A Modest Proposal | Themes

A Modest Proposal Themes

Prostestants vs Catholics

Although Jonathan Swift was an active member of the Church of Ireland, meaning he was a protestant, he is scathing towards his own religion. While this essay is not supporting the Catholic faith, it is sympathetic towards the plight of its people.

He begins by stating that it is cruel for mothers to have an abortion. Although at the early stage when he makes this statement, the reader will think he is making a serious point, they will later reread this as irony. If most of the poor are Catholics and society can't afford to look after their children, wouldn't it be beneficial for the mother to have an abortion? He makes the point that is barbaric for a mother to abort her child, but he later underlines this as irony and when he talks about selling the children to raising them like cattle, his point is equally if...
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