The theme of this satirical essay by Jonathan Swift is apparently social welfare. The fictional writer of “A Modest Proposal” (a character invented by Swift) claims to have found a solution for the serious social problem of hunger. Because it is a satirical work, however, Swift’s real main themes are injustice and hypocrisy. Certainly, the Irish situation is dire, and people cannot afford to feed their families. There are many steps that need to be taken to remedy that situation. The ostensible writer fails to provide any real solutions but settles on a simplistic assessment of a highly complex problem. The equation he proposes is logical but immoral: there are too many babies and not enough food, so we should turn babies into food. By extension, Swift uses this reasoning to criticize other, equally draconian English policies toward Ireland.
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