Dec 08 2008
Swift(ly), Now… (Period 3)
REACT to Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.”
23 responses so far
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After reading Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”, I found myself disturbed and shocked at the grusome proposals made by Swift regarding the Irish people eating their children. Although Swift is not being totally serious about this proposterous proposal of cannibalism, his reasons come off as shocking and really make the reader feel somewhat sick to their stomach. The drastic measures to help end poverty that Swift presents made me question why I was allowing myself to read this writing to the very end and wondered what would allow myself to want to know everything he had to say. As sickening as some parts of “A Modest Proposal” was, Swift tried reasoning that his proposal would be the benefit to Irish society, clearly demonstrating his satiric intention.
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Ireland seems to have so much poverty in children that this man has thought of such a cruel solution to this problem. He has some good points, bringing out the statistics for his ideas. For a person with no heart and for that same person to only comprehend reading without a thought process could actually believe Swift in his argument that the solution to poverty in children is to eat them. He does not take into consideration the children. He writes about them as cattle or some perishable object, with no life, without any thought or emotions. He is heartless in his decision to wipe out all this lives.
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Swift says that to end Irish poverty woman can sell their children to be used as food. The women who are very poor can use their earnings to support themselves, until they have another child in which they can sell. It made me nauseous to read that Swift is proposing cannibalism. Just because their is poverty and too many children does not mean to resort to eating the young. He speaks as though the children are not even human. He also says that there is no point in wasting their lives to abortion when you could sell them as food. I hope that Swift was laughing at Irish poverty and did not mean at all to actually eat the children which is really sick.
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As i was reading Jonathan Swift’s, “A Modest Proposal” i was laughing out loud. Well okay i wasn’t really laughing that much but it was actually a pretty funny essay. The fact that he was proposing that the best course of action towards fixing the problem with having too many delinquent children in the country. The essay is obviously written in a sarcastic, ironic manner, he is not really saying we should do this, but it is a funny way to grab the attention of the reader and emphasize the severity of the problem in Ireland. I really enjoyed reading Swift’s work, it seems just like the kind of thing i would enjoy. (Thats the reading part not the whole eating babies part)
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Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” does not seam modest at all! To be honest, it is cruel, and only something that someone crazy would possibly think of doing. I do understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, however resulting in eating innocent children and turning there flesh into products that will sold is simply evil. Swift refers to these children as hopeless, beggers who are the future criminals of the country becuase they were born poor. ” I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country” (Swift 564). I feel as if Swift has no emotions towards anyone; adults and children, becuase it seams like all he thinks about it himself. I know that my mother and father would do anything for my sister and I and reading that Swift does not have any children makes me think that he just does not have the experiences that could possibly change his mind about his proposal.
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After reading Jonathan Swift’s, “A Modest Proposal” I was really not sure what to think. His way to solve Ireland’s problems although he wasn’t completely serious was disturbing to say the least. I found the final paragraph to be very humerous as he says how he is “just trying to help Irelend” and he even mentions how he has a child over nine and his wife can no longer bear a child. Like its ok to eat children since he has none to lose. Although some parts made me laugh because it was so incredibly insane I finsihed reading feeling totally disgusted and disturbed. This guy is weird.
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” A modest proposal”, by Jonathoh Swift, made my mouth literally drop open and it felt like time (or space) just stopped. His “proposal” was such a shock that I could not tell if he was serious or not. I hope he is not, but I have a sickening feeling he very well might just be. Yes, people do come into hard times, but treating babies like pigs, cattle, or sheep, is…unbelieveable!
My reaction to this disturbing essay was shock, disbelief and a great amount of disgust. I personally think there is something wron with Swift and how he is oh so convinced his proposal is the answer to Ireland’s problems. His reasonings make sense but cannabolism is not the answer. By the end of a year, a baby has feelings and is a human being. There is no arguement there and no such consequence should come upon an innocent baby. Ugh.
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Swift is so good. SO GOOD. This is the best example of sustained irony and genius satire that I think I’ll ever read. Swift certainly served his purpose in bringing to light horror and nonsensical reasoning in a sensible way. The title of this essay is also brilliant. It promises little, but genders much. Love it.
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As a woman that is strongly against abortion and any kind of harm to and infant I was deeply offended and disturbed by this essay. Even in a joking matter, for a human being to suggest that to solve a poverty problem in Ireland that mothers should sell there babies for others to eat, makes them not human but a monster. No one with a heart would ever write or say such things about something as innocent as a child. Who does he think that he is to come up with such a cannibalistic plan to solve Ireland’s problems. As I was reading this my dinner was not sitting very well and my heart started to break to know that someone on this earth would even be sarcastic about such a thing as eating babies. I hope that Swift is happy because he definitely captured my attention.
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After throwing up on Jonathan Swifts “A Modest Proposal,” I had to clean up the mess with my hands and then ate my throw up because I am too poor to buy food for myself and I am very hungry!! I thought Jonathan Swifts “A Modest Proposal” was I guess comical in a disturbing way. I feel as if Swift only proposed that he would eat innocent children because, unlike men, when women have a child they have this certain love towards it that maybe a man could never feel. Women have a nuturing way about them. They carry the child for nine months and bond with it even before it is born. After the birth, the child is totally dependent on its mother which forces that bond to become stronger, something a man rarely gets to experience. I think that this is why he would give infants up so he could enjoy one or two meals or save a life; by instead of abortion, having the baby and then selling it as food. I understand that he does not have any intentions to promote this necessary work, but I still think he meant it. This could be another reason why women and men differ greatly.
