The proposal by Swift to solve the problem of poverty in Ireland was nothing to what I expecting. When I started the reading it looked like a problem that we face in the world today, and was expecting a solution close to the ones we have today. I was so wrong. Swift’s solution to the problem seemed a little to shocking at first, I reread the sentence three times to make sure I didn’t miss something. I was disturbed by the idea of selling infants as a commodity and a “luxury” meal.
Swift’s was actually correct though. This radical solution would without a doubt lessen the population, help stop the poverty and famine in Ireland, give the poor people a valuable good and help the economy out. Swift’s would in our standards be very unethical and wrong on so many levels, but Jonathan was very confident in his plan. Towards the end of his text, he says “I can think of no one objection that will possibly be raised against this proposal.” To me it seems Swift himself feels that this solution is bullet-proof and that no other man should have an objection towards his plan. This text left me wondering to myself if Swift was completely serious in this proposal or if he was just stating the most radical plan.
