The large population and poor living conditions of Irish peasants are matters which need to be taken care of.

             By means of downplaying his "modest proposal," the narrator leads the reader to believe his proposal is rationale. He even goes as far as saying, "I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection"(1) before he introduces the solution of eating infants. Of course there will be objections to this outrageous recommendation as it is a ridiculous notion. The suggestion of eating young children is most definitely not humble. He also proclaims, "[he] can think of no one objection that will be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom."(15). There are objections and they include more than just concerns about the population numbers. The Irish are being asked to consider ideas of selling their children for profit and cannibalism. If this idea is to go beyond just a proposal, the values of society should be questioned. If this is to be contemplated as a legitimate solution, the values of society should also be examined thoroughly, I might add.

             Throughout the essay, ironic words and phrases are used to make the reader see that there is a discrepancy between the stated word or phrase and the implied meaning. The title of Swift's essay, "A Modest Proposal" implies that his suggestion will be one of insubstantial content, something simple and unassuming. As a solution to the poor standard of living of the Irish, the narrator suggests eating children of about one year old. This recommendation is ludicrous and not simple at all. The narrator is asking the Irish to revert to cannibalism, which not just eating other human beings, it includes their own children. When the narrator begins to introduce this preposterous proposal, he comments, "I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.