“And it is exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner as…they shall…contribute to the feeding and partly to the clothing of many thousands.”
Before swift reveals his grisly plan, he uses satire to poke fun at "enlightened" social commentary. What makes this passage effective as satire?
The proposal of eating children is obviously meant to be saterical. It is impossible to imagine a serious proposal for eating children. Yet, it is not enough simply to indulge one’s outrage over the argument or to smile at the jokes. Yet, it is not enough simply to indulge one’s outrage over the argument or to smile at the jokes. Is Swift just having fun, or does he have something serious to say?
Stereotypes against Irish Catholics make it easier for Swift to use them as the subject of his satire. The stereotypes are present in both the reasons for the proposal and the language used. The narrator’s argument that something must be done with infants because they are too young to steal implies that this is a common employment of Irish Catholics, even while it is humorous apart from the stereotype.
GradeSaver
