"A Modest Proposal"

To have heard, prior to having to read this essay -"A Modest Proposal"- by Jonathan Swift on my own, that Swift's intentions to improve poverty and overpopulation in Ireland was by a means of nourishing babies and eating them created a sickening feeling within me. Who dare proposes an idea of preparing and eating infants in order to help put a stop to the overwhelming amount of poverty and ever increasing population? That is Jonathan Swift for you! Swift has it all planned out: talking about the advantages, serving sizes, ways of preparation/cookery, and all the variations that could be done with the skin of the babies. Swift even mentions what the ideal age of a baby is when well nursed and healthy to which that child will be ready to be eaten.  This age? Age one, where they are a most "delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food." Ewwww.... so gross to even think about! However, if we can get past this OMG, or shock, moment will we [as readers] truly understand the message trying to be conveyed. This is why this essay meets the criteria of satire. It has something shocking about it, but if we can get past that moment to further investigate the intent and purpose for the writing, will that indicate and give validation to the author that he/she was successful in their intentions. Look at it this way, if people just read this and believed that we are to grotesquely eat babies and they are not able to see beyond that fact, then Swift's goal would go nowhere, but actually revert the opposite direction - most likely making things worse. Jonathan Swift is sincere about the topic, and was able to write about this issue in a manner of all seriousness to the point it almost feels as if this was a government policy document. He knows that when it comes down to it, people will take him seriously and will be prepared to look at the bigger picture.