Jonathan Swift use satire to expose a different ill of society. Normally satire is used to make a joke of a certain group of people or something at the same time showing how society should change. Satire is a very strong form of opinion and when used properly can really make an impact on society, or at least change one or more peoples opinions on a topic. In all societies there are flaws, Swift once said, "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own" (Battle of the Books- Jonathan Swift). There will always be someone with a different opinion or multiple people trying to fight for the right to call themselves a leader in a society. Satire is a very strong emotional tool and will always force people to view things differently.
In Jonathan Swift's (A Modest Proposal) he wanted to find a way in which poor people and children became more valuable to society. His solution demanded attention and made people more aware of their own greed and guilt. Sometimes satire needs to be unpredictable or shocking in order to make an impact on everyday people not willing to change their habits. Swift's proposal is definitely shocking, and it exposes a very big gap in English society. His proposal sated that in order to make the poor more valuable to society, after a woman's child has passed the time of sustainability from their mothers milk, they can be sold to the English elites to be eaten. He proposes that this will become a sign of wealth for the Irish aristocrats. This idea benefits both the poor and the wealthy. The poor gain money from the sale of their child and the wealthy gain the social status that came with eating a child. Because it really didn't cost anything for the poor to raise a child off of the mothers breast milk for the first year of life, this proposal doesn't burden the poor at all. Swift also mentions that no one has yet to figure out a way to properly raise the poor children without them turning out to be beggars, and dependant on their mothers and fathers to pull their weight. In a way the children are giving back to society. Swift makes the argument that "as instead of being a charge upon their parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall on the contrary contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many thousands."(Swift 2). There will be poor people in every society and Swift argues that they should be able to give back to society with food instead of being burdened by an infant, and forced into begging and stealing.
Satire is used in this proposal to show a certain ill in society which is in this case the fact that people will pretty much do anything for a status symbol if what they are told to do is socially accepted. Originally Swift got the idea of selling babies for meat from an American, who says that ..."a young healthy child well nourished is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food"(Swift 3). This shows that people will do anything if they hear about other communities doing the same thing. This satire is used to show how peer pressure, from America in this case made the idea of eating babies seam acceptable. This idea of peer pressure also relates to the satire example of the iPhone 5 parody where everyone wants the newest iPhone not because it is practical only because it is what society said is acceptable.(YouTube, Satire Videos). Gender roles are also highlighted with the use of satire. Swift compares women to cattle or breeders and says that four women will be assigned to one man to breed and produce more infants for selling. Swift argues ..."whereof only one-forth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle or swine; and my reason is, that these children are seldom to fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore one male will be sufficient to serve four females" (Swift 3).This was also a hit to the domestic values of Irish Christian families who regard marriage will little respect. As for the guilt that may come along with eating a child, the wealthy will not have a problem eating the young because they have already destroyed the parents of the babies economically leaving them with virtually no money. In this section satire is used to expose the little conscious that the Irish people have, that they can take money, and even eat the younger generation for a social status without feeling the least bit of guilt.Irish people can abuse their social status to acquire more money and wealth without the guilt that comes along with it, that is the idea that Swift is portraying with the use of satire.
The idea of wealth circulates all about society because of the longing for wealth that comes from the majority of society. The new value of the babies will benefit the whole society. Swift mentions, "Secondly, the poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own, which by law may be made liable to distress and help to pay their landlord's rent, their corn and cattle being already seized, and money a thing unknown" (Swift 6). This gives the poor a taste of wealth and money. Much of society is hooked on the utter allure of being prosperous in society. This in turn, will make the poor more prized members of society because they now have a purpose in society. Due to the new value of newborns Swift argues that "Men would become as fond of their wives during the time of their pregnancy as they are now of their mares in fool"(Swift 7). Men in society would appreciate their wives much more during this time, abuse rates might fall and the overall value of women will increase in society. The women are now valuable because the newborn is such a wanted commodity. Women will finally have a predominate roll in society, opposed to being continuously abused, and treated like nothing. These examples all expose the satirical irony in Swifts argument. It shows how ignorant people are when it comes to society pressure. They will pretty much do anything to be accepted, or to have that social status that they want. At the end of the proposal he uses verbal irony to state that he wouldn't participate in this act though he would elect others to. He says ..."that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, reliving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich." (Swift,9). This act relates to modern day politicians who propose a bill that wouldn't effect them but they want to push it onto the people anyway.
Jonathan Swift was very successful in exposing a gap in society, where wealthy people will go to great extents to build up their social status. This relates to everyday practices where people are so ignorant of their own actions and don't think of how they might effect others. Jonathan Swift never left his character and made the proposal a long satirical explanation. This is a work of art by Swift and really exposes many different levels of ill in society. Modern day society can learn from Swifts proposal maybe on a slightly less drastic level, by not conforming to others molds of what is seams right.
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