcasm even more.
S: The speaker of A Modest Proposal is Jonathan Swift, political satire writer from Ireland. It almost seems like the speaker is a character within itself, though; a snobby, upperclass, elitist.
ReplyDeleteO: The occasion is set in a time where there are many poor people in Ireland, where the morals of many have disappeared, and where the country is at a low point in general.
A: This is addressed to the people of Ireland.
Purpose: The purpose of this was to mock upper class people and their general ideas in society. It also brings attention to the children of the poor and proposes a solution to deal with those that will become unproductive members of society.
Subject: The unproductive members of society; their offspring and what to do with them. How the disposal of them could help Ireland
Tone: Swift makes the tone purposely serious, he knows what he's writing is absurd and that's the point; it's satire.
Speaker: Jonathan Swift (an Anglo-Irish essayist, satirist, and poet; author of Gulliver’s Travels)
ReplyDeleteOccasion: Ireland seemed to be in desperate financial straits. There were many people begging for money on the streets, and Swift referenced "the present distresses of the kingdom."
Audience: He addresses the Irish government and the poor, but Swift most likely wanted all of Ireland to read his message.
Purpose: Swift wanted to show how ridiculous and out of hand the poverty rate had gotten. Clearly, it wasn't bad enough that there were people willing to sell their children (or willing to eat them, for that matter), but it's still absurd.
Subject: The desperate state of Ireland, and how raising children for slaughter and consumption would help fix it.
Tone: Satirical. Swift's over-the-top enthusiasm, lack of empathy, and complete assurance in his plan prove his sarcastic wit.
S: The Speaker is a middle class gentleman that recognizes the poverty problem in Dublin. He makes an attempt at solving this problem by suggesting that a certain percent of the year-old children. He himself mentions that he has two children, but since his wife is beyond the age of child rearing so his proposal would not actually be affected by it.
ReplyDeleteO: The occasion or situation of this writing is the financial crisis in Dublin at the time. Hundreds of families became beggars and thieves just to support their families which were on the larger side, up to six children from one mother. The speaker attempts to show that these desperate mothers who get abortions or have children that they can’t support have another choice which would be to sell their child for their meat.
A: The audience of this piece is any Dublin citizen who will listen throughout the classes, but he has different purposes for each class.
P: The speaker has several different purposes the central one being to solve the issue of multiple children among the lower class. Each class is recognized and the speaker has a different aim for each class. The lower class’s aim is to persuade them to give up their children to sell for food. While the middle and upper classes are to persuade them into being ok with eating the children. The speaker makes the children out to be the most delicious things in the world, but can he prove it? Has he even eaten one?
S: the subject of the piece is the solving of the lower classes poverty issues, or what makes them poor which is the amount of children with little to no income. These problems are what make the lower class the lower class, so the speaker tries to solve these problems and in turn takes away the lower class.
Tone: The tone of the writing is sarcastic at times, as the reader i can’t really decide if he is being serious with his idea of eating the children. The sarcasm of the piece is dark and completely disturbing at times, such as when he said that the children should be sold alive and one should butcher them prior to preparing the meal because they taste better that way.
S – Jonathan Swift, a satirist and author of Gulliver’s Travels is the author of A Modest Proposal but I don’t believe he is the speaker. I believe Swift creates a character that falls under the characteristics of being an upper class, pompous, elitist to be his speaker.
ReplyDeleteO – The occasion is in Ireland during the early 1700’s when Dublin seems to be in a financial issue because of the increasing number of poor families unable to support themselves leaving them to beg in the streets.
A – The audience includes the entire Republic of Ireland that includes all classes lower, middle, and upper. But I think who he really wants to read it is the upper class citizens because of the point he is trying to get across.
P – The purpose of Swift writing this is to take a hit at the upper class politicians in Ireland who apparently weren’t doing anything about the large population of poor families in the nation. He mocks them with what he calls a “modest” proposal but is ridiculous in every sense of the word.
S – The subject of this piece is the problem of poverty in nation of Ireland. As well as what needs to be done to solve the problem by lower and upper classes in Ireland.
T – The tone seems to be serious on the surface, but is truly sarcastic in meaning. Also Swift seems to use a bit of a clever comedy but in its darkest nature.
Speaker- Jonathan Swift. A satirical writer and poet. Was and Anglo- Irish man who winessed the hardships the poor face.
ReplyDeleteOccasion- Year of 1729. A period of hard times for Dublin and all of Ireland. Economic and polital unrest, dwindling food supply, mass living on the streets.
Auidence-The audience is the people of Ireland, more specificly the higher ups and ones with power to approve his sudgestion.
Purpose- Demostrate severity of situation, capture the despiration, the social gap, to try and persude the readers of something rediculous and just unheard of.
Tone- An unusal aproach, Swift came out adressing the problem and sudgesting a unthinkable solution. It has some dark humor in it is all about adressing the facts (problems that actualy existed at the time).