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At first I was reasonably disturbed over the proposal put forth by Swift, but as i realized that it was entirely satirical, i began to appreciate it. I can visualize certain other proposals that may have been put forth by other people that must have inspired swift to take such a drastic tone to demonstrate extremes. I also find it funny that he found this out from an “American” friend, and not maybe an English one, seeing as Ireland wasn’t too favorable towards England during the 1700’s.
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In response to Swift’s “A Modest Proposal, I am somewhat disgusted at the monstrous way parents simply sell their children as food to solve an economic crisis, even if it is a financially sound plan. I think that Swift has a sick sense of humor to even attempt to write an idea like this, though logical. I am quite astounded that his ‘proposal’ was even a possible suggestion; I am not sure why he would even think that his idea is reasonable enough to write in an essay.
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Ignoring the unlikely possibility that Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” was the outcry of a disturbed and famished mind, this writing serves as an entertaining lampoon of the cold, analyzing way that many individuals with no experience in such a plight deigned to try their hands at eliminating poverty. He backs his mockery of such sophistry with straight-faced reasoning and detached, straightforward language. Its value as satire is in the air; the spirit of humor is often a difficult one to name. However, he was fairly effective in outlining the aspects that made the parodied writing so distasteful–and therefore such a valid target for satire.
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In response to Johnathan Swift’s essay, I was really angered by his choice of having to write about mothers aborting and also how parents sell their children. He actually had the nerve to write about such things, I really think that it is wrong for him to actually write about such things and then having to have other people read it is wrong. I do think that many people who have read Swift’s essay have had different reactions and different opinions, although it is still wrong what he wrote about.
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Well, after reading Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” I was honestly pretty shocked. I mean, i understand the irony here but still, he was awfully detailed in what he spoke of. The description of eating children to solve world hunger was very vivid and made me somewhat nauseous. I have to give him credit for his creativity though, that is certainly a new proposal. The title of the story made me laugh, due to the irony. Because modesty and eating children are absolutely opposite.
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After reading Swifts, “A Modest Proposal” I felt literally sick to my stomach. His idea of how to clear up the poverty in Ireland, by selling children for food, was not only disgusting and vile, but comical. Obviously he is not being serious, but he sells the point that he is being serious to well, that it was hard to tell. There is no doubt that he is a great writer, but his ideas are a little sick, and demented.
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Swift has certainly proved his ironic point. I think you have to be a truly accomplished writer to be able to give as much detail and clarity to something so ridiculous. Swift definitely shed some humorous light on the horrific situation in Ireland, unless of course you were unaware of the fact that Swift’s “Modest Proposal” was not a proposal at all. The last paragraph when Swift comments that he is only trying to help Ireland as if eating children is the most obvious solution. Gee, why didn’t I think of that?
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After reading Jonathan Swifts essay, “A Modest Proposal” I was completely shocked. I was not expecting this essay to be about eating children as a way to solve the growing population of poverty in Ireland. I wonder if he was even serious about this, I mean to be able to look into the face of a new born baby and chop its head off and roast it just is unfathomable to me. I do not understand how any person could think about or even try to justify that. I know that he must have something wrong with him to think that mothers will just give away their new born children that they conceived and carried for 9 months just for 5 shillings. Maybe he was neglected as a child and has some strange idea that mothers are willing to do this.
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After reading the essay, I was throughly disturbed. I wasn’t sure how someone could think this. How can you sell your child for food? Even if you are in poverty, how can you just give up your creation? Even the woman, i could not believe, would sell her own flesh and blood. You nourish and feed the child for nine months and carry it and then after you give birth you just give it up? How can they feel no love? I think Swift was very disturbed and I cannot empathize with him on this one.
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After reading this “essay” i thought that i was going to puke. I am usually ok with this kinda of stuff but it got out of hand. I do not understand why you would want to eat your child after carrying it around for nine months. Although people do crazy things because of poverty you do not eat your child. Its inhuman. I know that no one actually did not eat their child, but it is a strange way to get his point across.
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I honestly wasn’t that disgusted by Swift’s proposal, not because I’m heartless, but because I recognized it instantly as satire. It reminded me immediately of the essay/song “The Donner Party” by Rasputina, that implies that the colonial pilgrims were cannibals. “I would like to propose that cannibalism was indeed rampant among America’s earliest settlers: The Pilgrims. For what does settler imply, if not the willingness to settle? To settle for a meal of human flesh if my thoughts on the subject are to be believed.”
I thought Swift’s proposal was kind of funny, but I probably have some kind of twisted sense of humor.
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This satire was disgusting. He does present good reasons for the method of ending poverty that maybe some people when reading may actually believe. This is gross and disturbing but people can laugh at things like this because it is never going to happen. Like Hannibal Lector was an amazing movie that churned your stomach like “A Modest Proposal”.
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hahahaha oh sara me n kev are cracking up
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