Question

re in swifts \a modest proposal\
\a modest proposal\
by jonathan swift
it is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or
travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads and cabbin-
doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or
six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms.
these mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are
forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their
helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work,
or leave their dear native country, to fight for the pretender in spain, or sell
themselves to the barbadoes.
i think it is agreed by all parties, that this prodigious number of children in
the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently
of their fathers, is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom, a very
great additional grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair,
cheap and easy method of making these children sound and useful
members of the common-wealth, would deserve so well of the publick, as
to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.
but my intention is very far from being confined to provide only for the
children of professed beggars; it is of a much greater extent, and shall take
in the whole number of infants at a certain age, who are born of parents in
effect as little able to support them, as those who demand our charity in
the streets.
as to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years, upon this
for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the
feeding, and partly to the clothing of many thousands. . . .
which false premise does the author rely on in this excerpt?
that parents would rather sell their children than be
responsible for them
that parents would choose to disown their children
instead of caring for them
that parents would prefer to provide for their
children instead of selling them
that parents would value their children over an
improved economy

Explanation:

In "A Modest Proposal", Swift uses satire. The false premise here is that parents would prefer selling children over caring for them. The text's context of beggars' children and the proposal's satirical take relies on this untrue assumption about parental behavior (prioritizing selling over responsibility) to advance the ironic argument. Other options either don't align with the satirical falsehood (e.g., disowning vs selling, valuing over economy, or preferring to provide) or misinterpret the premise.

Answer:

that parents would rather sell their children than be responsible for them