A Modest Proposal
by Jonathan Swift
Lawn Gnome Publishing
‘A Modest Proposal,’ written by Jonathan Swift in 1729, begins by deploring the sad fate of the poverty-stricken Irish who have to spend all their time trying to feed their large families. As a solution to the poverty in which these families are forced to live, by virtue of having so many mouths to feed, Swift suggests that these poor Irish families should fatten up their children and sell them to the rich English land owners.
He argues that children could be sold into a meat market as early as the age of one, giving poor families some much needed income, while sparing them the expenses of raising so many children. With 100,000 Irish children out of the population being set aside for dinner, his solution, he reasons, will also help to resolve the issues of overpopulation and unemployment in Ireland, giving the Irish economy a much needed boost, while making it easier for England to deal with its unruly Irish subjects.
Published by Lawn Gnome Publishing with a cover designed by Dustin Youso, this edition of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift will find a new readership that understands the contemporary struggle of wealth distribution in America today.