Satire in "A Modest Proposal"

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Carrier

October 9th, 2007

Satire in “A Modest Proposal”

        Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” is a satirical essay written to describe Ireland’s problems in 1729. Satire is defined as “The use of mockery, sarcasm, or humor in a literary work to ridicule or attack human vice.” I used this definition to further clarify the use of satire in Swift’s work; however I will begin by explaining the use of Swift’s tone. In the later part of my essay, I will introduce excerpts of Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” that amplify the satire with humor.

        In his essay, Swift uses satire to humiliate the Irish in their time of pain. Ireland was a country full of misery, having over-populated land and insufficient nourishment for everyone, this nation was clearly in need of help. Swift mocks the Irish by claiming he has found a solution to their worries. He suggests their children be killed and fed to starving inhabitants of this poor country. Swift is the author of this essay and as usual he uses a serious, yet comical tone, to exploit Ireland’s mishaps.

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        The tone employed is very particular, being political on one hand, and humoristic on the other. The tone is one of the elements Swift practices in his essay that amplifies the satire. When we first read “A Modest Proposal”, we briefly stand back and ask ourselves if this document is true. For example, if we were to read this essay not knowing who the author is, we would probably wonder which deranged human being could have written something this cruel. However, once we recognize Swift as the author, we soon understand this essay is mocking Ireland’s people. Swift creates this ...

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