The Eighteenth Century was an extremely difficult time for the country of Ireland. Not only were the English lords ruling the nation, but they were also taxing the Irish out of all of their income. Due to these harsh taxes and other laws passed from distant England, Ireland was quickly becoming a land of the starving. By 1729, something had to be done, regardless of how drastic it was. Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is a satirical essay that disregards all humanity and morality for the sake of economic gain.
In "A Modest Proposal", Swift proposes that eating the children of the poor is the answer to Ireland's economic problems. Throughout the essay Swift says that he has thoroughly researched this idea. He even goes so far as to give calculations about how many children Ireland could support a year. In this essay we will observe three passages where Swift uses satire to point out the problems facing Ireland and how to resolve these problems.
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.