Final answer:
Swift employs satire in 'A Modest Proposal' to effectively critique and expose societal indifference to the poor, highlighting the need for a more compassionate approach through shocking and ironic suggestions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Satire in 'A Modest Proposal'
Jonathan Swift's satirical essay 'A Modest Proposal' is a prime example of satire used to address societal indifference to poverty. Satire serves as a critical tool to expose and criticize flaws in society or human behavior by employing irony, sarcasm, and ridicule. In 'A Modest Proposal,' Swift proposes the shockingly inhumane solution of eating poor children to address poverty and overpopulation, which draws attention to the absurdity of turning a blind eye to the plight of the impoverished. The use of satire here is meant to shock and provoke the reader to understand the severity of the indifference towards the poor.
Satire has the ability to highlight issues in a way that straightforward discussions sometimes fail to achieve. By presenting extreme situations or exaggerated scenarios, Swift was able to stir a reaction in his audience, forcing them to consider the moral implications of their attitudes and policies towards the poor. Swift's technique of using satire exposes the hypocrisy and inhumanity inherent in contemporary attitudes toward the less fortunate, advocating for a more compassionate and humane treatment of the poor.