Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish churchman, political writer, poet, and one of the greatest satirists in world literature. Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland, in November 1667. A few months later his father died, and he was left to be taken care of by his Uncles. Swift was educated first at Kilkenny School, which provided the best education Ireland had to offer at the time. In 1682, Swift began attending Trinity College in Dublin. Six years later, an outbreak of political violence in Ireland forced him to join his mother in England. Most of the next 10 years were spent in the household of Sir William Temple at Moor Park, where Swift had Temple's rich library at his disposal. In 1692, he received an MA degree from Oxford. At the time, Swift was very much a Whig both in political theory and in his party attachments. However, Swift was also a most devoted churchman. Increasingly he came to feel that the policies of the Whig party ran counter to the best interest of the Church of England, and when the Tories came to power in the autumn of 1710, Swift shifted his allegiance to them. He spent the rest of his life writing for the Tories' cause. Jonathan Swift died on October 19, 1745. On his gravestone lie a subtle reminder of his fight for the rights of the Irish. In words that Swift wrote himself:

    Like all true satirists, Swift was predominantly a moralist, one who chastises the vices and follies of mankind in the name of virtue and common sense. Throughout his writing, Swift constantly raised the question of whether the achievements of civilization - its advancing technology, its institutions, its refinement of manners - cannot be seen as complex forms of barbarism. With this theme in mind, Swift wrote what he is best known for: "A Tale of a Tub" (1704), "Gulliver's Travels" (1726), and "A Modest Proposal" (1729). Swift's most powerful and best-known piece dealing with the plight of the Irish is known as "A Modest Proposal." With this proposal he brought into view the economic and social evils that plagued eighteenth-century Ireland. "A Modest Proposal" is a grimly ironic letter of advice in which a public-spirited citizen suggests that economic conditions could be alleviated if the children of poor parents were used as delicacies for gentlemen's dinner tables.

"In a Nutshell"

    "A Modest Proposal" is a satirical proposal written by Jonathan Swift for the purpose of exploiting very important socioeconomic issues in a subtle and comic way. It is a proposal for "preventing children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or country and for making them beneficial to the public."

    Swift begins his proposal by describing the sorts of morose settings a tourist would find himself in if ever he were to walk down the streets. From there, he skillfully includes computations he has made on the subjects of "breeders" and infants in order to support his ideas. Swift then casually exposes the core of his proposal which is to treat infants and young children like common livestock. They are to be bred, fed, then baked, broiled, sautŽed, what have you, to feed the upper class of England. If not for food, the children could also be used to make such leather fashion accessories such as gloves, purses, belts, etc. Although the idea of dining on an infant seems appalling, Swift rationalizes the situation by focusing on the positive aftermath: the number of Papists would be lessened; the lower class would have something of value in order to pay their bills; the nationÕs stock would increase; the food (children) would become a symbol of fine dining; and it would be "a great inducement for marriage."

    After stating his proposal, Swift politely excuses himself from it by mentioning that he has no children and his wife is past child-bearing stage. In other words, he found a way out of it. Clever guy.

Belen Victoria Rodriguez

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