Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” is a satirical essay that was written in 1729 to draw attention to the harsh economic and social conditions of Ireland under British rule. Swift’s proposal to sell Irish children as food to the wealthy English landowners was intended to shock and highlight the inhumanity of British rule and the indifference of the ruling classes to the plight of the Irish people.
Written in the style of a political pamphlet, the essay was met with both criticism and applause, and is still regarded as one of the finest works of English satire. Despite its controversial content, the essay has been widely praised for its use of irony, wit, and social commentary.
A Modest Proposal remains one of the most widely read and discussed essays in English literature. In it, Swift lays bare the terrible realities of poverty and overpopulation and offers a scathing critique of the ruling classes’ disregard for the suffering of the Irish population.
Beautiful Chickens
