The Feminist Theory Throughout "A Modest Proposal"

Literary criticism gives readers a chance to dig deeper and find the real meaning behind the authors work. The literary essay A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is a writing piece a feminist and psychoanalysis critic could only dream of analysing. The feminist theory is demonstrated by the unfair values and titles women are assigned by Swift to female figure.

The psychoanalytic theory is present throughout the writing and urges the critic to explore the author’s childhood and unconscious vs. conscious mind. With that being said, one is able to clearly see a feminist theory throughout A Modest Proposal.

The feminist theory, studies the titles and values placed upon women throughout the essay. Swift constantly allocates degrading titles on women. He describes women as “beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four or six children, all in rags…” (p.1). Swift lacks the consideration of referring to women as their proper name – he strips them from their just name. Not even give women the privilege of being called woman; he strips their only title from them. The title now given to women from Swift is not only demoting but labels women as worthless. Next, Swift proposes an idea to make women feel more valuable. He suggests that “men would become as fond of their wives during the time of their pregnancy as they are now of their mares in foal…nor offer to beat or kick tem (as it too frequent a practice) for fear of miscarriage” (p.5). This statement is repulsive; it implies that a man will only care for not only his wife but his unborn child if it is some value to them. Swift manages to entirely shred women of any respectable title or value in his essay. Not only can a feminist critic analysis this essay thoroughly but psychoanalysis can also.

The psychoanalytical theory can allow critics to analyse not only the story itself but the author and why they write what they do. Swifts childhood plays an important role in why he believes killing children for money is beneficial. He clearly states that “the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old be offered in the sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom” (p.2). Swift could have possibly suggested this because he clandestinely wished it was done to him as a new-born. His father deceased two months prior to his birth, leaving his mother struggling to find an income and forced to send him to live with is uncle. Swift might possibly have believed that if he was sold for money his mother would not have gone through all the hardship created by his existents. Secondly, Swifts superego and Id are shown all throughout his work, thus leading us to believe his true motive lies within his unconscious mind. The superego shows us is morals from society he learned from his uncle growing up (who lived a higher class life). Saying that, the superego is present once at the end of the essay when he states “I profess, in the sincerity of my heart… I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country…” (p.6). Although what he proposed is psychotic, he tries to make it sound like it is all for the greater good but was only truly said in an attempt to make the essay finish off on a socially acceptable note. On the contrary, Swift’s Id is existent on every page of his work. The id is the primitive and instinctive component of personality; it consists of all the inherited components of personality. We have no way of learning about Swifts genetics but we can focus on his childhood and what is hidden in his unconscious mind. Swift speaks out about “a young healthy child will be nursed at a year old… no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.” (p.2). His essay is a representation of his unconscious mind and what he truly wants to be done, and that is the massacre of children. That being said, since he grew up learning societies morals his superego was forced to come out during the conclusion. The psychoanalysis theory is an approach that allows critics to discover what lies behind the words, additionally the feminist theory allows critics the same opportunity.

The literary essay A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift was a study that a psychoanalysis and feminist critic could only dream of ripping apart. The feminist theory is exposed in the degrading titles and values given to women throughout the essay. In addition, psychoanalysis is given the chance to uncover the authors childhood and discover what lies in their unconscious mind, they are truly able to find the author’s motive. Furthermore, these two theories of literary criticism allow us to explore and understand Swift’s writing on a whole other level.

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