What Is Being Satirised in Modest Proposal? What Techniques Have Been Used? Give Examples.

In the text ‘A modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift is proposing a ludicrous idea that the Irish should result to cannibalism and eat their own children to solve the problem of famine and overpopulation in their country. The purpose of this text is to attack the ignorance of the desperately poor people’s situation of that time, as well as making fun of other ideas that people have proposed to solve the big problems in society, and people are proposing ludicrous ideas and thinking they are practical.
The whole text is written satirically, and this begins with a paradox in the title. The title suggests that is proposal is modest, and after reading the fist several lines, we see that this is undoubtedly not modest. While reading the start of “A Modest Proposal’ the audience thinks that Swift is going to suggest that they kill the children, but however reverses it to cannibalism, this can be classified as an anti-climax. Swift also lists the advantages and perks that this strategy will have and presents it in a very logic way
The origin of the technique understatement is the witty language that is used is so subtly in this text that the awful and horrible aspects of the proposal are masked and therefore, are almost overlooked by the reader. This is seen in the line; “a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicate, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled. And I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout” the tone of this is so casual, causing confusion to the reader.
There is use of Black humor throughout this text, although it does not put an overly ‘gore’ image into the readers head, the thought of cannibalism is disturbing. There is many examples of black humor, one instance; “That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in the sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom; always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump and fat for a good table”
There is a serious statement that contradicts all that Swift has said, "Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients, till he hath at least some glimpse of hope that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice”. This is to add emphasis on the fact that there are many other proposals that people have written that haven’t been taken seriously. This leads to the reader to conclude that the whole text has been ironic as Swift has suggested something he means the opposite of, thus that he hopes that the situation in Ireland doesn’t lead to this. This is the techniques of Burlesque being used throughout the text, as the preposterous ideas that some people have put forward are being mocked and vulgarized.
After analyzing ‘A Modest Proposal’ it is evident that writing language is the main use of satire in this text, this along with ironic exaggerations, sarcastic comparisons and stinging overtone, creates the effect that this text leaves on the reader.