The Essentials of Humor

Sometimes a sense of humor is required.  Not everything one reads can be serious and straightforward.  Although I might wish it to be straightforward at times, I realize now that the reading would get boring.  A spice of life is at times exactly what is needed to change a point of view.  Jonathan Swift uses satire in “A Modest Proposal” to convey his ideas about how to receive nutrients during difficult times.  He proposes that women should have babies, so that they may be eaten by others for nourishment!  My first reaction was repulsion.  I couldn’t tell whether or not I supposed to take this man seriously or what.  Only later in class did I realize “A Modest Proposal” is full of satire.  Swift is making fun of eating babies and mocking the idea; he doesn’t mean for the reader to take him seriously.  Jonathan over exaggerates his ideas in the way he describes eating each baby and saving the women only so they will produce more babies to eat.  Ha. Ha. Ha. Although I am not a fan of the use of satire simply because I have difficulty deciphering when and where writers are making use of their humor, my understanding of the many different worlds of humor writers can implement is essential.  Be warned: Not every writer can be taken so seriously.