A Modest Proposal: Satire as a Joke on Everyone

A Modest Proposal: Satire as a Joke on Everyone
In Johnathan Swift's most well known article, A Modest Proposal, Swift is trying to conceive the point of all the poor children living in Ireland. He is pointing out all the ills done by the British Republic onto them, and doing this using the literal weapon of Satire. Satire is a way to point out all of society's folly, and to try and make the wrong obvious for needed change using humor. Johnathan Swift's A Modest Proposal fits this definition very well. To use satire is a very effective way to prove a point, and a great way to hold a mirror to society's wrong doings and opposing viewpoints of ignorance. There are many ways to use satire, and many layers to it. As you will see, Swift uses many of the different parts of satire and has many layers in his article. Johnathan Swift is an amazing satirist, and is one of the few who saw through society's fake cover, and to the real, underlying folly of it. He proves that satire is very effective.
In  A Modest Proposal, Swift is Specifically targeting the British Republic. and trying to expose the problems with their heavy exportation of Ireland's food to their own country, and proving the extreme inequality among them. He comes from a rich and well endeavored family that has given up their traditional Catholic ways to be on top, and is in a great position to see all of the underlying problems with this matter. Johnathan, being one of the few educated men in Ireland at the time, decided to take action in the most effective way he could. He decided to write an article to be published in Britain, exposing all the problems that Ireland was facing. He wanted them to have a inside look at what was really happening in the country they knew so little about, besides being a newly claimed land from which most of their meat came from. This is where the whole idea of satire comes in. Satire is entirely made to make fun of a group, while still having a sense of humor about it to keep the targeted group aware. This is the beginning of satire.
With this, Swift starts to write A Modest Proposal. He begins by stating the problem he sees. "It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms. " (Swift, 1). In this opening, there is a literal and deeper meaning, to prove the point of satire. On the surface, Swift is simply adverting the reader's attention to the problem he wants to solve and giving the reader an inside look to the impoverished life of children in Ireland. He wants the reader to begin feeling bad for the children. The deeper meaning, is much more than that though. Swift is using the poor children of Ireland as a simple representation of the large population of poor and hungry people in Ireland. He wants the reader to feel bad for the children, but he also wants British readers to become aware of just how much they were really taking from the Irish. He pokes fun at the idea of anyone in Ireland being able to make an "honest livelihood" in Ireland, which was far from what these poor mothers had on their list. He is using the tool of logic in this excerpt. He begins to open up the reader to the real problem, and gets them ready for his proposal. 
After Swift states this problem, he continues to point out the many other examples of the largely hungry population of Ireland. He then, with the reader now intently aware of the situation, proposes his solution to all the hungry people in Ireland. "I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in
London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout." (Swift 3) What Swift is proposing, is literally for Irish families to eat young infants. He proves all the advantages to this, and why this is the most fitting solution for their problem. But the deeper meaning of this is much different. He is first poking fun at Americans, making them seem savage in such a way that they would eat their own children. In another layer, he is also targeting the British again. He wants the reader, if they are really aware of the real point of this, to know that this is what the British has pushed them to. He wants to prove the point that the British have taken so much, and without any other option, were forced to resort to cannibalism. He uses the tool of resentment, guilt, and sarcasm to show how far the British have forced them. After this, if the reader has enough guts to continue, Swift continues to prove advantages and the up-side of eating children. He next strikes at the landlords and Nobles of Ireland, crushing the poor Irish peoples. "I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children." (Swift, 4) This is the most obvious example of satire in the whole article. Literally, Swift is saying that after his plan is put into play and people start to accept it, children will become a regular part of their diet, and even a delicacy in some cases. The deeper meaning however, is quite good. Underneath, Swift is pointing out the landlords folly. He is saying that the landlords, so accommodated to devouring the parents in bills and cruelty, would be savage and mean enough to eat their tenants' children without even a second thought. He is proving the landlords desire to "eat up" their tenants without the slightest care for them as real people. He is using the tool of logic and exposure. The reader, if they were British or not, of any education level, would surely understand this now. 
Next, Swift starts to wrap up his point with a few more jabs and then concludes it promptly. He starts to really turn the heat up on the British. He begins to talk more about the poor tenants to the rich in Ireland and states, "Their corn and cattle being already seized and money a thing unknown." (Swift, 6) This is literally saying that the tenants are indeed poor, and money is almost never in their hands being taken so promptly after earning it. They barely have enough money to get by, and no left over from paying rent for any other necessities. The deeper meaning is just about that, except more directed at the British. He is saying that this is in fact what has happened to Ireland, and this is a common sight of how poor people really were there. He wants to show that the Irish aren't just poor, they are really, really poor. He is using the idea of sarcasm and logic. He then begins to return to targeting the British with his baby-eating solution. He begins to talk about the profit to be made in benefit to the British with his idea. "...beside the profit of a new dish introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom who have any refinement in taste." (Swift, 6). He is using this as the literal meaning of the fine gentlemen in Britain to come and soon enjoy children as a delicacy. More "fancy" people will take to this idea, and it will catch on. But the deeper meaning is hilarious. In the deeper layer, he is saying that the British are already barbaric and savage, why would they be opposed to this idea? They should love eating Irish children. They are already metaphorically doing it. He uses the idea of logic and sarcasm to prevail this. Swift finally makes a few more points, and wraps up his idea with many more examples of satire.
With this, Swift is a great satirist. He is proof that satire is an effective way to bring about change, if people are truly understanding and not ignorant. The ignorant cannot fully understand satire, so it is ineffective to those who choose not to listen, as with everything. But this is not who satire is targeting. Satire is meant for the undecided, and, if one side of a debate uses satire and the other doesn't, the side with satire is almost destined to get most of the undecided, if not only their attention but also their support. This is why satire is an effective form of debate, and why Swift is a great example on how satire can bring about change effectively. 

