The first situation that Swift creates where moral order is confused is when he describes what delicious meals the children would make. He says that his American friend has told him that a year old child makes a delicious dish, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled. By listing actual dishes people could serve with children, Swift makes it appear that eating infants is practiced in other countries. He even describes that once a boy reaches the age of twelve, the meat becomes tough and lean due to the boy’s constant exercise. He also describes how many meals one infant could last for. By going into great detail about the actual eating of children, Swift establishes the idea that Ireland may start eating children in order to boost the economy.
The second situation that Swift creates where moral order is confused is when he states that the marriage rate would increase as people would breed for the sole purpose of supplying the nation with food. He also proposes that mothers would take better care of their children since they will want them to be as healthy as possible when they are slaughtered. Swift is justifying the consumption of infants by pointing out the so called benefits of his plan. He is trying to prove to his audience that, as horrible as his plan sounds, it can improve the overall family life in Ireland. If he can convince people to eat the children, then he will certainly be able to later convince the masses of a more reasonable plan.
The third situation that Swift creates where moral order is confused is when refutes all of the humane plans that would boost Ireland’s economy. He lists several plans that would help Ireland rid itself of Britain’s grip on the economy. But, instead of explaining why they would work, he almost writes them off as ludicrous. He states that no one should mention any of the ideas he lists unless they are willing to put those ideas into practice. Swift uses his drastic plan, cannibalism, to bring attention to the problems the Irish are facing, and then he subtly suggests some alternative plans that would alleviate Ireland of their economic suffering.
As we can see, Swift uses satire throughout ‘A Modest Proposal’ to point out the problems of Ireland and the solutions to these troubles. He originally suggests a ridiculous idea like cannibalism in order to illustrate the magnitude of the problems the Irish face. Once the reader has read that, the other ideas that Swift says will not work suddenly seem brilliant. Due to ‘A Modest Proposal’, Jonathan Swift can be credited with helping Ireland recover from its economic troubles.
-Jonathan Harvey
