Modest Proposal Analysis

            Balancing between a morbid and sarcastic tone in A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift employs obscure sarcasm, sardonic satire and pragmatic inflation to depict the idea of overpopulation throughout the world is due to the fact that people are irresponsibly having “bastard children.” And Swift’s solution to this problem is to eat the unwanted “infant flesh.”

            Swift further depicts the problem of overpopulation with both statistical information and a sarcastic undertone to get his arguments across and his exaggerated solution to this international issue. By talking about such a serious topic in a very comedic way gives the reader a way to view this issue in a much different way rather than just preaching the face that we are overpopulated. Swift points out very obvious things that most people may think but don’t want to be the ones to say out loud, in fear of pissing society off. The type of sarcasm Swift employs to convey his theory is used in a very obscure way because the things he says does have a comedic tone to them but at the same time, the reader can hear the seriousness throughout the piece. By pointing out “infant's flesh will be in season throughout the year, but more plentiful in March, and a little before and after”, is a statement that would be taken as a joke to most, yet may irk the other half of society.

            The use of sardonic satire future enforces Swift’s point because he takes a topic that is very serious, and then ridicules the problem in a very bitter and under toned fashion. If Swift had gone about this solution in a more “essay-like” response, it may have not been taken the way he had intended it to, so by him writing it in more a satirical way, gives it that sense of humor and seriousness that he clearly meant to incorporate. Swift is mainly concerned about how “some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed” and we are bringing in more babies every year that, aren’t necessarily, “unneeded” but at this point in time, the economy was not equipped to provide for all of these “bastard children.”

            Swift’s use of pragmatic inflation makes his proposal more realistic and understandable. By taking this situation and blowing so much out of proportion opens people’s eyes to make his readers realize what is really going on around in the world. Without exaggerating this problem, this topic is a rather difficult topic to discuss. But by approaching this in such a humorous and outrageous fashion, makes it easier to relate to. Using this writing technique makes the piece much easier to read; even though the language may be hard to understand but the topic itself is easy to interpret.

            Over population is a economic downfall, but by depicting in it such a comedic way, leaves the reader thinking about this problem and what can be done about it, besides eating these unneeded babies. Well that could be a solution, but it probably would not be at the top of everyone else’s list, of how to control this exaggerated issue.