Satire can be defined as “a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society.( Satire - Examples and Definition of Satire.)” While this definition is standard throughout all of literature, authors have the freedom to use satire how they want. They can be lighthearted when using it, or they could use it to prove a point. When Swift writes “A Modest Proposal” he addresses a legitimate problem with the society in which he is living, but Molyneux writes her satirical literature on a minor problem affecting her life. 

“A Modest Proposal”, written by Jonathan Swift, is the essence of satirical literature. Swift writes about a solution for the famine that is taking place in Ireland at the time. He proposes the poor women nurture their newborn until her or she is one year old. Swift calls this the perfect age. He goes on to say that the children should be sold to richer members of society as food. This would provide food for the rich and money for the poor to purchase food. At first glance, the reader may be astonished at what he or she is reading. Swift writes this piece of literature to show his resentment towards the ruling government in England. He is not satisfied with the lack of productivity and organization within the government. He writes the satire with the purpose of making fun of the government, while keeping the tone of the speech lighthearted and informative. 

Another great example of a satirical work of literature is “I Am Sorry That I Didn’t Write a Comedy Piece”, by Wendy Molyneux. This story walks the reader through the day of a girl trying to write a comedy piece of literature. In the end, she never writes the comedy piece, but throughout the process she narrates her thoughts. These thoughts are stereotypes she believes are not true or possible overused. The use of these thoughts enable Molyneux’s piece of literature to be placed in the genre of satire. The tone Wendy uses throughout her work is easy going, but it is obvious she is offended by the use of the stereotypes.  

Due to the fact that both “A Modest Proposal” and “I Am Sorry That I Didn’t Write a Comedy Piece” are both works of satire they share some similarities. The first similarity seen is that both authors are writing about their own suffering. The satire they use to criticize their opposing parties shows they are suffering. Swift is criticizing the government because they do their job poorly, and cause him and his people to struggle to survive. In this example, he is physically suffering from the current famine and his voice should be heard. While it may not be quite the same, the narrator in Molyneux’s work is suffering emotionally. She is offended by the use of many stereotypes against women. Swift’s country had a problem with the famine and it needed a solution, so he wrote about it. This leads into one of the differences between the two pieces of literature. Swift writes about his criticism of the government, and wants its poor work to be noticed. He is writing this speech on a serious matter that is detrimental to him and his country’s future. On the other hand, Molyneux’s criticism is about something personal to her, she is upset with the use of the common stereotypes for women. Her suffering is internal and she does not write the piece in response to a serious issue. While she may be offended by the use of these stereotypes, her writing is not at the same level of seriousness as Swift’s. 

The analyses of these two satirical works of literature show that two works of literature in the same genre have many similarities and differences. While both Swift and Molyneux’s writings talk about the suffering of the narrator, the sufferings experienced by the narrator and the purpose for writing the piece are different. This shows that a genre is capable of having a good amount of variety, and that genres are not as it is thought to be. 
