Use Of Satire In A Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift

Imagine being poor. Not just poor, but too poor to support a family. Would you be willing to sell your children as food for noblemen in order to make enough to survive? Families in Ireland dealt with severe poverty and tyranny under English rule. Cleverly disguising his true intentions, writer Jonathan Swift introduces the idea of impoverished families selling their children for food at one year of age in "A Modest Proposal". Fortunately, Swift does not actually plan on selling and eating children. Instead, he uses satire to call attention to major issues in Ireland. He shed light on English tyranny and Irish dehumanization as well as Ireland's weakness.
During the period in which Swift proposed cannibalism, the English ruled

the Irish. Unfortunately, thousands, if not millions, of Irishmen found themselves without land or income and thus without food. Attacking this tyranny is Swift's first move as he proposes that the Irish sell their children for noblemen to eat. Swift's essay states that the British already took the land and jobs of the Irish; why not take their children too. Sweetening it up, Swift explains that those kids would eventually starve or become thieves anyhow. Besides, the mothers could earn some money for their hard nine months work. However, the British tyranny isn't the only thing that Swift attacked.
Next, he took a shot at Britain's dehumanization of the Irish. While discussing how the plan could be carried out he refers to mothers as "breeders". Swift treats the Irish as numbers and objects instead of living beings. Running through calculations, he systematically determines the number of "breeders" in Ireland and the number of children to be sold. Throughout the entire essay, Swift remains calm and collected, as though he is discussing livestock instead of infants. Swift did not stop his poking and prodding with the British though.
Finally, Jonathan Swift takes a jab at Ireland and their response, or lack thereof, to Britain's rule. Mocking the Irish's passive attitude, Swift writes, "...the mother will have eight shillings net profit, and be fit for work till she produces another child." Netting eight shillings and being able to work until her next child appears to be an excellent bargain to the mother. Also, Irish husbands often possessed a habit of beating their wives. Swift implies that the women would gladly accept his outlandish idea if it meant money and less violent husbands. If this idea came to fruition, it could allow the Irish to remain docile and have an income. Even though he primarily focuses on the British, Swift takes the time to insure that everyone gets to be included in his satire.
Swift's satire seems to venture too far with the idea of eating infants. After all, the idea of baby back ribs with real baby ribs comes off a bit disturbing. However, it all meshes together to deliver a political statement calling for action from both nations. Near the end of his essay, Swift writes, "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.", a clear call for action on the part of anyone brave enough. Swift managed to successfully use satire to recognize British tyranny, Irish dehumanization, and Irish inaction.