Satirical essays are characterized by the use of irony and shifts of moods. Its effect is enhanced by the shocking change of mood in the middle of the essay. This essay holds a special place among his satirical writings. The author of this essay, Jonathan Swift, is regarded as one of the best satirists in English Literature ever. “A Modest Proposal” is a satirical essay by genre. At the same time, he was angry with the passivity and apathy of the Irish people and wanted to awaken them. He uses his skill of satire to show how grave the problems of common people are. So, this proposal is another attempt at making the government realize the woes of the people. He wrote many letters in this regard but never got any positive response. He made many attempts to persuade the government of that time to take steps for the progress of the country and the prosperity of the people. Jonathan Swift wanted this situation to change. To add to this problem of poverty, the country was also overpopulated. Moreover, the common people of Ireland were left very poor by imposing many restrictions on trade for them. Instead, they imposed religious restrictions on them. The protestant elites did not like the catholic citizens and never took steps for their betterment. As a result, there was a vast chasm between the two. The group of English people ruling England was protestant, and the people of Ireland were mainly Catholics. The people of Ireland suffered a lot during this rule. The full name of the essay was “A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to their Parents or Country and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick.” At that time, England was ruling Ireland, and Swift was one of the ruling class members. The essay “A Modest Proposal” was written by Jonathan Swift. Tone of the Essay Historical Background.A Modest Proposal as a A Satirical Essay.Literary Background of A Modest Proposal.

Jonathan swift and a modest proposal