Humans, some believe, are evil. This cannot be confirmed, but the fact that they are constantly in the wrong is most assuredly correct. Throughout history Humans have made mistakes, and paid for them dearly. The punishment varies, but in The early eighteenth century Jonathan Swift created a new way to tell people that they are messing up. Satire, it exposes the ill of everything in one fatal blow. Whether it is the average joe, a politician, a dictator, a monarch, an institution, or an idea, satire can find your ill and expose it. Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal exposes many ills in society, but mainly it attacks the British government and its actions towards Ireland.
Using Mockery to attack, Jonathan Swift writes in a tongue-in-cheek sort of tone in his essay that the irish should eat their own babies, therefore they should not become a burden to their parents and will not contribute to the horrible population of Ireland. He then goes on to explain the "benefits"-meaning beneficial to the British- of this proposal. He makes the irish population sound like livestock with his proposals "only one-fourth part to be males;which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine...one male will be sufficient to serve four females."(Swift 3). This exposes the ill of how the Government treats Ireland, like livestock, like they don't have feelings or emotions like everyone else. he suggests that Ireland keep only twenty thousand of its babies while selling the remaining hundered thousand for food. Because is will decrease the rapidly breeding Catholic population-Good Riddance (The English are protestant and hate catholics). Another attack swift makes is on Landlords and their unmercifulness towards their clients. "The Poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own, which by law may be made liable to distress and help to pay the landlords rent, their corn and cattle being already seized, and money a thing unknown." (Swift 6).
This refers to the harshness of landlords against poor tenants. They've already taken anything of any value from them, now they can take their babies too. Because they don't have any property anymore and essentially don't know what money looks like.
Swift also attacks the rich and the well mannered. He says that they could flay the babies and make leather. "...may flay the carcass; the skin of which artificially dressed will make admirable gloves for ladies and summer boots for fine gentlemen"(Swift 4). He acknowledges that the rich essentially live off the poor. They eat their babies, and then use their skins as fine clothing, much like livestock, as mentioned earlier. Also, in return for the "livestock"'s offspring, they only pay ten shillings, which is not a lot. Next he explains that the stock of Ireland would increase by fifty thousand pounds, because of "the profit of a new dish introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom who have any refinement of taste."(Swift 6). He slants towards rich people and how they like to eat rare and expensive things even though they may not taste great, and they call this "refinement of taste" rather than "this is nasty".
On a contemporary level, a sketch from the show Family Guy- a satire of the average american- exposes the idiocy of voters and how they fall for any silly ruse that politicians think up using heavy mockery.. The sketch, called "undecided voters" involves Lois speaking to a crowd of undecided voters to persuade them to vote for her, after getting advice from brian to dumb down her speech-"undecided voters are the biggest idiots in the country"(family guy)- she merely drops controversial topics like "jesus" and "9/11" rather than answer political questions about her ajenda, and the crowd cheers every time. This really attacks the everyday american and their belief in the media. Because when you mention something that everyone can relate to, or have mutual feelings about, you cannot really refuse their proposal. no one would ever boo someone who mentions 9/11, because it is the typical american tragedy. And that is a human flaw.
These Satirical examples, in my opinion, really work on everyone who isn't simple minded enough to believe the exaggerated topics discussed. They also make for a great laugh sometimes. They may make the target angry at first, however they will change their behavior so as to not receive the brutal punishment that is satire ever again. Because it is truly awful, that feeling when you realize you're the target.