Speaker: The author of this passage is Johnathan Swift who happens to be famous for satirical writing. However, it seems as if he is portraying himself as a character from Dublin who is aware of the severe poverty in Ireland, and believes he has a solution to the problem.
ReplyDeleteOccasion: This pamphlet was printed and released in 1729 during a time of severe poverty. At such a time of loss and suffering, there was probably a lack of entertainment or happiness. Writing a sarcastic passage such as this can become popular and lighten the sorrow of the situation some.
Audience: The audience that was probably the most important to Swift was the officials that have some power in Ireland. Swift does include details for every economic class, especially the destitute. Having a passage that can be relatable to a wide range of people makes it more likely for Swift's message to catch the attention of those who he is trying to address.
Purpose: The face value purpose of this passage is to propose a solution to the economic crisis. This solution involves having the lower class sell their young children as meat to the higher class citizens. The underlying purpose of the passage is to subtly offer real methods of reform such as, "Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither clothes, nor household furniture, except what is our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foriegn luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence, and temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Tompinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor act any longe like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants. Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, into our shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure and goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair propasal of just dealing, though often and ernestly invited to it." Swift has real ideas about turning the economy around, and he wants to share them with anyone he can, while writing the satirical passage.
Subject: The subject of this passage is the economic crisis occurring in the year 1729 in Dublin, Ireland, and how to fix it.
Tone: Most of this passage is sarcastic with hints of humor, prejudice, but disguised behind a straight-forward, serious tone. Towards the end of the piece, Swift manages to suggest solutions honestly without changing his sarcastic tone. This tone basically mocks the Irish government, and is absurd at times. Even though this is a satire, Swift does have multiple ideas that he offers through sarcastic writing.
Speaker: Jonathon Swift, writer and poet, Anglo-Irish man.
ReplyDeleteOccasion: Ireland, 1729- Beggars on streets, many left jobless and living on the streets with their children.
Audience: Probably the more upper-class Irish; he is trying to make a point about the poor, and the point could only be taken seriously if he was speaking to more serious people.
Purpose: Swift is able to engage the reader with his dark humor (see tone) and strange transitions between ideas. Through telling the people of Ireland of this epidemic, he is informing, but also attempting to offer a solution. By using logic and cleverness the reader feels more apt to really listen, and thus Swift is persuading.
Subject: The negative connotations with the poor class of Ireland and how to get back from that.
Tone: Swift's tone is strange for the serious problem that he is speaking of. He sounds very grim and dark, even twisted a bit. His humor is verging on inappropriate for the subject matter.
Speaker- The speaker appears to be Jonathan Swift but in reality is a made up person. This person has interesting ideas on the use of children. These ideas tend to have morbid inclinations and are frowned upon in our society.
ReplyDeleteOccasion- The occasion of this essay is 1721 Ireland. This setting is under the pressure of poverty and overpopulation.
Audience- The audience of A Modest Proposal is anyone who will listen to the plight of Ireland. Not only this but the audience must properly see through the veil of satire and see that this narrative is a desperate call for help.
Purpose- Swift reaches out to help his native land. He draws attention to himself through the absurdity, bringing the open-minded reader to help the plight of Ireland.
Subject- This piece is used to assist the people of Ireland in poverty. It raises awareness that Ireland is not as thriving a country as people tend to think.
Tone- There is a relaxed tone to the reading on the surface. Diving deeper into it though,there is a sense of desperation to this, pleading for help.
Speaker- Jonathan Swift, an author and poet. He is proposing a solution to a poverty struggle in Ireland at the time.
ReplyDeleteOccasion- The occasion is severe poverty in Ireland, whereas families literally could not support themselves up until the point where they would steal and have abortions or eat their children to save the money that they didn't have.
Audience- The entire country of Ireland was somehow being affected by the financial issue at hand, and this addresses everyone out there.
Purpose- The overall purpose of this was to persuade the reader that the financial issue in Ireland is worse than you would think it would be and that people will go to extreme lengths to support their families. He uses the twisted topic of cannibalism and the reality that it was to convey is point.
Subject- The subject is about finding a solution to the big mess that Ireland is in. It seems as if his purpose of persuasion is all under this idea of a subject, because all he is trying to do is use that strategy to come up with an idea to solve this problem.
Tone- Poverty is a serious matter, and he is insensitive when talking about ways to solve it, i.e. eating babies. He makes the subject of being poor immoral and disturbing.
Speaker- An educated* man of upper class with a proposal on society’s fundamental problems in the lower class.
ReplyDelete*His acquaintances are ‘very knowing’
Occasion- Beggars see it their profession to procreate on an annual basis, leading to a surplus of kids. The kids make no effort to lead lives a benefit to anyone. What to do.
Audience- Probably the esteemed peoples of Dublin. Not sure how ‘smart’ people were back then. There are ‘breeders,’ ‘workers,’ and ‘gentlemen.’
Purpose- to make a suggestion for a social issue that people are having trouble with.
Subject- The beggars are breeding themselves too fast. They should be put to a good, efficient use for the sake of everyone. The best way is to make profitable products out of them i.e-shoes from skin, food (and candles from fat). The women are doing abortion aka-murdering the kids anyways.
