Recently I read Gogol and out of curiosity, in a process of unearthing some important name in that satirical zone from the past greats, I got a recommendation of reading Swift. Actually, I was having an eye on the A Tale of a Tub, but this title just jumped in between and I began with this due to its short length.
So this was my first time… Jonathan Swift!
This title is again quite deceptive. This proposal was everything but modest. This should have been called ‘An inhumane proposal‘ or ‘An inexorable proposal‘ indeed. I can understand that this piece of work is a satire on a major issue of poverty and atrocity of rich or rulers of that era, yet I feel there was a huge dearth of sensitivity there on the part of the author.
Leaving aside the pathos of that idea that one should sell one’s newborn baby to the meat market, after one year of bountiful nourishment so that its flesh becomes tastier and will be consumed by the rich and will yield a good chunk of money to their poor parents. I feel the way it has been written is quite nutty.
When the author observes in the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants, who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work or leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to Barbados. He gives such a proposal to the authorities. He gives statistical data on how it will benefit the economy, empower women and overall remove poverty.
The author has made caustic remarks. His tone is very unemotional as if he has no heart at all. He talked cruelly and talked about resolving the issue in a very insensitive way. But He must get high points from the reader for the way he has written it, maintaining the art and skill required in a farce to give a message in a very blunt and intense style.
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