A Modest Proposal
...n who is very intelligent, sound, and serious. He appears to be a psychopath for proposing something as evil and immoral very calmly as if it is normal to consume the flesh of another human being. What makes his proposal to be even more depraved is that he proposes to eat the babies. The man declares, “and at exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them, in a such a manner as, instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding and partly to the clothing of many thousands.” Swift justifies his proposal with numerous reasons. Besides the prevention of voluntary abortions and infanticide, it will also prevent the loss of money for maintenance of children and the abuse of women and children. The number of Papists would be reduced and the children will not become beggars, thieves, or prostitutes. The proposal will aid in the increase in the status of the peasantry, promote love, and care from the mothers towards their children. A Modest Proposal is so effective and appealing because of the authors' copious uses of irony throughout his essay. The butchery of innocent babies and the use of their skin for clothing is beyond being modest; It is brutal and insane. The proposal is intended to shock and throw the reader off balance. His proposal would be a great incentive for marriage, not because the Irish will marry for the expected reasons, of love and happiness. Instead they will marry for money. As the Mr. Swift pronounces, “this would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards or enforced by laws and penalties. Moreover, this proposal if put into effect would aid in establishing love and care in families, between spouses and towards the children. The mother would provide her babies with better nourishment. Since, plump, fat, and juicy babies are worth more than the lean and abused ones. The husbands will become fond of their wives and refrain from abusing them, to avoid a possible miscarriage.” Thus, the primary motive of a child is money. Swift’s ingenious display of irony serves a purpose for attacking, scorning, and exposing the vices of the Irish people. The narrator's brilliant and clever use of wit is definitely noteworthy throughout ‘A Modest Proposal”. In order to make cannibalism sound like the most practicable solution, the author wisely uses his wit. He is implying that cannibalism cannot possibly be more barbaric and unethical than what the Irish are already doing to themselves. The narrator proclaims, “For we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; we neither build houses, ...