Use Of Satire In The Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift

In “the Modest Proposal,” Dr. Jonathan Swift uses mockery as an element of satire to describe his plan to put all the useless kids of Ireland to good use, by raising them as food for wealthy citizens. This is much like the artist Jaron and the Long Road Home who ridicules his ex- girlfriend in the song “Pray for You” in a mocking manner. The two works also mock religion. Although they have both have this in common, there is a distinctive difference in the two: “the Modest Proposal” is dark and horrific, while “Pray for You” is light and humorous.

Swift uses satire throughout his passage, using mockery on some occasions. Here Swift mocks and ridicules Americans, suggesting that they are barbaric: “I am assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London; that a young healthy child, well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food; whether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled, and I make no doubt, that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or ragout.” (Swift 2) Jaron does something similar in his song when ridiculing his ex-girlfriend, whom he really seems to hate: “I pray your brakes go out at 110”/ “I pray all your dreams never come true.” He’s wishing bad things upon her, while mocking religion, all in a humorous manner. Swift

also mocks religion: “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 3) The argument here is that if the children are eaten, there will be less Irish Catholics to put up with.

This line is

representative of the religious preconceptions that Swift intended to expose with the piece. Swift writes in the voice of an extreme, opinionated English Protestant that is mocking the “papists” (Catholics.) The stereotype is revealed that the Irish have a lot of children by having the narrator call them “the principal breeders.” Swift’s narrator also asserts that the Irish Catholics are “our dangerous enemies.” Swift was not necessarily suggesting that he believed these things, but more like, he was suggesting that their beliefs were reckless and unwise.
The pieces are also very different. “Pray for You” is comical, while “A Modest Proposal” is gruesome in comparison. Even for satire, Swift’s piece is pretty horrifying. The whole piece is an ironic attempt to "find out a fair, cheap, and easy Method" (Swift 1) for making the starving children of Ireland into "sound and useful members of the Commonwealth” (Swift 1.) It is horrific, yet ironic. Jaron goes about a slightly different approach, although his lyrics are a bit shocking as well. Jaron says “I pray your brakes go out runnin’ down a hill”/ “I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill; And knocks you in the head like I’d like to” in a way that you know he is upset with his ex, but he does it in such a joking matter that just seems to make it okay. You really cannot help but laugh while listening to “Pray for You.”
As you can see, both pieces use satire, but in different tones. Even though “A Modest Proposal” is dark and somewhat horrifying, and “Pray for you” is light and comical, they both share the element of mockery. Both pieces mock religion with their use of satire. Both also ridicule a particular person or group of people. They share both similarities and differences.