Epsilons vs. Babies

Race #4: How are the attitudes toward the poor in A Modest Proposal similar to the attitudes toward the Epsilons in BNW?

1. Babies in A Modest Proposal and Epsilons in BNW are treated very similarly. Epsilons are created to serve all other castes and to do the most labor-intensive work. They are created dumb so that they do not have the ability to challenge the other castes, however they are a respected necessity of the World State society. Jonathan Swift proposes that to attack the problem of poverty, a simple solution would be to eat the babies of the homeless and use them for resources of clothing, heat and other basic needs. These views are similar because they each show how while they are dumb, dumb is not necessarily what they need to be used for; epsilons and babies can serve purposes despite being unintelligent.

Quotes of support:

BNW:
• Page 27: “Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever. I'm awfully glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki. Oh no, I don't want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able to read or write. Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly colour. I'm so glad I'm a Beta." – shows how little respect Epsilons actually get from other castes because in the sleep-teaching they are taught to disrespect and not appreciate the Epsilons.

• Page 65: “How bitterly he envied men…who never had to shout at an Epsilon to get an order obeyed.” Bernard is using the control over the Epsilons to justify power in society, thus anybody that can easily control them has a high status. This quotation also explains that the Epsilons are solely controlled “pawns” of society to serve one purpose, providing for others. Swifts’ use of babies is similar to this because they are to serve basic necessities for humans as well.

A Modest Proposal:
• Page 2: “I have reckoned upon a medium that a child just born will weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably nurses, increaseth to 28 pounds. I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children.” Swift is suggesting that babies can be priced as a token for landlords when people cannot pay their rent. He is suggesting that babies are to serve basic purposes of life to their parents, and having them do so will solve problems that are occurring. Similar to Epsilons, babies are intended to serve the lowest purpose in society and possibly even more extreme than Epsilons because they are being used as food.