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Essay / Swift's allusion to contemporary 18th-century contexts in A Modest Proposal
Jonathan Swift's satirical pamphlet, A Modest Proposal (1729), depicts a composer who devised a plan to resolve the prevailing economic crisis in Ireland. The proposed solution was to eat the children of poor Irish people. Along with this depiction, Swift uses satirical devices to represent Ireland's ignored poverty by England and the reasons that led to it. High land rents set by English landowners and by the trade tax. Accordingly, contemporary contexts predominant in the early 18th century were also examined. For example, there are many references to the economic affairs of England and Ireland. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Swift said it was a widely recognized fact that Ireland's high population of poor people was an urgent problem that needed to be addressed. addressed. "It is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or on the heels of their mothers, and often of their fathers, is, in the current deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance.” A reference to the economic crisis suffered by Ireland in the 18th century; leading to a high rate of poverty among the Irish population, an estimated population of 3 million people. Swift further used dramatic irony and the rule of three to describe a solution to this economic crisis, which would be "fair, cheap and easy". Highlighting that deprived Irish children, who would otherwise be a burden, can, in certain circumstances, become productive members of society. Members of society who contribute to the wealth of England. These economic topics are explored within the context of mercantilist views and beliefs toward labor throughout 18th-century England. Wittkowasky (1943) defined 18th-century English mercantilism as a belief system that viewed labor as a commodity. He believed that this led to the assumption that the economic good of the state overshadowed the well-being of the individual. Furthermore, this approach focused on the economic expansion of England, restricting Irish trade and growth. The consequence of limiting Irish exports of goods meant that people would have had to depend on the land for their livelihood. However, many Irish people did not own their land, they rented it from English landlords, who took most of the crops grown as rent. This led to poverty for thousands of Irish people. Furthermore, unlike another of his works, Swift blames the "shameful practices" of "many Irish farmers" for Ireland's economic crisis and rising poverty levels. , who did not manage their farms professionally. Swift then gave possible reasons why Irish farmers had allowed this incident to happen, which the reasons could have been due to "either poverty, laziness or ignorance". While in the current text: A Modest Proposal, he emphasizes how much the Irish suffered from “the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without money or trade, the lack of common subsistence”. Showcasing Swift's desire to improve the lives of the Irish in poverty, as well as his dislike of the treatment of farmers by English aristocratic landlords. This juxtaposition of Swift's values may be an indication of a.