Question

How does "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift use satire?

Accepted Answer

"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift uses satire by assuming the role of an English Protestant and suggesting that the Irish eat their children to exaggerate and ridicule prejudice against Irish people and criticize the English's rule over the Irish.

Answer

In "A Modest Proposal," Swift uses satire to savage the English establishment for its treatment of Ireland as well as mock what he sees as the pretensions of the gentleman scientists of the Royal Society. He makes his satire all the more effective by writing it in the form of a learned scientific paper, the kind that would be read out by a scientist to his learned fellows at the Royal Society, England's foremost national academy of sciences.
The "Proposal" expertly cloaks the heartlessness of the English political establishment in Ireland with the disinterested style of the natural scientist. What the fictitious author of the "Proposal" is putting forward is immoral and disgusting, but in using the language of science, he's able to give his revolting ideas a facade of academic respectability.
What Swift is driving at here is the way that those in positions of authority—be it scientific, political, intellectual, or whatever—routinely abuse language to hide their true intentions. This is a theme that would be developed several centuries later by George Orwell in 1984.
The author of the "Proposal" wants us to think that he only has the best interests of the Irish people at heart, but in actual fact what he's proposing will be utterly calamitous for them. This is a withering satire on English colonial rule in Ireland, which though supposed to be conducted on the basis of what was best for the natives, in actual fact was based on exploitation and repression.

Answer

Among many definitions of "satire" the following is the most compelling regarding "A Modest Proposal":

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.

Hence, this is exactly what Swift does. He exposes and criticizes contemporary politics and the way things are carried out in his society. He particularly attacks the cruel abuse and discrimination against Irish catholics, who are poor, disenfranchised, and still mistreated by English protestants.
Jonathan Swift takes on the voice of an extremely prejudiced English Protestant, and uses the argument of the Irish eating their own children (in order to decrease the amount of Irish Catholics) as an extreme way to exaggerate the usual anti-Irish discourse. This is his way of mocking the people who agree with it:

“For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, being the principal breeders of the nation as well as our dangerous enemies”

Swift also creates satire by using a medium that is commonly used for serious purposes. Think of an open letter, or rather an editorial in an important publication, or even a thesis. These are often conduits of serious topics of discussion, where educated scholars propose meaningful solutions to current issues.
Just imagine taking that same, erudite tone of voice to propose that a group that disturbs the peace of a bunch of abusive, dominant overlords is encouraged to eat their young for purposes of population control. The very idea is unthinkable, and the exaggerated nature of the treatise itself tells that it intends to make mockery of the anti-Irish protestants.

Answer

Jonathan Swift's essay employs satire by humorously making an outrageous claim to reveal the abuses on Ireland's lower class citizens by wealthy English Protestants. Swift begins to criticize the upper class by suggesting that out of the 120,000 infants born each year, 100,000 should be sold to the wealthy as food while 20,000 would be spared for breeding purposes. Swift then elaborates on his proposal by pointing out the many positives attached to such a plan using figures, statistics, and demographic data. Swift argues that his proposal would reduce the number of Catholics in Ireland, provide farmers a way to pay their landlords, increase domestic revenue, ease the financial burdens on lower class families, and provide a delightful new cuisine for the wealthy. Swift uses irony and satire to address social issues such as the plight of the lower class, government abuses, and the value of children in hopes of encouraging social change. His explicit, repulsive solution to eating the infants metaphorically represents how the modern government preys on its less fortunate population. His ridiculous, exaggerated proposal is a humorous critique of politics, which categorizes his essay as a satire.

Answer

"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is a prime example of satire. Satire is defined as "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." Swift wrote his essay in response to the extreme poverty in 18th century Ireland. In it, the speaker or proposer suggests eating the poor Irish children to combat hunger and poverty. The speaker delivers his proposal in a straightforward and logical manner, complete with statistics and reflections on the economy.
To the reader, the proposal is exaggerated and ridiculous - so ridiculous in fact, that one might find the proposal to be humorous. Swift, separate from the speaker, builds layers of criticism which bash the corrupted farming and labor system, as well as the government that put it in place. Irony is present throughout the piece, but also in the title. The word "modest" describes something small, limited, manageable, but killing 100,000 of Ireland's children to be eaten is the exact opposite of those words! Swift's piece is probably the best example of satire in the English language because he artfully and creatively uses "A Modest Proposal" to critique the broken structures of his day.

A Modest Proposal

How does "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift use satire?

Expert Answers

Unlock This Answer Now

Related Questions

What literary devices does Jonathan Swift use in "A Modest Proposal"?

Who was Jonathan Swift's audience in A Modest Proposal?

In his satirical pamphlet titled A Modest Proposal, what social problems does Jonathan Swift point out?

How does Jonathan Swift use ethos, logos, and pathos in "A Modest Proposal"?

What are some examples of hyperbole in "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift?