Swift's essayist (and it is important to remember that he adopts a different persona from his own in "A Modest Proposal") is an enlightened, educated man. He portrays himself as thoroughly familiar with the human crisis developing in Ireland, citing facts and figures throughout the essay to demonstrate his expertise. He cites "a very knowing American," "an eminent French physician," and a "native of the island of Formosa" in support of his "proposal." Above all, he is a rational man, one who seeks an enlightened solution to a serious social problem. This persona, really, is at the heart of Swift's satire. He is not only detailing the horrors of life in Ireland, then a possession of England controlled mostly by absentee English landlords. He is satirizing those who seek solutions to human problems that do not take human factors into account. The essayist conceives of people in almost solely economic terms--mothers are "breeders" or "dams" and children are a "burden on their parents." Morality and humanity, Swift is saying, must be taken into account as we attack our social problems. His essayist and his "solution" represent the logical conclusion of treating human beings as economic units.
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