Read the excerpt from "A Modest Proposal."

Which false premise does the author rely on in this

excerpt?

I propose to provide for them in such a manner, as, instead

of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or

wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they

shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly

to the cloathing of many thousands ...

that parents would choose to disown their children

instead of caring for them

that parents would value their children over an improved

economy

that parents would rather sell their children than be

responsible for them

that parents would prefer to provide for their children

instead of selling them

Question

Margaret Braun

English

15 July, 13:36

Read the excerpt from "A Modest Proposal."

Which false premise does the author rely on in this

excerpt?

I propose to provide for them in such a manner, as, instead

of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or

wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they

shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly

to the cloathing of many thousands ...

that parents would choose to disown their children

instead of caring for them

that parents would value their children over an improved

economy

that parents would rather sell their children than be

responsible for them

that parents would prefer to provide for their children

instead of selling them

+3

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Thompson · Answer 1

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

Explanation:

A False Premise refers to a situation where an argument is based on a wrong assumption. Normally this would mean that the argument would be wrong as well but sometimes this is not the case.

In this essay, the author, Jonathan Swift relied on the false premise that parents would rather sell their children than be responsible for them. In other words he was saying that parents would sell their children to the higher classes to to survive.