Exploring the Concept of Satire in A Modest Proposal by...

â€Å"A Modest Proposal† by Jonathan Swift, and â€Å"Top of the Food Chain† by T. Coraghessan Boyle, both are short stories that explore the concept of satire. Satire can be defined as a kind of writing that ridicules human weakness, vice, of folly in order to bring about social reform. It is a kind of writing to bring about change to society. Even though both are short stories, they easily get the faults of society across to its readers. In â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† Swift is offering an outrageous solution to the problems of human misery. He proposes that people should start eating babies, and using them for everything that they are worth on a daily basis. Swift creates a pamphlet and states six reasons as to why this is a brilliant idea. He states that money wouldn’t be wasted on food, the number of Catholics would be reduced, it would be great inducement to marriages, there would be more food so the economy would increase, poor tenants would have money for their landlords, and it would be an improvement for the tavern business. Swift wants everyone to know how badly the Irish people are being treated by the English. He wants to change the reader’s point of view through this sarcastic satirical pamphlet. The authors’ purpose of â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† is to try to change society. Swift is trying to reform the British official’s involvement in Ireland. People are dying, and nothing is being done about it. He is trying to shock readers with a twisted story, but also bring about change