Although Gulliver was treated with respect in Lilliput, primarily because of his size In the land of giants, Brobdingnag, he is viewed as a novelty, made to perform for public amusement, until the King learns of his presence. It is but one of the many assaults Swift’s satire is going to perform on society. When he encounters the first natives, he fears for his life. He finds himself in a strange land, but this time he’s the tiny one, with everything giant around him. This subject can be defined as humanity as a whole.

In his novel “Gulliver’s Travel” Swift took a much more adventurous and classically humorous approach.Īs Gulliver’s adventure unfolds, the satire itself begins to reflect on a much wider subject than ‘A Modest Proposal’. And, being hard to interpret and seemingly joking, rather than questioning authority explicitly, is much safer. ‘A Modest Proposal’ shocked people and made them think about Ireland’s poor condition and what should be done about it. A comedic satire is likely to attract the audience’s attention in ways that could not be done by a seriously written piece. A satirical parody was likely to get the public’s attention in ways that a seriously written piece could not achieve. Creating a serious piece about the issue in Ireland would have been hard enough, and at least people like to joke and laugh. If Jonathan Swift had written a thoughtful piece that about his political beliefs, he would probably have received no serious answer.

One’s indignation at the potential solution should be directed into thinking of a practical solution. ‘A modest proposal’ is designed to address several problems with a solution that is straightforward but morally unreasonable. Swift’s comparison to boys and girls as not a ‘saleable commodity’ is a good example of an absurd solution, as it shows the harsh minds of people who seek to turn everything into economic issues. The idea (that the Irish should eat their babies) is completely satirical, as it makes fun of people who are suggesting absurd solutions believing they are pragmatic. The whole idea behind ‘A Modest Proposal’ is ironic because it makes fun of other impractical solutions suggested by people to solve big problems in society. The satire, A Modest Proposal, suggested that the very poor in Ireland should sell their children as delicious food to the English. Swift uses irony and humor, parodies that portray a virtue and transforms it into a vice. Some would think that the satires of Swift are essentially writings of extreme hyperbole, but it is important to bear in mind that gross embellishment is still just one aspect of his satirical techniques.

Gulliver's travels a modest proposal