A modest Proposal

A modest Proposal

I chose the article “Amodest Proposal” by Johonathan Swift because even though I found it Very morbid It kept my intrigue long enough to just finish it because I had already gotten to far into it to stop. The thesis was, “For Preventing The Children of Poor People in Ireland From Being Aburden to Their Parents or Country, and For Making Them Beneficial to The Public” (Swift Amodest Proposal).

I chose to break it down like I would do an outline prior to writing.

1)      What are the issues?

  1. a)Overwhelming amount Homeless
  2. b)Struggles of the homeless parents
  3. c)Burdens on the rest of the population and economy

 

2)      Statistics

  1. a)The number of women that have kids
  2. b)The cost to feed and clothe them
  3. c)The age kids need to be before they can provide more then they cost a family

 

3)      How to remedy all problems for homeless and for upper classes

  1. a)Use the babies as a food resource
  2. b)Use the babies skin for clothing
  3. c)Use the homeless and offspring for trade.

 

I feel that the organization and flow of the article was well put together and it made it easy to follow. It built up from what the problem was, the statistics that cause the problem and concluded with a proposed remedy to solved and allow everyone to benefit from the proposed resolution. The style of writing the author used put together all the questions and problems, then gave answers. I feel it was a pretty solid argument but the one thing I did not see was any references to support the statements or statistics that were made.  I feel the introduction was ok, it wasn’t as strong as it could have been, it did peek my interest. This article did turn my stomach a bit to even think that someone could not only think of something like this but go so far as to work out a hole prosses that would “benefit” everyone. As I stated before My interest grabbed at the start only because of the morbid curiosity of the fact someone went so in depth as to concoct a hole plane to use children as food and by the time I got half way through I just figured I would finish it and complete my forum post. The conclusion was straight forward. In his conclusion it says “I desire those politicians who dislike my overture, and may perhaps be so bold as to attempt an answer, that they will first ask the parents of these mortals, whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food, at a year old in the manner I prescribe, and thereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes as they have since gone through by the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without money or trade, the want of common sustenance, with neither house nor clothes to cover them from the inclemencies of the weather, and the most inevitable prospect of entailing the like or greater miseries upon their breed for ever” (Swift A modest Proposal).