English 3336
Restoration and Eighteenth Century Poetry and Prose
responses to A Modest Proposal
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 Infant's Flesh, besides others who might have it at merry
meetings, particularly at 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 objection, that will possibly be raised against
this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number of people will
be thereby much lessened in the Kingdom. This I freely own, and 'twas indeed
one principal design in offering it to the world. I desire the reader will
observe, that I calculate 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 of our own growth and manufacture: of utterly
rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury: of
curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our
women: of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temerance: of learning
to love our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants
of Topinamboo: of quitting our animosities, and factions, nor act any longer
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 our landlords to have at least one
degree of mercy towards their tenants. Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty,
industry, and skill into our shop-keepers, 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 the goodness, nor could
ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though often
and earnestly invited to it.
Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients,
till he hath at least some glimpse of hope, that there will ever be some
hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice.
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By now those who were reading this would be so offended and
outraged by what Swift is saying. I think Swift does this on purpose because
it is bringing attention to the value of human life. Then he ends by stating
that if one does not agree with him, then they are unreasonable which is
another way he brings attention to his issue.
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Good bacon= "I want to go to there" (Liz Lemon). With
that aside,in this section, Swift's riffing off of his previous arguments,
and the way he organizes the sentences following his (sudden) concern for
brevity, is particularly effective in refocusing the piece's assumption
that the writing is sufficiently clever, well-written, and funny to be
read despite the severe lack of seriousness in his proposal. And
of course, as soon as he's re-established that he's worth the lengthiness,
he goes on to reiterate his opening line, which brings back up his lack
of belief in the fact that there could be dissent towards his proposal.
The middle section is very direct in ridiculing Ireland for its previous
suggestions to make times better, and Swift just won't be taken any less
seriously than the twits he mocks, despite the fact that his proposal would
never be adopted ever, just like any of those other solutions. Such
a brilliantly sarcastic parody.
-
He finally shifts gears here to hit the nail right on the
head and drive his point home. He holds up the ridiculous idea of eating
children which was just presented very logically and convincingly against
the possible real solutions to Ireland's problems which would be much easier
to change, not to mention are far less alarming.
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Again, just some solid writing by Swift. He acts like a man
in a bubbble seeing how no one could oppose his proposition since it is
flawless. Completely ignoring the utter inhumane aspects to eating infants
(there are many) makes this proposal all the more better.
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