A Modest Proposal For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick

"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is a satirical essay that critiques the social and economic conditions in 18th-century Ireland using dark humor. The story suggests a shocking solution to poverty and overpopulation: selling poor Irish children as food for the wealthy. With a straight face, Swift calculates the supposed benefits of this horrific plan, focusing on economic advantages and poverty reduction. His ironic suggestion highlights the British government's neglect of the Irish and the dehumanization caused by colonialism. The extreme proposal pushes readers to consider the inhumane treatment of the poor and the moral obligations of society, using absurdity to reveal uncomfortable truths.