Tone- It says A ‘Modest’ Proposal. So it’s humble for the most part. Has to be if it’s suggesting. But it sounds kind of fanatic in the middle… Of the beggars he does not agree with their manners and uses words like ‘shame’ and ‘murder’ to describe the women, which are obviously the cause. Also the landlords are likened to carnivorous ranch owners who ‘have already devoured most of the parents.’
S: The speaker is a fictional character created by the satirist Jonathon Swift. The speaker believes that he holds the answer to poverty. He does not share a similar view as Swift; he believes, quite humbly, that he can stop poverty and finally give the poor and hungry children something to do to contribute. The speaker’s feelings are extremely passionate, earnest, and seem to have the self-opinion of totally harmless, innocent and helpful.
ReplyDeleteO: The occasion is one of great poverty and starvation in Ireland, 1729. During desperate and desolate times, people would do anything just to survive. Starvation turns a person into a monster, and so Swift’s ironic message must be fueled by the inhuman ways that the impoverished and starved have been dealing with their misfortunes.
A: This was a pamphlet printed in Dublin, Ireland and obviously meant to hit an audience with power. Swift is targeting the people with power and trusted judgment so that they can make a change to the lower classes who are suffering from destitution and starvation. It is obvious that the class intended is a higher one for the word choice Swift uses contains many words that the poor would not have the ability of knowing, such as: “importuning:, “probationers”, and “rudiments”. The quality of word choice also plays on the irony of the pamphlet; such an educated man earnestly and honestly proposing this horrific idea sets an example for the rest of the civilian population. The poor not having been able to go to school, they would not be able to understand such words. Also, the poor may very well not be able to read to begin with, and even if they did certainly not during a point of such depression would they choose to waste what precious money they have on a pamphlet and not food.
P: Swift wrote this passage for the purpose of satirizing the government of Ireland. The government is obviously doing something wrong that everyone is starving. Swift uses his vivid irony to tell the government that what they are doing is nothing helpful. Should the poor and uneducated attempt to fix these problems? Look at the mess that could cause-cultivating children to be eaten. Swift starts out the pamphlet reasonably, letting everyone feel sorrowful and empathetic for the poor before hitting home with a harsh topic, making the irony more effective and more emotional. “It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags…” If the audience thinks they are reading some sorrowful story about the poor, they will not be prepared to suddenly start reading about a barbaric solution that is suggested with such an amount of zeal that is is grotesque and disgusting. By detailing other specific plans, he makes the plan seem more in earnest and frightening; “…may flay the carcass; the skin of which artificially dressed will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.” With steady plans like this, the audience would want to immediately do something to help the poor so that these measures are not used.
S: Swift’s pamphlet was about the destitution of Ireland in the early/mid eighteenth century. It was supposed to motivate a change in how the poor were dealt with, using grotesque and frightening irony.
Tone: Swift wrote this ironically, like many of his works, on a very sad and difficult subject. It was not irony that you could laugh even bitterly at; you find yourself reading the plans in horror. The tone is never accusational; it is always meant to be helpful, in a twisted way. “…it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us! sacrificing the poor innocent babes I doubt more to avoid the expense than the shame.” The irony here, posing as “helpful reasoning” is gigantic. Somehow, killing babies for food is suppose to end the terrible practice of killing babies when the mother knows she cannot help the baby. The government must also have a problem with abortion, and Swift is trying to show how it is not as bad as many other areas of interest, such as the bloodthirstiness of the hungry.
DeleteS- Jonathon Swift, an Irish writer and has two children
ReplyDeleteO- Dublin is in an economic crisis and and lower-class is building up grief for the upper-class' constant pity. There is far more bellies to feed then there is food, and children are becoming more and more disrespectful. Mothers are having a hard time raising their children, and the poverty rate has sky rocketed. The speaker offers alternatives, but no answers are acted upon.
A- The upper and lower classes of Dublin at the time.
P- The purpose was to show his audience what can be done about the economic hardship Ireland is currently facing. Shouting ideas, and letting it be known it is greatly appreciated if in return there was ideas volunteered.
S- The negativity of this hardship, and the iddeas to push further along.
TONE- The tone was very serious in letting his audience hear his point.
S- A man who believes that he has the answer to solve the poverty problem in Ireland. He has the opposite belief of the writer, Jonathan Swift.
ReplyDeleteO- This occurs during a time of poverty in Ireland during 1729.
A- The pamphlet was printed in Dublin, Ireland and made to be shown to many people throughout Ireland and maybe even some people from other countries that could have helped them.
P- The purpose of this pamphlet was the show how monstrous the people of Ireland were acting because of the poverty and to show how bad things really were in Ireland.
S- This pamphlet was about the hardship that Ireland was going through in 1729 and was written in a satirist manor to show people how barbaric the times were.
Tone- John Swift’s wrote this pamphlet in a tone of satire, and was being completely ironic throughout the whole piece.
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