When reading A Modest Proposal, written by Jonathan Swift; I was shocked to learn what the excerpt is about; in the relation to food. "For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public." I am curious to know what type of interaction(s) (if any), Jonathan Swift had with children. He did not speak fondly of them; "Infant's fleshwill be in season throughout the year, but more plentiful in March, and alittle before and after; for we are told by a grave author, an eminent Frenchphysician, that fish being a prolifick dyet, there are more children born inRoman Catholick countries about nine months after Lent, the markets will bemore glutted than usual, because the number of Popish infants, is at leastthree to one in this kingdom, and therefore it will have one other collateral advantage, by lessening the number of Papists among us."
To me, reading this passage is disturbing. Specifically the line: "Infant's flesh will be in season throughout the year, but more plentiful in March, and a little before and after..." Who would ever want to eat an infant's flesh?! What made Swift ponder this topic?
I found a YouTube clip that retells / related to A Modest Proposal: A Modest Proposal - Official Trailer [HD].
I had the same reaction to the reading as you did as well...i like the websites you attached as well
ReplyDeleteYes while reading the passage is disturbing however, it is supposed to be a satire. During that time period, the public's view on the poor and and Irish were terrible and he is showing this through his essay. Its a weird way to go about it but, it definitely caught the attention of the public.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I read somewhere he was being sarcastic, I wonder if Swift had children and if so would he consider his proposal? Would he consider eating one of his own children?
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