Introduction
Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is much more than just satire; it’s an original mic drop. On surface level, it calmly suggests a solution to poverty, that is by turning babies into dinner of course. But, beneath the shock value, Swift is exposing a system so broken it starts to sound like a parody. However, that’s where Postmodernism thrives: in the space between reason and absurdity. In works like Decortication of an Airplane, Semantics, and Humility, Postmodernism shows how satire, emotional fragmentation, and Hyper-reality can reveal truths that traditional logic or realism often hide, forcing us to feel the absurdity of a broken world before we can understand it.
Element One - Satirical Irony & Metaphor
In A Modest Proposal, Swift doesn’t scream about injustice, rather he makes it sound like a business plan. He claims “A young healthy child… is at a year old most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food”. His evident lack of emotion is exactly what makes it terrifying. The use of culinary terms to describe cannibalism forces readers to see the logic of cannibalism when stripped of its morality. Swift’s calm and reasonable tone masks something monstrous, giving the satire its edge. It masters irony, delivering horror with a seemingly polite smile, just where Postmodernism thrives.
Suraski, Ry Book. “Decortication of an Airplane.”
Suraski’s story continues the same gist, where metaphors are stacked on top of each other, again and again. The story can be described as a crash that never lands, but one that still leaves wreckage. This is because it is less about the story itself, rather the emotional fallout that occurs as a result. His writing purposefully dodges the direct meaning. Like Swift, Suraski builds an emotional experience for readers by pulling them through surreal metaphors. The refusal to further explain is what makes the writing so meaningful.
My Take:
Both Swift and Suraski weaponize their metaphors. Their stories don’t need realism to make a point, instead they just need you to feel how broken everything is.
In case you're interested in my full thoughts of "Decortication of an Airplane" check out my full thoughts here!
Element Two - Fragmentation & Emotional Logic
Swift enters with statistics, and rapidly speeds up the storytelling, ending with vomit inducing images, such as “dressing [children] hot from the knife as we do roasting pigs.” The shift in tone is not accidental, it’s fragmentation. The calm logic of the opening paragraphs fractures into brutal and sensory horror. The break in tone mirrors the way systems dehumanize innocent people, reducing them to data until their suffering fails to register. Swift isn’t making a clean argument, instead he chooses to induce some emotional whiplash to demonstrate the brokenness of society. His emotionally twisted logic demonstrates how horror and numbness can coexist under politeness.
Nnamdi. “Semantics.”
Semantics does not follow any structure either. It’s so magically dreamy and slow. It seems as if it’s a memory unraveling in slow motion because that’s what it literally feels like. The fragments lack to consistently make sense, but it sure does make you feel something. The song stays away from a predictable verse and chorus, floating like memory fragments instead. Some may seem soft, others sharper, but none are fully clear. That fragmentation evolved to become the emotional logic. Swift and Nnamdi choose feeling over structure, in turn creating resonance through mood rather than message.
My Take:
Both works use emotional logic over structure. They are not built to convince your brain, they’re built to rattle your heart.
In case you're interested in my full thoughts of "Semantics" check out my full thoughts here!
For more info about Nnamdi, click here!
Element Three - Hyper-reality & Pastiche
Swift mixes polished political language with gruesome ideas, such as making gloves out of baby skin. The clashing horror and refined tone are a form of pastiche. It’s like a Halloween candy bag, a big mash up of different subjects and tones that shouldn’t work together, but peculiarly do. This mix works to create and intense and surreal effect that is more disturbing than your run of the mill horror. When Swift discusses turning children into fashionable accessories using an educated voice, it mocks reality. In other words, Hyper-reality is in full effect. The fake version of logic and civility feels more real than actual political discourse, as it exposes the underlying brutality we’re used to ignoring.
Gorillaz. “Humility”
Gorillaz is literally a fake band, animated characters and all with real emotions. However, their music, and authentic music video tends to feel more real than most. This is because the band’s entire foundation is built on pastiche. The song utilizes many different elements, both auditory and visual, and mashes them into a singular package. Humility sounds rather synthetic, but it aches with authenticity. The mysterious blend creates Hyper-reality, where the fake band’s sadness feels more authentic than actual reality. Just like Swift, the Gorillaz’s layers can be peeled back to show something distinctively human.
My Take:
Swift and the Gorillaz both lean into the fake to tell the truth. For them it is about resonance, not realism.
In case you're interested in my full thoughts of "Humility" check out my full thoughts here!
Conclusion
Postmodernism doesn’t hand out answers easy (act surprised), but it does show us a chaotic, fragmented, and often absurd world. Despite this, it asks us to find the deeper meaning anyway. Whether Swift’s calm and sinister logic is on full display or a Nnamdi’s convoluted song hums meaningfully, these works prove the strangest things can also ring the truest.