Satire is defined as, “a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, [or] bad” (Webster). Authors, such as Jonathan Swift, often use satire when they want to prove a point without being too direct, while also poking fun at it. While authors like Wendy Molyneux use satire to in their writing demonstrate how illogical an idea really can be. Although the pieces are written in very different ways, possibly because of the time period they are written in, they both are written very wholesomely. Satire helps distinguish a well thought out idea from a thoughtless notion. In A Modest Proposal, by Jonathan Swift and in I am Sorry that I Didn’t Write a Comedy Piece, by Wendy Molyneux, the authors use a satirical writing style to prove their points.

In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift uses satire to prove that the economy needs to be changed to help people live a better life. Although his use of satire is not immediately seen by many people, it does become very obvious as the piece of literature continues. According to Charles A. Knight, “to perceive the identity of satire we must begin with its disguises or formal appearances” (Knight 1). By having Swift wait until later in his passage to reveal his true intentions, of the author deposits A Modest Proposal into the category of satire. It becomes obvious that Swift’s piece is written with a satirical lens when he talks about eating babies as a solution so they can “contribute to the feeding” and not be a burden to the poor and hungry (Swift 515). “Michael Seidel, sees satirists as chroniclers of the corruption in which they themselves participate” (Knight 1). This is true for Swift because he finishes out his piece with a double negative to show that he does wish he could participate yet he cannot. Swift has “not the least person interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work” of selling children off to help fix the economic problems found in Ireland (Swift 520). Swift’s piece, A Modest Proposal, at first seems not to fall into the genre of satire but end with multiple pieces of evidence to depict its true lens. 

Wendy Molyneux uses satire in a more obvious way than Jonathan Swift to inform her readers of the true purpose of her piece. In, I am Sorry that I Didn’t Write a Comedy Piece, Wendy Molyneux uses satire to prove that women can be funny.  “Satire has been known to incorporate other elements like irony and ridicule to denounce something morally wrong, … through means of … comedic techniques” (Satire Comedy). Molyneux uses irony as a key factor in her argument that women can be funny. She starts using irony immediately in her piece, starting with her title, and continues the trend throughout her argument. Molyneux uses basic girly stereotypes to fight the stereotype of low level of comedy, that women can actually produce. She mocks herself by using basic stereotypes such as seeing a baby and “crying again because [she did not] have a baby” and “opening her pink Mac laptop” to defend her point (Molyneux 521). Molyneux picks very obvious and easy to understand stereotypes to help people understand that she is not being serious. Molyneux makes fun of her and the rest of the female gender to prove that she not only can take a joke but she can also make one. In the end so is blatantly ironic to just drive her point home, she claims she “would have been terrible at it anyway” (Molyneux 523). Molyneux does this just to spite the people who claim women cannot be funny after she just took the time to write a comedy piece.

Even though Molyneux is more open with her use of satire than Swift is, does not mean the pieces are in different genres. The pieces have very different content, yet both are still trying to call attention to something the author sees as unjust. Both, A Modest Proposal and I am Sorry that I Didn’t Write a Comedy Piece, are written very strongly to show how satire can actually help clarify how recognizably wrong an idea is. Sometimes people do not always pick up on how wrong something is until someone starts to make fun of the idea. Swift and Molyneux are both very good at conveying their points through satire. Swift proves that satire can be used very subtlety but still convey a strong point. While Molyneux proves that being openly satirical can help open the eyes of many, and persuade several readers to side with the author. Swift use of satire is subtler, possibly because of the time period he is writing in, which is more reserved. Although Molyneux is writing to a more modern and accepting audience who is a little bit lazy and wants to see and idea quickly. Both pieces are written to inspire people to change. Swift’s proposal is so far out of reach that he knows no one would try it, while Molyneux makes her end goal, having girls write more comedy, more attainable. 

Both Jonathan Swift and Wendy Molyneux write satirically to help prove how wrong people can be. Although the two pieces are written within the same genre they are not that similar when it comes to how they are written. Swift choses to a less aggressive way to write satirically, so some people do not even realize it is satirical. While Molyneux is very openly satirically. Both authors find the topic they are writing about very personal and they feel very strongly about it. Yet, unlike Molyneux, Swift would never act upon this thoughts, he makes his writing so outrageous that not only can he not act upon his proposal but no one in the right mind would. Molyneux pieces is written in a way that some females might be inspired by her and join her in her fight to prove that women can be funny. 
