A Modest Proposal Essay

           Satire is a tool used by many to expose an ill in society. However, it is rarely effective. Sometimes, different ethical and political views make Satire very hard to be influential. Usually however, Satire is not influential because of the ignorance of its target audience. Ignorance, or the lack of knowledge, is very common in political, ethical, and social environments; this makes Satire ineffective. Certain Satire recognizes this, but still cannot get a point across because of it. Satire is ineffective because the targets of it are the same people who don't understand or don't care about the Satire.
      Ignorance in the political world is a common target of Satire. In Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal, Swift tries to explain to the people of Ireland how the British government is slowly destroying them. He does this by explaining how the British are causing more children to be in poverty, which is a major problem for the Irish's economy. Swift has no problem with children in real life, but he uses them to make a point about the British. "I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of children... is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom... someone must find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these children...useful members of the kingdom" (Swift 1). This quote, however wrong in its ethical values, is really jabbing at the government in it's deeper meanings. Swift uses other examples to try and force the governments to react, however gets no response. At the end of the piece, he says, "... I have not the least personal interest in... the work...having no other motive than the public good of my company" (Swift 9). This is perhaps the most obvious Satirical jab at the government. He uses sarcasm to explain how he wants the country to improve, but is not willing to do much about it. Swift is trying to explain that this is how the governments acts realistically. Because of this ignorant mindset, the government truly isn't going to anything. That is why Satire is not effective against political ignorance.
    Ethical ignorance is also used in Satire often. Swift introduces the concept of eating infants to help improve the economy. He explains how eating them will get them off the streets so no one will have to take care of them, and how this would solve the food crisis. In the piece, he makes this sound very plausible; as if people wouldn't think twice about following this awful plan. He is mocking the ethical ignorance of the people by suggesting that they would be ok with literally eating babies. Swift is aware of other ignorant ethical decisions society makes, so why can't they follow along with this one? In a YouTube video by Matthias, they mock the way that companies like Apple market their products. They try to expose how Apple can make very few changes to something, and still sell millions of them. "It is amazing how much we are able to get away with, and we push that, as far as we can" (Matthias Youtube). Matthias uses irony to describe this producer/consumer relationship as well as sarcasm to try and make the citizens feel dumb about buying Apple products. This video came out before the actual release of the new iPhone. People would expect that videos like these might have an effect on the sales of the Phone, however it was quite the opposite. Because of the ignorance of society, the new iPhone is the best selling yet. Selling over 200 Million iPhones in less than one month. 20 Million in the first weekend alone. This proves that people pretend to care, but really don't. These are all reasons of why people's ignorance towards ethics makes satire ineffective. (Youtube Video Link)
     The social environments are another area where people show much ignorance. "Then as to the females...would soon become humble breeders themselves..."(Swift 5). Swift explains in part of A Modest Proposal how women could come and act as breeders to produce babies, the new "currency" of Ireland. He is almost implying that even in realistic Ireland, people often objectify women and people of poverty. Swift understands that people make awful social decisions, such as women being objectified or objectifying themselves, and pushes it over the edge. He also explains that the poor children can be bought and sold like livestock. Implying how people treat those who struggle with poverty. Another social ignorance Swift points out is how only the upper-class will eat the babies, because they have "refined taste." (Swift 6) In a deeper meaning, this means that the upper-class will care the least about this plan because it barely effetcs them. The satire here is that the upper-class do not care what is happening as long as they make more money; no matter what cruel things are happening below them. Because the upper-class don't care about what happens to others, the satire is ineffective to a large part of the population. People choose to be ignorant, or rather choose not to be informed. This can lead, once again, to satire that is not influential.
     In conclusion, politics, ethics, and social ideas are all things that people lack knowledge about. These ideas make Satire, a tool that could be useful, ineffective. It is unfortunate, but people refuse to be told what to do. The Greek philosopher Socrates once said, "True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing" (Socrates). If people took this to heart, and yearned to learn and do what's right, Satire may become useful. Most people cannot stand others trying to influence them. This ignorance among society ruined the fantastic idea that is Satire.

"He (Swift) is mocking the ethical ignorance of the people by suggesting that they would be ok with literally eating babies."