A Modest Proposal Essay

       Satire is a literary technique that has been used for hundreds of years to get people to acknowledge their ill ways in society. When the satirist sees inequalities arise from the people they attempt to expose the communities hostile actions. Satire is a concept many struggle to understand and have a hard time comprehending the various layers. The target of the satirical piece is often never clear and the true deeper meaning of the satire is often hard to find. Humor, irony, scathing, sarcasm, folly and wit are just some of the many techniques a good satirist uses to expose what they think is societal flaw, but for the piece to be effective it must change the ill ways of society merely by exposing them and making people aware of their actions. If done right, satire targets an audience, exposes the morally dangerous actions, and in the end changes society for the better as a whole.

       There is a numerous amount of satirists in the world that expose another ill way in society everyday. It is a technique increasing becoming more popular through television shows and internet clips to entertain the people around the world. The question is where did satire begin? Why is satire so attention grabbing and used so often? In year 1729 a man named Jonathon Swift wrote a ground breaking piece that changed the ills he saw in society and the world of the literature today. His writing A Modest Proposal was the first effective piece of its kind ever. Today's satirists, such as Jon Stewart and John Oliver from the Daily Show, would be where they are now if Swift had never written A Modest Proposal. It is a brilliant piece that exposed the the arrogant people from Britain who  always wanted finer things than they had. The Modest Proposal literal meaning is not just ironic but disturbing to an extreme point. "Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass; the skin of which artificially dressed will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen." (Swift 4) Jonathan Swift talks about how the British men and women would want the nice and desirable items even if they can from the carcass of a child. He exposed how the British would do anything and not think about the labor that went into the item they are using. For example, the people of Britain would sit and stir their sugar in their tea and not even care that they are using sugar that millions of people died making it.

       Jonathan Swift used many techniques that enhanced the meaning of A Modest Proposal. Swift does a brilliant job at using irony and sarcasm throughout his piece. The title of his piece itself is ironic since the proposal he made is very immodest and presumptuous. "After all, I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion as to reject any offer proposed by wise men, which shall be found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual." (Swift 9) This is a great example of how Swift used sarcasm and irony through his piece. His plan was the very opposite of innocent and was actually quite cruel. The proposal might have been cheap and effectual, but it would not have been easy to execute. "But before something of that kind shall be advanced in contradiction to my scheme, and offering a better, I desire the author or authors will be pleased maturely to consider two points." (Swift 9) Jonathon Swift made this statement to say he'd love for his audience to find a different proposal, but they would never listen to him and make a better one than his disturbing scheme.

       It was believed that an artist could correct humanity by using folly as a mirror to reflect society. When satire is used correctly people can see how ridiculous their behavior is and then correct that tendency in them. When they view the satire they may see their faults magnified in a distorted reflection. A satirical commercial named Fotoshop is a great example of how satire really targets and exposes a certain group of people. The commercial advertises a new revolutionary beauty product that hides all imperfections and makes women look like a flawless version of themselves. This piece of satire targets the morphed fashion/beauty industry but also insecure women that will take extreme measures just to look a certain way. "Why eat healthy and exercise when you can just look like you do?" (Fotoshop). The commercial is really exposing how women will go out and buy a product that makes them “beautiful” instead of actually trying to be healthy and not insecure. After women watch this video, they can reflect on how the media has altered "beauty" and realize how fast they'll go out and buy a product that will make them "beautiful".

       Satire is an effective method of literature that betters societal ills. A Modest Proposal and numerous satirical commercials like Fotoshop has proven this to be true. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift has not only impacted careers and literature of the world today, but his writing was very effective when he was trying to expose Britain their societal ills. The way Swift exposed the dangerous moral and social standards made them horrified with their actions and has changed their humanity for the better. The brilliance and cleverness of satire is what has and continues to shape today's society into a less ignorant and selfish civilization.