“Satire is a kind of glass, in which the beholder generally discovers everyone's face except his own” (Swift). Such viewers, as Jonathan Swift astutely points out, are meant, through the guidance of satirical narrative, to recognize social or political situations. In some satires, such as in Swift's A Modest Proposal, the use of absurd and blatant exaggeration is intended to capture the attention of an indolent audience regarding the social status of the poor. Yet even in such direct satire, there is another level of meaning. As for A Modest Proposal, the interchange between the voice of the proponent and Swift's voice introduces another means of critique, as well as the opportunity for readers to reflect on how well they might fit into the persona of the proponent. In this case, satire exists on multiple levels of meaning, not only offering conclusions about moral issues, but also allowing the audience an interpretation of their place in the criticism. Some of the most enduring works of satire exemplify this function, most specifically through the final states of the protagonists. Orwell's 1984, Voltaire's Candide, and Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels all exemplify protagonists' end states that emphasize conclusions to the moral and philosophical problems posed by the authors. However, each also displays a certain degree of ambiguity, which allows the audience to reflect on criticism alongside literary examination. All three of the above-mentioned literary works differ in content and the degree of satire employed. However, by comparing the differences and similarities between the final states of the protagonists in each work, it becomes possible to better understand satire as a literary genre. That is, the characteristics… at the heart of the article… questions about which life philosophy, if any, is best. Finally, in Gulliver's Travels the audience is left to reflect on the true state of humanity. While each of the above works varies in the degree of satire employed, the pattern between them accentuates how satire can best be understood not only as a lens of criticism, but also in causing audiences to consider their own role in criticism. Often, as has been demonstrated, authors use the final states of the protagonists to emphasize the criticism made during the literary work. However, the degree of ambiguity serves to engage the audience, which leads to greater effectiveness of the satire. Therefore, returning to Swift's quote on satire, the most effective satires not only allow viewers to discover the face of everyone else, but, through degrees of ambiguity, are also able to discover their own face..