The use of detailed satire through A Modest Proposal
The use of detailed satire is very evident in A Modest Proposal. A writer’s hand
that brings the reader’s eye to the effect of sociopolitical policies on the Irish by the
English landlords and politicians in the early 1700s, could have only belonged to
Jonathon Swift. Swift skillfully addresses “ the suffering caused by English policies in
Ireland ” as well as holding the Irish accountable for their “passivity.”
Swift begins by using a gradual egression, setting the tone of the current situation
in Dublin, only to shock the reader at his proposal of cannibalism, specifically of young
children, to help alleviate the economic burdens imposed by the English and accepted by
the Irish.
In laying the foundation for his proposal, Swift suggests the benefits for all:
But my intention is very far from being confined to provide only for the
children of professed beggars; it is of a much greater extent, and shall take in
the whole number of infants at a certain age, who are born of parents in effect
as little able to support them as those who demand our charity in the streets.
Swift continues on, using excruciating detail, suggesting preparation for dining,
the appropriate number of dinner guests the young child will feed, and the price of such a
feast. All the while this morbid suggestion is detailed rationally. Swift brilliantly
targets the English landlords when he addresses the price of the food, and how it is
appropriate since “as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to
have the best title to the children.” Swift’s use of detail purposely takes the reader away
from the proposal to show the examples of how cannibalism has worked elsewhere, only
in a satiric effort to show the reader this is not the way to improve the city of Dublin.
The build-up of this proposal continues to its conclusion where Swift has taken the reader
to the actual expedients, although rejecting them for no hope of them ever being
The story itself is ironic since no one can take Swift’s. seriously consider the proposal. This irony is clearly demonstrated at the end of the story; Swift makes it clear that this proposal would not affect. him since his children were grown and his wife unable to have any more children. They are all children.
The issue that Swift is addressing is the fact that there are too many poor children in Dublin and that they are becoming such a huge burden for all the poor mothers or parents of the country. Swift then creates his own solution to the problem. He proposes that all poor children who are around one year of age, be cooked and eaten by the people of Dublin, preferably the poor. With this solution, he argues that it will eventually put an end to the overpopulation of the poor young children and it will satisfy the hunger for all the other people. Crazy right?
"No one is born a racist bigot. In other words, racial bigotry or racial prejudice is not genetically or
Swift also used the irony of the title to emphasize how absurd his idea truly is, by claiming the proposal is modest he allows the reader to understand how ironic the title is as the essay develops. This was mostly done by his descriptions of preparing the children like they are a chicken, and his list of advantages to eating children. While describing how to prepare a child, Swift said, “a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food.” The manner in which he described a human child the same way one would a cow, chicken, or fish.
In addition, the wit that is contained within “A Modest Proposal” is astonishing and superb. Although some have taken “A Modest Proposal” seriously and actually thought that Swift was trying to propose to boil infants and eat them. The reader cannot yield that seriously and if the reader does then it would co...
Satire is a technique used in literature to criticize the faults of society. An excellent examle of contemporary satire is Kurt Vonnegut's novel God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. The author tells the life of Eliot Rosewater, a young and affluent man troubled by the plights of the poor. Eliot is the President of the Rosewater Foundation, a sum of money worth approximately $87 million. Using this position, he does everything he can to help the poor. This charity giving is socially unacceptable to the wealthy, particularly Eliot's father Senator Lister Ames Rosewater. Vonnegut uses caricature, irony, and tone to satirize the lack of care the rich have for those socially "beneath them."
Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray addresses fundamental issues that are frequently neglected in society by incorporating satire into his novel. “Satire,” as defined by the dictionary, is “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.” Wilde frequently uses satirical principles throughout the entire novel, typically during incidents involving Dorian Gray. Wilde presents Dorian as a beautiful, seemingly innocent, individual with an aggressive desire for eternal youth and beauty. Wilde uses satire with the intent of bringing attention to the abysmal pursuit of beauty in everything and the craving to be beauteous.
