Who are the landlords in "A Modest Proposal"?
In this satirical essay, Swift comments on the problem English society faces in dealing with the "impossible" situation of poverty among the Irish. He particularly points to Irish children, noting that they currently serve no real purpose and can't even effectively steal for themselves until around age six. Swift therefore satirically proposes that these children be fattened up and sold as a food source, thereby giving them an economic purpose. He believes that this idea will particularly appeal to the landlords, "who have already devoured most of the parents."
These landlords represent the wealthier segment of the Irish population. Instead of contributing to a solution for their fellow Irish people, they have forced the poor into increasingly dire circumstances. These landlords fail to foster Irish unity and exploit the needs of those who are already starving as their meager agricultural resources periodically fail.
Ireland's poor thus face a doubly difficult situation. The English have implemented strict regulations regarding Irish trading, and inside their own country, and the wealthier members of Irish society further exploit those "parents" who are trying to provide for their starving children. Later, Swift points out that the "oppression of landlords" has made it impossible for the Irish poor to pay rent or purchase clothing, demonstrating that the wealthier members of the Irish population have acted without mercy toward those who are less fortunate.
What food is proposed for landlords in "A Modest Proposal"?
In one of the greatest displays of sustained irony in the history of
writing, Swift creates an incredible moment of shock by spending the beginning
portion of the essay describing the plight of the starving poor in Ireland,
only to surprise the reader by suggesting that that the poor population could
ease their economic woes by selling their children as food to rich men and
women.
Obviously Swift does not earnestly intend for anyone to eat children. He
dabbles in satirical hyperbole to address the upper class' callous and
heartless attitude to the poor as well as the British attitude towards the
Irish. His brand of straight-faced irony even goes as far as to calculate the
financial benefits and suggest several cooking and serving methods.
What food is proposed for landlords in "A Modest Proposal"?
The narrator makes a moving argument that Ireland's population of poverty-stricken infants can be sold as a food and their skin made into valuable leather used to make certain commodities. Swift's satirical proposal indites the oppressive landlords that exploit the working-class farmers, addresses the impoverished conditions in 18th century Ireland, and critiques economic utilitarianism that reduces human life to a series of statistics. The narrator begins by offering a vivid, realistic description of the poverty-stricken environment in Ireland and attempts to explain the factors contributing to the terrible living conditions. The narrator proceeds to offer an economically sound argument grounded in statistics and precise calculations to support his proposal. The author then proposes that of the 120,000 Irish children born each year, 100,000 infants should be fattened and sold as culinary delicacies. He then proceeds to elaborate on the numerous dishes the aristocracy and landowners could enjoy using infants as the primary meat and expands on the "obvious" advantages of his shocking proposal.
What food is proposed for landlords in "A Modest Proposal"?
Swift suggests that the landlords eat the children of their peasant tenants.
The modest proposal is that the poor have too many children, so if they start eating children they will be better off.
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.
There is a play on the word “dear,” which is used both to mean expensive and loved, reinforcing the satire. Basically, Swift is saying that the landlords have destroyed the children’s parents and metaphorically devoured them, so they might as well actually devour their children.
The satire of the piece is biting. Swift is blaming the landlords for the peasants’ problems, because they have been greedy and callous. Obviously, he does not really expect landlords to eat their tenants’ babies, but the proposal alone is enough to get them thinking about how they treat them.
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