A Critical Analysis of Irony in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish essayist, political pamphleteer, satirist and poet. He wrote numerous works, many of which dealt with Irish/British political tensions and religious issues. He was known as a Dublin’s foremost citizen until his death. His best known works include “Gulliver 's Travels” (1726) and “A Modest Proposal” (1729). In “A Modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift proposes a satirical/ironic solution to a social and ethical problem. The title of the essay, “A Modest Proposal” might be the most ironic thing in the whole essay because this proposal is anything but modest. Swift also ironically argues his proposal is the best by saying “I can think of no one
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Swift clarified he was not that violent in his proposal, developing and exaggeration irony again. He said “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.” The author can make statements that would seem to be purely economic without seeming to realize the awful nature of it. Another irony on “A Modest Proposal” is when Swift said with ease the skin of those children who are more thrifty can be used like leaner to make “admirable gloves for ladies and summer boots for fine gentlemen” as if wearing human skin gloves or summer boots were something common, normal, and simple. Swift himself think eating teenagers is cruel but he represented the use of baby skin for clothes or shoes is in some way elegant and beautiful without empathy and it is ironic because for him cutting babies skin and wearing it is not upon cruelty even when babies are just as teenagers. He wants people to see that the rich live at the expense of the poor. Swift furthers his satire of the upper classes by implying that there are people so disconnected from the lower classes that they might agree with this outlandish proposal just because he described wearing babies’ skin and eating babies as fancy. That is ironic because at the end of his proposal of selling babies and eating them stewed, roasted, baked or boiled and using the babies skin to make summer boots for fine gentlemen or gloves for ladies, he does not think his proposes and him are
Swift clarified he was not that violent in his proposal, developing and exaggeration irony again. He said “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.” The author can make statements that would seem to be purely economic without seeming to realize the awful nature of it. Another irony on “A Modest Proposal” is when Swift said with ease the skin of those children who are more thrifty can be used like leaner to make “admirable gloves for ladies and summer boots for fine gentlemen” as if wearing human skin gloves or summer boots were something common, normal, and simple. Swift himself think eating teenagers is cruel but he represented the use of baby skin for clothes or shoes is in some way elegant and beautiful without empathy and it is ironic because for him cutting babies skin and wearing it is not upon cruelty even when babies are just as teenagers. He wants people to see that the rich live at the expense of the poor. Swift furthers his satire of the upper classes by implying that there are people so disconnected from the lower classes that they might agree with this outlandish proposal just because he described wearing babies’ skin and eating babies as fancy. That is ironic because at the end of his proposal of selling babies and eating them stewed, roasted, baked or boiled and using the babies skin to make summer boots for fine gentlemen or gloves for ladies, he does not think his proposes and him are