SATIRICAL LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL CLASS IN JONATHAN SWIFT’S A MODEST PROPOSAL: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF CLASS, POWER, AND IRONY

Abstract

The paper has argued that the text of the A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is one of the most recognized pieces of satirical writing. The application of a satirical language by Swift in this work is not only a criticism on the social and political setup in Ireland but also a comparison of the social stratification that dominated in the England of the eighteenth century. This paper considers the use of Swift in his application of satire as he tackles the problems of poverty, mistreatment, and merciless callousness of the ruling classes in the pain of the poor. This paper discusses how the hyperbolic style of the proposal brings out the inconsistencies in how society treats the poor through a critical evaluation of the language used by Swift. The study also employs a form of close reading of the text to probe into the role of irony, rhetorical methods and the image of social class. This study delves into the new realms of how the text functions as a type of social critique by placing the proposal at once in history of Swift as well as in the current interpretations of satire. The research questions will revolve around the use of rhetoric by Swift, how he presents the aspects of the class relationship as well as the broader social and political implications of satire. This reading would allow one to better appreciate the satirical nature of Swift as a social critique of inequalities in society and how this might as well be addressed in respect to the dimensions of power of the classes.