Andy CampbellMrs. NogarrAP English 3, Period 6August 31st, 2013

Title: A Modest Proposal

Author: Jonathan Swift

Discussed: September 3rd, 2013

Irony: “I can think of no one objection that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it

be urged that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom.” (223)

Satire: “For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, the flesh being of too tender a

consistence to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country which

would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.” (223)

Written in 1729, “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift is one of the most famous

examples of satirical social criticism. Swift, having witnessed the deplorable situation of Ireland

firsthand, expresses his increasing disgust with the state of his country in the eighteenth

century. He does this in the form of a sarcastic essay that proposes an outrageously unethical

and extreme “solution” to the poverty and growing population of Ireland, harvesting children

for food, in order to convince readers to see the severity of the situation. With a growing

number of political pamphlets pushing politicians ideas during this time period, Swift takes

advantage of these overlooked pamphlets by creating a ridiculous parody of them. Swift

intentionally upsets the audience with his shocking proposal because he cares deeply about the

poor, and wants others to care too. He suggests using the “useless” generation of children as

food for the country. He then delves deep into statistical justifications for his proposal and

provides ample data supporting his case. The tone of his paper changes drastically throughout

the paper. He begins with an emotional, sympathetic appeal to the people of Ireland that does

not prepare the reader for what comes next. He does this to shock the reader with such a

horrifying idea after they have already been engaged in the paper; this is shown in “A very

knowing acquaintance in London assured me that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year

old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food.”(219). Swift hopes the reader will

recognize how absurd this idea is and scare them into thinking critically about actual solutions.

The use of irony is prevalent throughout the piece, most obviously in the way Swift casually

discusses cannibalism and fails to see any objections one might have to it; “I can think of no one

objection that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it be urged that the number

of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom.” (223). This makes his proposal stand

out and irresistibly captivating, as readers will want to know what other outrageous things he

will suggest.

Swift also utilizes satire when he expresses particular annoyance towards England for

imposing heavy tax burdens and domination over resources. He describes how the English

exploit the country of Ireland in various snide comments, such as “For this kind of commodity

will not bear exportation, the flesh being too tender a consistence to admit a long continuance

in salt, although perhaps I could name a country which would be glad to eat up our whole

nation without it.” (223). Swift uses satire to ridicule and expose England’s agenda in the last

comment. He purposely exaggerates the extent to which the poor suffer to show his disgust.

Throughout the proposal, Swift also dehumanizes the population by turning them into statistics.

He groups everyone into crude categories and suggests a woman’s only purpose is to breed. His

proposal illustrates the decadence of the Irish elite and the degradation of social order. He

provides a compelling criticism that effectively attacks politicians for their apathy of the

situation and the people’s inability to help themselves. His harsh use of irony and satire

captivates the interest of an indifferent audience to encourage immediate action and critical

thinking.