What is the purpose of satire in "A Modest Proposal”?

The purpose of the satire in Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is to draw attention to the plight of the poor Irish in 1729 and, by doing so, hopefully improve their lot and change the way the English treat them.  The narrator suggests a plan for the impoverished Irish to sell their one-year-old babies to the wealthy English as a new food source; this would give them a renewable source of income and reduce the number...

The purpose of the satire in Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is to draw attention to the plight of the poor Irish in 1729 and, by doing so, hopefully improve their lot and change the way the English treat them.  The narrator suggests a plan for the impoverished Irish to sell their one-year-old babies to the wealthy English as a new food source; this would give them a renewable source of income and reduce the number of beggars on the streets. 

To be clear, Swift does not actually want anyone to sell or eat babies.  He does not agree with his narrator. In Swift's time, the English had bought up most of the land in Ireland and had raised rents on their tenant farmers to the point that, although they could afford to pay the rent, they could not purchase any food or means of heat.  They had to beg for their subsistence.  Through his repugnant narrator, Swift suggests that, since the English are already figuratively devouring the Irish—they get fatter, it seems, while the Irish get leaner and leaner—it is not that much of a leap to suggest that the English actually devour the Irish.