Pre-Flight (Before You Read)
by Glen Draeger

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Historical Information Helpful to Understanding "A Modest Proposal"

In 1727 there was widespread famine and starvation in Ireland. Swift believed that Ireland's plight was caused by the government's inability to manage the country properly and the Irish people themselves who would not take the necessary measures to solve their own problems.

Swift often attacked public projectors who, encouraged by the government, devised schemes for improving the conditions of man. They were sometimes known as "political arithmeticians" and their ideas were backed up by statistical and mathematical data. Swift liked to attack their more outlandish plans.

Before the appearance of "A Modest Proposal" Swift had written straightforward accounts concerning the plight of the poor including, in 1727, "A Short View of the State of Ireland."

After "A Modest Proposal" he no longer wrote any prose about Ireland. In 1731 he wrote, "Looking upon this kingdom as absolutely desperate I would not prescribe a dose to the dead."

©2005-2012 Glen Draeger (all rights reserved)
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