Introduction
One last post, finally, ha get it final, ik im funny. basically Jonathan Swift's way of trolling the British ruling class while simultaneously shining a spotlight on Ireland's economic struggles back in the 18th century. It's written like a serious proposal, but the suggestion is so absurd that it's obviously satire. Swift's says,
Which is like he's basically saying, "Hey, instead of letting Irish kids grow up in poverty and being a burden on their parents, why don't we just sell them as food to wealthy folks?"
Summary of Element One - metafiction, black humor and satire
Now talking about postmodern elements, this essay naturally has them.. Cuz everything not postmodern is still postmodern. First off, there's that whole metafiction thing going on. Swift presents this outrageous idea with a straight face, but we all know he's not serious saying
It's like he's playing with the boundaries between reality and fiction, making us question what's real and what's just a literary device,although it doesn't have this connection to the other two sources, this is similar to the metafiction that can be found in the velociraptor story, which has the ultimate satire to call out manufacturers and businesses causing unsafe conditions, mainly during covid, but it also calls out the ways companies cut corners and put others lives in danger for a profit.
Both Swift's proposal and Carlos Greaves, “SURE, THE VELOCIRAPTORS ARE STILL ON THE LOOSE, BUT THAT’S NO REASON NOT TO REOPEN JURASSIC PARK” dripping with sarcasm. He's basically mocking the rich and powerful for their indifference to the suffering of the poor. And by taking their callousness to the extreme, they show just how messed up the whole system is.
Summary of Element Two - Mortality
On another note, while the essay doesn't directly delve into the philosophical or existential aspects of mortality, it highlights the grim consequences of extreme poverty, which often lead to premature death for many individuals, including children. The proposal confronts readers with the harsh truth that in desperate circumstances, people are driven to unthinkable actions just to survive. The very idea of consuming human flesh, especially that of innocent children, forces readers to confront their own mortality and the fragility of human life. in "A Modest Proposal," Swift's grim suggestion confronts us with the stark reality of mortality in impoverished communities. It's like he's saying,
"Hey, in this messed-up world, people are so desperate that they're resorting to unthinkable things just to survive.” its like in a movie a student is failing and go up to the teacher and ask how they can make there grade better, and because they are so desperate they claim they'll do anything. now the teacher always saying you could always study and do your work but still it gets the point across.
If we switch gears to "Pyramid Song" by Radiohead, there's this haunting sense of mortality woven throughout the lyrics. Thom Yorke's voice floating over that eerie melody, it's like a meditation on the fleetingness of life and the inevitability of death. You're just hit with this wave of existential dread and then there's e.e. Cummings' "I carry your heart with me," which is like a love poem that transcends death. It's this beautiful reminder that even though we're all gonna kick the bucket someday, love has this power to endure beyond the grave. for whatever reason every time i think of this poem it just reminds me of the episode from Phineas and Ferb when Baljeet and Buford split ways because they decide they have lives without each other, but when they are separated they feel as if there's a hole in their heart where their friend should be.
Conclusion
So yeah, "A Modest Proposal" might be old-school, but it's postmodern vibes are totally ahead of its time. It's like Swift was dropping truth bombs centuries before postmodernism was even a thing. It kinda makes me wonder, 300 years later are we really all that different, i know we claim to be but it seems that the stories have the same things and the stories get the same reactions.
