A Modest Proposal

"A Modest Proposal" is a satirical essay by Jonathan Swift, published in 1729. Swift suggests a shocking solution to Irish poverty: that the impoverished Irish could sell their children as food to wealthy families. This outrageous suggestion is not a serious plan, but rather a criticism of British policy and indifference toward the suffering in Ireland. By presenting the idea so bluntly, Swift highlights the extreme conditions faced by the poor and critiques societal attitudes, hoping to provoke a thoughtful discussion about real solutions to social injustice.