A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

Historical Fiction:
A Modest Proposal
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[date] In the 1700s, England had much dominated Ireland and its people. English people had occupied political and economic seats instead of the Irish people. The domination pushed Irish people to poverty and starvation due to failed crops. Jonathan Swift, who was interested in the politics between England and Ireland, was enraged by the situation of Irish people in their home country. He wrote A Modest Proposal as retaliation to the injustices of the English. It is wholly titled A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick.
A Modest Proposal has been a satirical literary text that targeted the unfair capitalistic intentions of English people in Ireland. It satirically talks about a proposal that could end overpopulation and poverty in Ireland. Swift hid the humor and the insult toward England behind the formal tone delivery of the text. As suggested by the title, the text delivered its suggestion as if laying down a business proposal. It is evident in the sequencing of ideas, starting with the presentation of the context and the problem, then introducing the proposed solution, the objective; the detailed plan for the solution; the benefits and advantages, and ends with the conclusion of the proposal. To add more humor to the satire text, an irony about the proposal's objective is presented. In the first part of the text, Swift claims that he proposes to have babies be nurtured to be cooked as food for the rich, "will prevent those voluntary abortions" (Swift & Baskin, 1969). The irony here is that the killing and cooking of babies will help address voluntary abortion. A simile between human and animal mothers is also created to further the humor and insult to society. Swift says that men are obliged to care for their wives "as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in calf, or sow when they are ready to farrow" (Swift & Baskin, 1969). This comparison highlights the attempt to commodify women and children in the proposal.
Swift's A Modest Proposal take readers into a historical fiction ride by creating a close to reality kind of proposal. The presentation of factors he considered for the proposal is almost logical and convincin...