SWIFT'S A MODEST PRPOSAL

Surprise Ending - Swift

The Surprise Ending in Swift's a Modest Proposal

In his essay A Modest Proposal (1729) Jonathon Swift ironically puts forth the proposition that for the betterment of Irish society, children of the poor, particularly Catholic children, because there was an over abundance, should be slaughtered and eaten. Swift maintains that this practice would solve a number of societal problems. It would decrease the number of Papists who are the principle breeders of the nation, as well as the most dangerous enemies, it would turn a liability of the poor, another mouth to feed, into an asset or a valuable commodity, it would increase the overall wealth of the nation, it would be a boon to business, and it would encourage marriage by rewarding parents with monetary gain. The surprise ending is that swift recommends this practice only for Ireland.

At the time...
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