Satire in A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - 745 Words

You can’t make fun of what isn’t real. When considering what lines can be crossed with satire, many people are most sensitive about protecting feelings; the common consensus seems to be that satirists should not overstep their boundaries by addressing touchy subjects and making fun of sensitive issues. While breaking hearts may not garner positive responses, it is important to understand that as a medium, satire is meant to offend one’s sensibilities. It serves as a platform to spark discussion through scathing and insolent hyperbole. It assumes that whatever outrageous portrayals are published push the reader towards enlightenment with their severity. So, when does satire cross the line? Satirical writing uses humor and rhetoric to bring†¦show more content†¦Had Swift written an academic paper of policy recommendations, no one would have bothered to read that boring, but politically correct, piece of writing. Using this severe yet effective technique we call satire, Swift was able to make an impact. His included just enough of the outrageous factor so that people of Swift’s time would not be pitch-forking his porch, but rather trying to absorb his insights. Not only is the success of the piece due to its humor, but it is also solid because it is rooted in truth. Had Swift gotten carried away, and made accusations of Irish society that barely exist, he would not have connected with his audience. His readers may have accepted his work, but its meaning would have been lost on them; they would not have been able to grasp exaggeratory humor if they could not find its basis. This, therefore, would have invalidated his pi ece, and it would have failed to fulfill the purpose of satire. However, because Swift focused on satirizing common realities that were relatable and indisputably true, â€Å"A Modest Proposal† resonated with the Irish community of the time. In modern times, popular satire seems to be about more trivial subject matter, but is nevertheless just as effective as works of Swift’s time. We can make fun of John McCain’s age, Bill Clinton’s love for women, and Hillary’s pantsuits; such jokes have appeared on magazine covers countless times. However, when it comes toShow MoreRelatedUsing Satire in A Modest Proposal† by Jonathan Swift760 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A Modest Proposal† by Jonathan Swift, is an essay that uses satire. Merriam-Webster defines satire as: a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, bad, etc.: humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, society, etc. â€Å"Satire may make the reader laugh at, or feel disgust for, the person or thing satirized. Impishly or sardonically, it criticizes someone or something, using wit and clever wording—and sometimes makes outrageous assertions orRead MoreJuvenelian S atire in A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay1052 Words   |  5 Pagesgrievances or concerns can fall upon deaf ears and change can be slow or non-existent. However, Jonathan Swift in his pamphlet A Modest Proposal, uses clever, targeted, and ironic criticism to bring the social state of Ireland to the attention of indolent aristocrats. He accomplishes such criticism through satire, specifically Juvenalian satire. Swift’s A Modest Proposal stands as an example of the type of satire that plays upon the audience’s emotion by creating anger concerning the indifference of theRead More Satire and the Deployment of Irony in A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift2769 Words   |  12 PagesSatire and the Deployment of Irony in A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: of taxing our absentees at 5s. a pound: of using neither clothes, nor household furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury: of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: ofRead MoreExploring the Concept of Satire in A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, and Top of the Food Chain by T. Coraghessan Boyle781 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"A Modest Proposal† by Jonathan Swift, and â€Å"Top of the Food Chain† by T. Coraghessan Boyle, both are short stories that explore the concept of satire. Satire can be defined as a kind of writing that ridicules human weakness, vice, of folly in order to bring about social reform. It is a kind of writing to bring about change to society. Even though both are short stories, they easily get the fa ults of society across to its readers. In â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† Swift is offering an outrageous solutionRead MoreAnalysis of A Modest Proposal873 Words   |  4 Pages Jonathan Swift, the writer of the satirical essay A Modest Proposal, grew up and lived in Ireland during times of famine and economic struggles (Conditions). Growing up with a single mother and no father, Swift knew what hard times and struggles were like (Jonathan Swift: Biography). His essay proposes an easy solution to the economic problems going on in Ireland for both the wealthy ruling classes and the poorer classes, although his intentions and the meaning behind his words are not what wouldRead More Self Representation and the Self-Defeating Speaker in Jonathan Swift1735 Words   |  7 PagesBecause Swift constructs a speaker who is meant to be seen as himself in â€Å"Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, D.S.P.D.†, his approach to the satire changes, taking on a more playful approach. The poem is more personal than political, and is more comedic in the sense that he satirizing himself as well as other people groups. The self-defeating rhetorical approach is embodied in this poem in the way that he puts himself down and exposes his own follies throughout the poem. While this is no doubt somewhatRead MoreA Modest Proposal For Preventing The Children Of Poor People1458 Words   |  6 PagesSatire is a method used by multitudes of authors and other artists for a plethora of different reasons. The ways that this method of literature is used is varied, and it is always interesting and somewhat difficult to find out exactly why these texts are written. A specific author who is known for utilizing satire in his works of literature is Jonathan Swift, whose hard-hitting essay â€Å"A Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland, from Being a Burden on Their Parents orRead MoreEssay on A Modest Proposal: Satire at Its Best643 Words   |  3 PagesA Modest Proposal: Satire at Its Best Jonathan Swifts 1729 essay, A Modest Proposal, was a true example of satire at its best. Many readers at the time rejected the essay because they failed to understand the irony. It is presently one of the most well known works of satire and is a classic example of the technique most commonly used today. The entire essay from the title down to the last sentence were meant to be taken ironically, which is a rare form, but very effective when trying gettingRead MoreA Modest Proposal1096 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment 1: Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† Dr. Anthony McCormack Strayer University World Culture II Gladys A. Reyes July 25, 2015 In the satire â€Å"A Modest Proposal’, Jonathan Swift expresses his feelings of frustration with regard to the aggravation and political issues in Ireland. He describes being frustrated with the indifference of Ireland politicians, the wealthy, the English tyranny, and the degradation and poor conditions in which many poor, Irish women and children have been forcedRead MoreLiterary Analysis : Jonathan Swift1425 Words   |  6 PagesComp. II Oct. 27, 2015 Literary analysis The author I decided to write about is Jonathan Swift for he had a keen sense for effective sarcasm. As Jonathan Swift said â€Å"The proper words in the proper places are the true definition of style.† Though he was known in different ways, he was mostly popularized through his gift in writing, particularly his satire, or his use of humor and irony, essays. Through out swift life, there has been plenty of events where I believe shape the way he was, hence his