I've read this proposal in the past but it still is very disturbing. I recognize the attention it draws which serves its purpose but still is blind sighted by the actual implications of why Swift wrote it. After reading Jonathan Swift's Modest Proposal again, I felt that the impact of his work was clearly one of disgust. He uses the idea of cannibalism to survive the hardships his country is experiencing. By shocking his readers to read and think about how to address the issues of famine, he brings up eating babies. This idea is extrapolated and is detailed in thought. It is very in depth with its convincing means of survival, despite the fact of cannibalism- and not just any adult humans but mainly focusing on babies. I seemed as though he somehow addresses the issues of overpopulation along with poverty and famine.
Cannibalism is seen as disgusting and undeniably wrong to especially the Westernized cultures and/or countries. how much of a priority was the hunt for humans by humans? I am not familiar with cannibalism and its affects in this day in age or wherein the number of cultures who chose human flesh as a main source of food besides outlying islands or villages deeply submerged in the vastness of land. It is hard to imagine the process of hunting down food that is pretty much yourself. I like to think that cannibalism had to arise out of harsh conditions for a means of survival and not just because humans taste like chicken or better. Swift uses this aspect to drive his proposal to hope that this to NOT happen for their future survival.
Cummins, Joseph. Cannibals: Shocking True Tales of the Last Taboo on Land and Sea. Guilford, Conn: Lyons Press, 2001.
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I feel like you have articulated (much better than I did) an explanation of what Jonathan Swift was actually saying in "A Modest Proposal." It is very much about addressing the famine and his use of not just people, but specifically babies, as food makes it that much more shocking.
I also feel that another reason people are reluctant to hunt other humans for food is that (in theory) fellow human beings are as smart as or smarter than the hunter. A rabbit is much less likely to be able to set a trap for the hunter, while a hunted human could have many more resources to avoid or resist a hunter.
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