The Power of Satire

If you have ever seen The Colbert Report or read an article from The Onion, you have been exposed to a genre of literature called satire.  Satirical pieces generally act as social criticism, poking fun at a social custom or even just society in general.  Usually, they are also considered humorous, although sometimes the comedic part is more disturbing and upsetting than funny.

For example, in "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift, he proposes the idea of peasants selling their babies, once they are one year old, as food for the rich.  This way, the children would be "beneficial to the public" (Swift) rather than becoming another mouth to feed during such barren times.   The purpose of Swift's piece is to shed light on what was happening in Ireland during this time: the poor were being treated like animals, and their lives were not considered the least bit valuable by the affluent.  Since only the rich were somewhat educated, Swift's pamphlet could only be read by those who were mistreating the people that Swift refers to as "beggars".  Swift mocks the landlords at various points in the piece, such as when he states that, "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) highlighting the atrocities committed by the upper-class.  He hoped that once the landlords read his pamphlet, they would realize how inhumane they were acting and do something to change it.

Without the satirical undertone, this piece would be advocating for the wonderful act of cannibalism; the descriptive diction that Swift uses when describing how scrumptious children taste would be taken literally, making the reader lose their appetite for a while.  Essentially, satire has the ability to change a piece's essence, purpose, and tone from one end of the spectrum to the other.