Satire Presentations

After beginning a new unit about satire, out first project was to find a video that we felt best exemplified satire and annotate it for the class. We had to find the video, present it, write a little about it, and put it on our blog. I used a clip from Robin Williams' stand up performance Weapons of Self Destruction. I thought this video had a lot of satire, but it might have been a little hidden and not as obvious as others. It seemed to make fun of a lot of topics and politicians, and had some evidence of sarcasm as a tool of satire. After presenting my video to the class though, It was discussed that it may have not been satire at all. I looked back at the points I had made that I thought were satire, and after discussing it with Mrs. Cawlfield, found it to be just a stand up performance with really no satire used. It was just a comedy stand up performance with the comedian ripping on some topics. It was not satire at all. I feel like I really struggled with the ideas and aspects of satire for this presentation, but after seeing some other peoples examples I have a little better idea of what satire really is.
One presentation I really enjoyed and felt was the best example of satire was Healthcare Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. It was a great performance, and showed all the aspects of satire and how they are used. It was very obvious too. I thought this could have been the most influential type of satire, because it wasn't just trying to prove an alternate side to the story. It had all the facts of the matter, and had a great deal of examples for proving them wrong. Overall, I struggled with this project, but enjoyed it. I can now see sarcasm as a good thing, and know some of the best ways of convincing people. I hope to see more satire not only for the comical aspect, but for the deeper message of it too.

Satire in Our World Today

Satire in Our World Today

As an ideal example of public and modern satire in our world today, I watched Robin

Williams’ hilariously hurtful standup performance, Weapons of Self Destruction. His show holds

a great deal of satire, scathing, and eye-opening jokes that make you almost sad to look at your

own beliefs. It is a great example of satire, and Robin Williams is one of the best at it. In his skit,

he talks about, and makes fun of, just about every touchy subject there is. From politics to

religion, Robin proves all of us have a blind side view of modern America. He takes no sides on

these matters, but instead points out the pros and the cons of every two sided debate. He talks

about how the Prius, a hybrid vehicle, can be a great idea for the environment, but also states that

it may be a little over the top, and useless. He also makes the point that even though you are

saving the environment, what’s the point if you just look gay doing it?

On the surface, it may just seem like Robin is just making small jokes and poking fun at

society. But it is much more than that. He is trying to get a deeper meaning across. When he is

making fun of the Prius, he is not only making fun of its appearance and social stance, but also

driving the point of useless production in our world. He is trying to prove that everything

produced in America these days is taking a turn for the worst. The point of the Prius is

redundant, and all the bells and whistles on it are faulty and counterbalanced against its purpose,

to be environmentally friendly. He proves that although our county is the best, it is still full of

some pretty dumb people. He is also trying to prove the point of man’s undying nature to

destroy. He talks a lot about animal cruelty, and even more about the horrors of meaningless

killing and unnecessary war. It seems like he is just making fun of it on the surface, but he really

means it. He also takes a stand on politics. He tries to prove some points of the way the economy

is going, and without offending too many people, singles out certain politicians for satire. He

makes fun of many of the presidents, but mostly singes on Sarah Palin. Even though he offended

everyone who has ever seen his show, Robin Williams still makes a funny and enjoyable skit for

anyone who is willing to listen. He is one of the greatest Satirists of our time, and is the only one

I know of that does not prove one point over the other.

