“Proper words in
proper places, make the true definition of a style”
(Swift, Letter 9
January 1720)
A Modest Proposal
Swift grew up in a period of
extreme political and religious unrest
Swift gains religious position in
intellectual
climate of the time favoured the rational, the new
science (
Literature favours
simplicity, clarity, wit; tends to be critical of society
Asked you to consider:
who is the audience?
what is the message?
what is the form of the message?, why?
what is the writing style?
focus
on message and style
Swift is of English descent
living in
Irish are considered by the
English to be barbaric, poor, uneducated and Catholic
Anglo-Irish are
part of the ruling class and Protestant, particularly Anglican
own
many of the large properties in
often
absentee landlords, leaving their estate in hands of an overseer
For Swift, to be sent to
Title
short
version suggests the giving of a humble opinion (at least at first glance; we
read the title differently once we are familiar with the piece)
conveys
to the reader the need for a corrective to social conditions
children
of the poor are a burden to their parents and their country
First paragraph gives Swift’s arguments:
•
Upsetting to see women begging on
the streets, often with numerous children
•
Women are unable to work since
they are occupied with begging
•
Children resort to thievery,
fighting for the Pretender (treason), sell themselves as indentured servants on
plantations in colonies
•
Implies that the reader is not
one of the destitute
•
Two sentences provide the basis
of the argument of the proposal
Second paragraph provides a more detailed view of the
argument or thesis:
the
situation is deplorable
Someone should find a solution to
make the children useful members of the society
Such a person would preserve the
nation
Such a person would deserve fame
and long-term admiration
Swift’s plan is actually more comprehensive in scope
Proposes to include not only
infants of beggars, but all infants whose parents cannot support them
Gives credentials: his lengthy
consideration of the situation, his study of schemes of others, which he finds
flawed
Provides concrete example; note
the use of the language of animal husbandry: the infant is referred to as
“child,” a term that implies their humanity
the
mother of the child, however, is referred to as “dam,” a term reserved for four
footed, female animals
We begin to feel a certain unease at this point in the essay
Swift undertakes a cost-benefit analysis – assuming child is
fed by breast milk for the first year, then:
The only cost to the mother
during that time is the amount of food required to sustain her
This amount of food can be
acquired by begging
Returns to language of social
reform;
Proposes to provide for the child
such that it will contribute to the wellbeing “of many thousands”
Additionally, his plan has the
advantage of preventing voluntary abortions, murder of illegitimate children
which single women cannot afford to feed
Returns to language of animal husbandry mixed with
mathematical calculation
We’re uncomfortable because it
reduces people to the status of objects that are enumerated and valued for
their end use
estimates
1,500,000 people in
200,000 female breeders
-
30,000 who can afford their children
170,000 breeders
-50,000
who lose children
120,000 children
from poor parents
The problem, then is the
120,000 children who lack food, clothing, shelter
previous
methods have not worked
infants
can’t be employed in handicraft or agriculture
infants
can’t survive successfully on theft until they are 6 years old; mere
probationers
child
younger than 12 is not salable
when
sold, yield £3 - £3 ½; cost of maintaining then is ~£12 – 14, creating a
deficit
His solution
a
healthy, well-fed one-year old child is “most delicious, nourishing, and
wholesome food”
returns
to calculations: set aside 20,000 as breeders, of which 5,000 will be male
allows
the increase and sustainability of the ‘herd’
sell
the remaining 100,000 for food:
“A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends;
and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a
reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good
boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter”(2176).
newborn
weights 12 pounds and can be expected to more than double his or her weight
before sale
“I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very
proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents,
seem to have the best title to the children” (2176).
In this statement, he critiques
the Anglo-Irish landlords who deplete
literalizes
the metaphor: since the landlords have ‘devoured’ the Irish parents by exploiotng them as cheap labour,
they might as well literally eat the children, thereby solving the social
problem
we
recognize at this point that we are reading satire
Satire –
censure or ridicule deviations from a norm; often mingles laughter and anger;
utilizes irony and wit
“Satire is a glass wherein beholders
do generally discover everybody’s face but their own, which is the chief reason
for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that so very few are
offended with it” (Swift, The Battle of the Books)
The second half of the 17th
century seen as high point in use of satire; writers sought to preserve
existing culture by pointing out examples of deviation from it.
Parody –
imitation with the intention to ridicule
Swift is parodying the style of
the political economist or projector
not
the first to recognize the problem of poverty in
For example, 1690, Sir William
Petty argued that the solution was to transport 1,000,000 Irish to
Petty’s
argument is monetary, using the sort of calculations that Swift later parodies
Petty calculates the cost and
length of time it will take to send the Irish to
Petty gives no thought in his
Treatise to the lives of the Irish, the separation of families; he sees them as
property of
Ultimate objective the union of
Further advantages of Swift’s proposal:
In addition to the providing food for the wealthy, eating
babies will reduce the number of Catholics
Overseer or squire will become benevolent as he has access
to good ‘meat’
the
mother of the baby will make a net profit of 8s
the
skin will make good leather for gloves and boots
increase
work for butchers
notes
a modification to the plan where the bodies of adolescents to replace deer
(venison) which have been depleted from the forest by poachers and overhunting,
he rejects
the modification because male flesh is tought and the
keeping the females alive as breeder would increase the ‘herd’ and hence the
‘profits’
note
that his rejection is based strictly on arguments of ‘practicality’ rather than
humane ones
Reiterates the advantages of his proposal:
reduce
the number of Catholics
reduce
risk of Pretender taking the Crown
make
money to pay the landlord’s rent, since their farmed produce is seized by the
landlord
nation’s
coffers increased
new
gourmet opportunities
parents
will be free of looking after children after one year
taverns
will be renown for the preparation of the food
encourage
marriage and increase mother’s attention to infants since profit is at hand
husbands
would be kinder to their pregnant wives
Irony – where
what is said is the opposite of what is meant; contrasts reality with
appearances; provides commentary, may be used to mock or scorn, to draw attention to inequities or hypocrisies
As we realize the full import of Swift’s solution that his
“Modest” proposal is meant ironically; his solution is quite drastic
Style of the argument
use
of logic rather than sentiment
economics
rather than social considerations; reliance on the ‘bottom line’
use
of mathematics to justify course of action
identification
of a social problem;
situation
is problem because it causes ‘melancholy’ in observers (ie.
well-off)
may
increase crime (theft, treason)
society
loses potential labour force and productive work
solution
will benefit greater good
no
consideration has been given to the poor, to the lives of the children
use
of satire, parody and irony to mock existing situation with laughter and thinly
disguised rage in order to effect a change
critique
of logic, science, mathematics as means of dealing with human problems
assumption
of a moral position
|
|
|
|
18th century English Currency |
|
|
Farthing |
= 1/4 penny |
|
Half penny |
= 1/2 penny |
|
Penny |
= basic monetary unit |
|
Twopence |
= 2 pence |
|
Threepence |
= 3 pence |
|
Fourpence |
= 4 pence |
|
Sixpence |
= 6 pence |
|
Shilling |
= 12 pence = 1s |
|
Half crown |
= 30 pence = 2s 6d |
|
Crown |
= 60 pence = 5s |
|
Half guinea |
= 126 pence = 10s 6d |
|
|
= 252 pence = 21s = £1 1s |
|
Two |
= 504 pence = 42s = £2 2s |
|
Five |
= 1260 pence = 100s = £5 5s |
The worth of coin determined by
weight of gold or silver it contained
£
- abbreviation for Libra Latin for
‘pounds’
Average income probably less than
£ 20;
member of working class may have had an annual salary of about 40 s