"A Modest Proposal" My Inital Reaction (prior to reading the historical context)

As I read "The Modest Proposal" I continued to ask myself, "Is this real? Does this man seriously believe this is a reasonable and acceptable idea? What in the hell is he thinking!?"

How could any individual think that the answer to poverty and overpopulation is to eat the babies? The phrase "infant flesh" made me cringe each time I read it. This proposal was very difficult to read because I felt horribly disgusted, angry, confused, revolted, upset, and shocked the entire time.

I wasn't sure if his proposal was serious at first, but by the end, I was convinced that Jonathan Swift was quite serious and had many reasons and "statistics" to back up his twisted idea.

He thought that if beggars were willing to "plump up" their one year old babies and sell them on the market, rich Irish men would be willing to buy them to eat. Dr. Swift suggested that this would solve many problems in the Kingdom of Ireland and bring many pleasures to all classes of people. The selling of infants for food could resolve debt problems for the poor, steady the population, and provide at least two delicious and nutritious meals for the rich per baby. YUCK! NO! THIS IS A RIDICULOUS IDEA!

And isn't it interesting that this man doesn't have to worry about his own children being sold for food because, "the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing" prevents him from being involved. How can someone suggest such a thing if they themselves would have no idea what it would be like to be in that position.

I've heard of women on drugs or women in foreign countries selling their children for money, but these women are looked at as horrible people. In Dr. Jonathan Swift's ideal world, these women would be applauded. How disgusting.

And what's even more disgusting is the thought of actually eating a baby! What type of person would be willing to do that? Cannibalism is disgusting in my eyes and I'll never be able to understand it, but it takes it to an even worse level when I imagine a small child being the victim. That idea brings tears to my eyes. I hate this proposal and everything about it. It's disgusting and immoral. It proves that humans care more about money and power than anything else, and that is truly sad.

Would you eat your own child? No. Then why would you eat anyone else's? I wonder how Dr. Swift would answer that question.