Swift’s essay, although satirical in nature, sparks a lot of controversy by presenting the Irish public with a solution to their present issues, albeit kind of practical yet still morally reprehensible. The text brings to light a real problem during 18th century Ireland. The Irish public was severely poor, overpopulated, and had a lack of resources. Swift suggests that the poor families sell some of their children to the rich so as to alleviate their struggles of not only raising and caring for a child but also to not have to worry about them financially. The family would receive money aiding their financial struggles but also relieve themselves of the burden of raising and caring for another person. As for appealing the idea to the rich, Swift states that if the children were presented as a delicacy to consume, they would legitimately eat the idea up. Swift highlights the need for a swift solution to a dire problem. He also explains that the peasantry will also come to accept this because it will make the children that these families have more appreciated and loved when they are kept because they are commodities that could be sold. His ‘proposal’ is harsh in nature and not a genuine suggestion to the public but it outlines the severity of the situation at hand and how far some may go to achieve a better situation. The entire piece begs the question how far would humanity go just to save themselves? What will we consider morally okay once a situation is awful enough to require extremes?