Swift's Short Works

Swift also wrote short works, the most famous of these is A Modest Proposal. This book also includes 'The Battle of the Books', 'A Meditation upon a Broomstick', 'A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit', and 'An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity in England'.

'A Modest Proposal' puts forth the darkly comical idea that the starving poor of Ireland might alleviate their economic condition by selling their children as food for wealthy gentlemen and ladies. At its core, Swift’s Modest Proposal satirizes English exploitation of Ireland in particular and the heartless attitude that rich elites can develop towards the poor in general. Along with Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal is an early English example of the black comedic genre.