“I’m sorry, if you were right, I would agree with you.”-Robin Williams

Jonathan Swift, born in Dublin, Ireland in 1667, was one of the greatest pioneers to public and worldly satire in literature. His large and complex strings of hurtful eye openers left everyone of his time offended, or at least opposed.  In 1702, Swift completed his Doctor of Divinity from Trinity collage in Dublin. Still unsure on what he wanted to use his life for, he traveled to England in the Spring in hopes of finding something he was good at. It was here he began his career in literature. He started out printing simple articles for newspapers and writing small letters, but he soon began to write full-length books and novels. Some early books he used to gain a reputable appearance as a writer were A Tale of a Tub and The Battle of the Books. These were the first ever books of satire in the time. At first people had a hard time understanding his sarcasm, but as they realized the point he was trying to get across, they became aware of his knowledge and view he was mirroring society as. It held a mirror to people on their values, most specifically targeting their religious and governmental beliefs. People would often refuse to acknowledge his writings, and this led to fall of sales in his books and public displays of hate against him. To protect himself and his career, he often changed his pen name and topic as to not be discovered. Although many were opposed to his teachings, some followed him and found his ways in satire as a way to fully understand themselves and were open to being judged and looked at in a negative way. Jonathan Swift died on October 19, 1745 at age 77, with many more stories completed and added to his library of satire. "When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him."-Jonathan Swift 

"Swift always bolstered by the people around him, was now quite troubled."-Biography Channel
"Jonathan Swift." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Oct 07 2013, 04:09http://www.biography.com/people/jonathan-swift-9500342.

Sept. 30, 2013
Over the past week, we had an assignment to pick a movie that we feel best fits the hero's circle, and research it. My personal opinion on this project was at first slewed. I thought it was going to be a bunch of boring, busywork, with no real meaning. As it turns out, I really did enjoy this project after all. I was in a group with my friends, which usually means I wouldn't get any work done, but I somehow did. For our movie, we used Garyn's idea for The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's Garyn's favorite movie, so I didn't argue with her. It took me a long time to write out the paragraphs, but I eventually found parts in the movie that represented the steps on the hero's journey. I still TRON would have been a better movie to interpret, but our idea of Jack atop the mountain in the center of our poster was a good idea. Overall, I liked this assignment out of all others this year, and would hope to do more work with posters in the future. It was fun, and I have a brand new way of looking at movies and stories.
Although out poster was quite obviously the best of the class (bragging rights), I did take a liking to Henry and Jack's group poster. They chose to do their project on the character Jack Hall from The Day After Tomorrow. They had a great visual. Their poster was blue with snow powdered over it, and it looked very realistic. I liked their poster the best. They also did a great job explaining their steps. I've seen that movie, and I would have thought it wouldn't have been an easy one to interpret. I really don't think it follows the Hero's Journey outline, but they made it work. Everyone did a great job on this project, and I think all of them should be hung up on Mrs. Cawlfield's walls. This was a great project.

Sept. 10, 2013
The Abyss
On each hero's journey, soon after the point of no return, they are confronted with the abyss. The Abyss, being the lowest part of your life and the hardest part of your journey to face, is the last challenge before the transformation and, ultimately, your reward or truth you set out to find. Everyone must face their own abyss, whether that be a moment of great sadness and loss or simply the hardest part of your journey. When you reach your abyss, you will feel scared, desperate, and more alone than ever. Your goal is just over the horizon, but there is just one last task at hand. When you feel this lonesomeness, just remember that you are just one step from achievement, and you just have to give it one last push. You are so close, it would be stupid to give up now. You would regret it for the rest of your life. You may feel like you have to conquer the abyss yourself, but you don't. Everyone has been in the position you are in now, and know just how you feel. You are closer to them here than ever before. Just make sure you don't give up, for that is the most important part of your transformation. Conquer your abyss, you can do it.

Sept. 3, 2013
The Hero's Venture
What is a hero? Does it have to be someone who wears a cape and rescues people in need? It can be, but there is another type of hero that is more common. Anyone can be a hero, because a hero is simply someone who is inflicting change. Someone who realizes that something needs to be different and takes it upon themselves to do so is defined as a hero. Breaking away from the known and venturing into the unknown is a heroic act. But this is not the only thing that makes a hero. When a hero sets out to find this change, he also sets out metaphorically in Spirit. When you are about to wander into the deepest, darkest part of the forest of life, you are actually beginning your journey to the center of yourself. When you have reached the point of no return, you are truly a hero of Spirit. It is usually soon after you pass the point of no return that you reach the deepest part of yourself. You are lost in the forest of life, and all you want to do is turn back. When you are about to give up, that is when you have reached the center of yourself. This center is the medium between the inside you, and the way you portray yourself on the outside. This is where your Soul rests. You will feel more alone then ever here, but this is actually when are the closest to everyone else. You must continue to do what makes you, even if others don't like it. This is what makes you a hero.