Satire has become an instrumental way to reveal and call needed attention to flaws in society. Human thought is the foundation of society, and this means flaws are utterly unavoidable. Where there is an issue, a debate, there is bound to be two quite different points of view to it. In many cases, scathing, ironic, hilarious, and/ or disturbing satire will be taken advantage of in an attempt to sway the minds that are in the median area of opinion on the topic. However, effectively diminishing folly and unveiling the wrongdoings in society is no easy task. Satire is like an onion; it can have many layers, each one revealing the even more complex meaning underneath. Empathy, sympathy, and apathy are all different layers of emotion that are makings of satire, each having a significantly different effect than the next.
When digging through the piles of sarcasm and wit many satires have to offer, one must not get caught up in the obvious events taking place. The deeper a satire is dug into, the nittier and grittier the exposed topics become. In 1729, the overpopulated, underfed, and economically unstable country of Ireland was being oppressed by Great Britain. "It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town... when they see the streets... crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children..." (Swift 1). In the opening sentence of A Modest Proposal, Swift is stating that it is all too common to see women and children begging on the streets of Ireland. Ireland is quite unsuccessful at this time, and eventually Swift says they might as well put the impoverished Irish population to good use: why not eat the poor babies? "That the remaining hundred thousand may... be offered in the sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom; always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump and fat for a good table" (Swift 3). Swift points out a solution to the overpopulation that consuming the excess children will provide much needed food for the wealthy ("...persons of quality and fortune..."). He also states (which much wit) that the mother of the poor child should try and fatten it up as much as possible so as to satisfy the aristocratic mouths. Specifically targeting England in this satirical essay, Swift manages to bring awareness to the ignorance of the English (more specifically speaking, the upperclass English) while maintaining a thoroughly serious tone.
Satire can be found in many other places besides just the impressively and complexly written A Modest Proposal. A scene from the show Family Guy is an excellent example of satire. While running for a position in office, the girl from Family Guy is stressing over what she is going to say to win over the sea of undecided voters. The little white dog (who was wearing a suit) reassures her and explains that the only thing she needs to do is respond to the undecided voters' questions with short and simple answers. When asked what she thought about the tragedy of 9/11, she straightforwardly replies that she thought it was "sad". The undecided voters roared in applause for her. Specifically targeting American voters, Family Guy was calling awareness to how undecided American voters eat things up about politicians. "He seems like the kind of guy I could have a beer with. I'm going to vote for him" (Family Guy). Using verbal irony, the stupidity of the majority of American voters was called to attention. Is the detail of whether the politician is a relatable, family guy more important than the detail of how the politician is going to act as a leader and/or handle political problems? This question is brought up into the viewer's mind, as it very well should. Satire is executed perfectly in that scene from Family Guy, making the viewer think about their own voting process and if they have been making the same silly decisions when electing their candidate.
Another reason satire is immensely effective is because it's relatable. Satire is written in a way that is quite personal to the reader, making the foolishness in society even more obvious. "And the money will circulate among ourselves, the goods being entirely of our own growth and manufacture" (Swift 6). Here, Swift is satirizing one of the...benefits, per say, of eating the poor children. If they eat the children, this means that there will be profit for selling them, and the nation's stock will increase. Swift is mocking the partisans, taking a shot at them by saying that they should really take an interest into eating the children, as it will benefit them by creating money for them. There was discrimination against Roman Catholics in England in the late 1600s-early 1700s. Swift took advantage of this issue by saying "...therefore it will have one other collateral advantage, by lessening the number of papists among us" (Swift 4). They could lessen the population of Roman Catholics, whom they didn't like, by eating their poor babies as well. Swift did a superb job of sarcastically capturing the point of views of the ignorant upperclass (the majority, at least).
Satire can be a greatly persuasive factor when it comes to social change. Swift set many precedents when it comes to satire, as many of modern-day satirists use the same techniques such as wit, verbal irony, situational irony, sarcasm, and mockery to unveil ills in society as we know it. Swift accomplished a splendid job of rhetorically asking blunt questions about his solution to the overpopulation of Ireland because it made the reader feel uncomfortable and really evaluate what Swift is masking with irony and wit. Although disturbing, Swift created a new viewing of the issue between Ireland and Great Britain to try and get society to realize all of their wrongdoings. Jumping ahead to the modern day, Family Guy called attention to the naïvety of undecided American voters in a hidden sarcastic tone of voice. When it comes to making a change for the better in society, satire, when performed correctly, is an incredibly effective way to expose the flaws under a humorous, disturbing, ironic, sarcastic, scathing, but successful light.
