Question

Swift mentions several economic, social, and political realities in Ireland that prompted him to write this essay. Identify a few of them.

Answer 1

Answer:

Some of the issues that Jonathan Swift mentioned in his essay were the poverty of the common people, the rich becoming richer, the political degradation and the economic failure of the government to provide the needs of its citizens.

Explanation:

Jonathan Swift wrote his essay "A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick" in 1729 though at that time it was published anonymously. This essay is a political satire on the various issues that plague the Irish nation at that time, even though she was still under the British rule.

The essay is a satirical form of Swift suggesting options or solutions for the numerous issues that are prevalent among his people. Worse of all is the extreme poverty, the economical degradation, the increase in child beggars, the political turmoil and not the least of these, the daring increase in the gap between the rich and the poor.

Starting with the beggars, he writes that they can be seen in "the streets, the roads, and cabin-doors".Then, he went on to suggest a preposterous solution for the poor to get some source of income while at the same time the rich can keep on providing a hearty meal to their guests. He proposes that the young children be used as sources of meat, sold to the butchers which will provide a means of income for the mothers instead of begging while at the same time keep the floe of meat production to the rich and the taverns. He clarifies that he has "not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work" except think about the "publick good of my country in advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich".