THE ARTISTIC FUNCTION OF SATIRE AND DARK HUMOR IN THE WORKS OF JONATHAN SWIFT

Abstract

This paper examines the artistic function of satire and dark humor in Jonathan Swift’s works, focusing primarily on A Modest Proposal and supplemented by Gulliver’s Travels. Satire is a literary device used to expose social injustice, human folly, and institutional corruption, while dark humor intensifies the ethical and emotional impact of such critique. The study investigates Swift’s use of irony, parody, grotesque exaggeration, and narrative strategies to engage readers morally and intellectually. Special emphasis is placed on how A Modest Proposal employs shocking humor to criticize British colonial policies in Ireland and how Gulliver’s Travels uses fictional societies to reflect human weaknesses and societal absurdities. The paper concludes that Swift’s satire and dark humor remain relevant in contemporary literary scholarship due to their enduring capacity to provoke ethical reflection and critical thought.