A modest Proposal

In his work, “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift brilliantly orchestrates the methods of satire, timing, tone, and imagery to create an exaggerated portrait of Ireland’s situation in the eighteenth-century. He uses these techniques to show how the inhumane exploitation and monopolization of Irish estates by English neighbors have left scores of Irishmen in deep despair and anguish due to their poverty and toil. Swift also uses these techniques to force his readers to reconsider his previous suggestion: a “Remedy for this one individual Kingdom of Ireland.” The elaborate use of irony, above all others, results in an incredible work of verisimilitude.
Having been born in Dublin and raised in England, Swift’s position in this situation rests uneasy in between two conflicting sides: the wealthy English landlords and the impoverished Irishmen; thus compelling him to use a form of writing that will seemingly appeal to both sides.
He ironically addresses the situation with a ...