English Comp 101 Broxson 1
A Modest Proposal
Lucas Broxson
12/08/08
Swift’s essay to the government of England is brilliant and drew introspective awareness to the plight of the impoverished. At the time, the country of Ireland was over populated and very poor. The English government took over Ireland and started to tax the very poor. The thought of a government taxing people that can barely afford to live was foolish. So, Swift decided to write the government an essay that explained the way he felt about the matter.
The essay describes the streets of Ireland as crowded with mothers, fathers and trails of children behind them. The children grow to become either thieves or relocate themselves out of the country for reasons related to war. The mothers of these helpless children are limited to the every desire of their infants and are never given any hopes of an honest day’s work for pay. The extent of the matter is much worse now because the English government feels that they can do as they please just because of their ranking in the political chain of command.
Swift’s ability to go so far in his quest for a response from the English government is what set his essay up for such excellence. He ridiculed the government’s ridiculous demands of higher taxes by offering one of the most sarcastic solutions to all of the people’s problems. He suggested a minimal resolution of consuming the one year old offspring of a mother. He even goes as far as saying “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.” He then states all of the different ways the excess body parts can be used, such as using the skin as gloves for the ladies and summer boots...