A Modest Proposal Satire Analysis

One of the most commonly used elements of satire is irony, which Swift uses freely to show the monetary and religious divisions in society. After suggesting the idea of eating babies and wearing their skin, Swift mentions that “there are more children born in Roman Catholic countries about nine months after Lent” (Swift 5) to show his dislike for Catholics and the large families they produce, especially after the “Irish famines of the preceding three years” (Hunting 92). He continues to scorn the Catholics for their numerous children when he mentions his belief that the only possible criticism of his plan is “that the number of people will thereby be lessened in the kingdom” (Swift 11), rather than the morality of eating human babies and skinning them for clothing. By doing this, he is again satirizing the Catholic majority, though the Protestants ruled Ireland at the time, based on the way Swift says a positive outcome of his plan would lessen the number of Catholics who wished to return a Catholic king--who was overthrown in 1688 in favor of two Protestant monarchs--to the throne (Swift 8-9, 9n30). Moreover, Swift shows his distrust view of his nation when he informs the readers that he had “been assured
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