Introduction
A modest proposal is a film by Jonathan swift which has unveiled the poverty situation in Ireland. The setting of the movie was at a time when the population was increasing at a higher rate than the economy. The movie begins by displaying young children on the streets who are begging for food and any other material benefit that they can get. Their clothing and how they are pleading for the foreigners that are passing by is a clear indication of the extreme poverty that they are exposed to (Swift, 1996). They are malnourished, which means that what they receive is not balanced enough to satisfy them. As this is happening, people around seem to be looking out for a solution that will bring an end to the problem. The narrator is one of the people that think can come up with a solution that will be very fair to the economic situation of the country. He sees no possibility of stopping the poor women from giving birth, which would have been workable. He seems to have an issue with the women who are bringing forth children that they are unable to take care of. The solution he offers could mainly be the best way to discourage the mothers from bringing forth children when they understand their economic situation.
The situation
Jonathan swift looks at these innocent children as a perfect raw material that can be exported in various forms to the richer nations. He considers the situation in Ireland where there is nothing that can be traded internationally to save the economic crunch. His suggestion is based on what Ireland can offer which is mainly the many children on the streets. The fact that they are too young to make any contribution to the economy and that they are only there to suffer makes his idea salable. His suggestions to have the children that have attained a year old be sold out for food while those below the age of six to be sold out for other purposes that include labor is considered quite ironical. In as much as he has been criticized for making such selfish suggestions to the innocent children who did not choose to be born, he is trying to pass out a message to their parents and also the government (Thompson, 1983). The tone in which he expresses all this is to make the mothers realize the torture that they are causing their children by not taking care of them. Swift is however not advocating for abortion but rather a part that may be played by the government to educate the women on family planning techniques.
Conclusion
Several conclusions may be drawn from the movie, but what the author wanted to bring out is the extreme to which poverty may draw people. In areas of extreme poverty or need, people may be used as products of trade without them noticing. It depends on who is holding the power. As ironical as it may seem to be, the rich will manipulate the poor and make them do what they wish with the full knowledge that they do not have the power (Swift, 1980). This could be a reflection of how the rich nations exploit the poor ones by not only taking their resources but also making them pay more if they have to use them. If the rich people of London were willing to buy children in Ireland for food, probably the mothers would have no authority to stop them. By them failing to fulfill their parental responsibility of providing for them, it meant anybody else that promised a solution whether falsely or truthfully would be undoubtedly be welcomed.
References
- Swift, J., (1980). A modest proposal. New York: Plain Label Books.
- Swift, J., (1996). A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works. New York: Courier Dover Publications.
- Thompson, S., (1983). A modest proposal: a one act play. London: French.