Swift’s modest proposal includes multiple instances where Swift proudly declares that “I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom” in the face of potential objections to his plan (Swift 187-199). While Swift “can think of no one objection,” the reader can definitely think of millions of reasons why his plan will wipe Ireland off the map. In fact, Swift himself uses this phrase sarcastically in an attempt to get the reader to empathize with the Irish. Because the reader begins to pity the Irish, Swift ensures that he gets the message across that current conditions in Ireland are unlivable. Moreover, Swift ends his plan by vainly proclaiming that “I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that 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” (Swift 234-236). The narrator clearly does not have any “sincerity of heart” with his intentions, proving that Ireland cannot survive in its current position with people like the narrator in power. Additionally, Swift’s sarcastic remark about promoting “the public good of [his] country” underscores the horrifying effects of his ghastly proposal, solidifying the horrifying fate of the Irish if
Swift begins his argument by stating his view on the situation and displaying his annoyance. He states, "It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country when they see the streets, roads, and cabin doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms" (Swift 1). He uses melancholic imagery for the readers to sympathize with the suffering children and to understand their situation. Similarly, Swift displays his disgust for the wealthy by stating that "There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children… which would move tears in the most savage and inhumane beast" (1). He talks about abortion and shows how ghastly and disheartening the practice is. Clearly, Swift makes use of pathos to slowly gain the reader’s confidence in preparation for his appalling proposal. He knows that many will be emotionally affected by his proposal because no one would want their own c...
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Today I joyfully welcome you all to the University of Queensland’s open forum on satire in society, in particular the topic of satire in Jane Austen’s novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’. The oxford dictionary states that satire is: The use of humour, irony, exaggeration to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues (Oxford Dictionary). Satire is an effective method of getting a message across to an audience, often persuading them to see the creator’s point of view. “Fools are my theme, let satire be my song” by Lord Bryon, an English poet and politician is a perfect example of satire, for it suggests that Lord Bryon enjoyed making fun of the foolish people in his society; therefore, he used satire to ridicule them because they either didn’t understand or they were too ignorant to actually believe that he was talking about them. Another example of satire is Pride and Prejudice – specifically chapter one, Austen uses techniques such as satire and sarcasm to mock both middle ...
In his lengthy literary career, Jonathan Swift wrote many stories that used a broad range of voices that were used to make some compelling personal statements. For example, Swifts, A Modest Proposal, is often heralded as his best use of both sarcasm and irony. Yet taking into account the persona of Swift, as well as the period in which it was written, one can prove that through that same use of sarcasm and irony, this proposal is actually written to entertain the upper-class. Therefore the true irony in this story lies not in the analyzation of minute details in the story, but rather in the context of the story as it is written.
The main rhetorical challenge of this ironic essay is capturing the attention of an audience. Swift makes his point negatively, stringing together an appalling set of morally flawed positions in order to cast blame and criticize
...ion. Saying even though Irish people are the enemy, it's best to have a few of them to help advance the economy and the countryside. This is also ironic because the writer doesn’t even accept that the concept of eating one-year olds is morally wrong.
James Joyce chose Dublin not only as the setting of his short stories, more importantly, he wanted to “show the paralysis of the psyche, society and politics of Ireland”. (Daniels, 2) In the “Selected Letters of James Joyce”, Joyce clearly suggested that “[his] intention was to write a moral history of [his] country and [he] chose Dublin for the scene because that city seemed to [him] the centre of paralysis. (Thwaites, 14). Colonized by Britain for 800 years, Dublin and its people were constantly under political and religious oppression. Other than “[speaking] to the world about the paralyzed and dependent situation of the Irish people under English oppression”, Joyce intended to “[invent] a unified Irish society that could resist” the force through his short stories in “Dubliners”. (Thwaites, 11, 1) Various aspects of Dubliners will be explored to investigate how Dublin is described as city of paralysis, including the depiction of...
One of the other voices that are present throughout the entire story is that of sarcasm. Right from the first paragraph Swift attempts to fool his readers by the sarcasm of the dreary scene that Swift presents. For example, he mentions that it is a melancholy sight to see beggars and their children on the street. The sarcastic paradox in this statement is whether it is a melancholy object for him, having to see homeless people every day, or for the beggars lifestyle? Upon first reading this one may be led to believe that Swift is a compassionate writer attempting to feel the pain of the beggars. But as the story continues, a reader can look back and note that he is using a sarcastic tone and the only sad sight that he sees is the fact that people of his status have to deal with commoners. It is a good combination that makes the reader think twice about any other statements, and the voice used, after the first paragraph.