Swift Response

 Response to Swift

The problem that Swift identifies in his society is that the children of poor people in Ireland are being a burden on their parents and country. Swift made a modest proposal on how to make the children of Ireland be beneficial to the public. Swift talked about how along the streets of Ireland there were female beggars and took their multiple children with them to beg. Swift also believed that these children who either grew up as thieves for work, leave the country to fight for Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes. One suggestion that Swift made which I did not think was serious was when he stated that he believed a child who was just a little older than a one-year old should “contribute to the feeding, and partly to the cloathing of many thousands.” This part confused me and made me think “really” a one-year old? I do not think this is serious but rather this particular idea is indeed a little crazy, how can a one-year old work and do a job that only a grown adult can do?

Swift also spoke how his scheme would prevent voluntary abortions and the horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children; this is what I think Swift was making fun of. During a certain paragraph Swift was comparing the children that were being born to sheep, black cattle, and swine, and that one male will be sufficient to serve four females. Swift was writing like the infants and children were like animals and he kept talking about the child’s flesh like they were animals to be sold on a market. Swift purposed a plan where for each child the woman had she would get money and be fit for work until she produced another child, in my opinion; I believe that this purpose is sort of like welfare in our society.

When it comes to Swift’s evidence he had six suggestions that he wanted to do that would make his solution logical. He believed that if people followed his solution then there would be a lessen number of Papists, the poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own and money a thing unknown. The maintenance of an hundred thousand children, the constant breeders would be rid of maintaining their children after the first year; the food production would bring great customs and lastly, would be a great inducement to marriage. Here is a link that talks more about Swift and his life: http://www.incompetech.com/authors/swift/