Swift's "A Modest Proposal"

Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is a satirical essay that suggests, in a provocative and exaggerated way, that impoverished Irish families could alleviate their hardship by selling their children as food to the wealthy. Swift uses this shocking proposal to criticize and highlight the brutal indifference of the British government and the wealthy towards Ireland's suffering. The work employs irony and satire to expose social and economic injustices, prompting readers to reconsider the severity of Ireland’s suffering and the need for genuine solutions rather than superficial or harmful remedies.