A Modest Proposal Satire Essay

“A Modest Proposal”: A Swift Examination of Satire
Many authors disguise their criticisms of a government through satire in order to draw attention to political corruption and present it in a way that is more palatable to the reader’s taste. One such author is Jonathan Swift who, in his essay “A Modest Proposal,” presents the idea to raise Irish children as meat to feed the upper-class English elite. Swift establishes a satirical tone through his use of metaphor and sarcastic diction when he asserts his idea of consuming Irish children to starvation and poverty in Ireland. Swift’s use of satirical tone reveals the government’s failure to take the necessary action to alleviate the suffering of their people. Swift’s sincere regard for the Irish is revealed through an earnest tone, which makes use of empathetic diction when describing their struggles, as well as italics in order to highlight his serious tone when revealing his ideas to help the Irish. Swift’s satirical tone, revealed through his metaphorical description of the Irish as livestock, highlights the inhumane treatment at the hands of the English government. Swift writes, “it is true a child, just dropped from its dam, may be supported...at most not above the value of two shillings, which the mother will certainly get...by her lawful occupation of begging” (503). When Swift refers to the mother of the child as a “dam,” he is likening her to an animal, emphasizing the inhumane way she, as well as
With his use of a sarcastic tone and metaphor, Swift emphasizes his satirical stance on the treatment of the Irish. Swift later changes his tone to one of more compassion through his use of empathetic diction and italics. His multiple tones and different stylistic choices convey to the audience that the Irish are in desperate need of compassion and assistance from the English