At the very beginning of the essay I thought I had been reading the first paragraph incorrectly. However, I was fooled by the sarcasm of the scene that Swift creates. He mentions that “it is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with beggars.” It was difficult for me to understand whether it is a melancholy object for him, having to see homeless people every day, or for the lifestyle of the beggar? I was initially led to believe that Swift is a compassionate writer feeling the pain of the beggars. But as the story continues, I can surely say that he is using a sarcastic tone and the only sad sight that he sees is that people of his status have to deal with those that are homeless.
Another voice Swift uses throughout the story is irony. The story itself is ironic since no one can take Swifts proposal seriously. This irony is clearly demonstrated at the end of the story. Swift makes it clear that this proposal would not affect him since his children were grown and his wife unable to give birth to another child. It would be rather absurd to think that a rational man would want to both propose this and partake in the eating of another human being. Clearly the proposition is irrational, but a great piece of literature for sure! My question to the class it, should those who are economically unstable give birth?
