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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 14, "A Casualty," what new outpost does the family build?

2. In Chapter 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," what is the "unpleasant task" that the chapter title refers to?

3. In Chapter 16, "A Winged Steed," which family member thinks of a way to tame their "winged steed" through kindness?

4. Why does the narrator think that it is a good idea to keep rabbits on Whale Island?

5. In Chapter 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," what new kind of bird does the family begin keeping at Rock House?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 17, "Bounty and Peril," what new method of skinning animals does the narrator devise, and why does he feel it is necessary?

2. In Chapter 11, "Our Estates," what are the improvements that the family makes to the cave before they move in?

3. In Chapter 10, "Changing Seasons," how does the family make a staircase to their treehouse?

4. In Chapter 10, "Changing Seasons," how does the narrator explain grafting to his sons?

5. At the end of Chapter 18, "Repairs and Fortifications," what construction of Fritz's planning does the family finally find time to work on, and what are the details of its construction?

6. In Chapter 14, "A Casualty," what dirty job does the family undertake, and what does it cause Elizabeth to suggest?

7. In Chapter 17, "Bounty and Peril," when the boys return from hunting, what does Jack say about hunting with the ostrich, and what is the narrator's reply?

8. In Chapter 12, "Anniversary," how do Jack and Fritz wake the family, and how do their parents respond?

9. In Chapter 11, "Our Estates," how do the narrator and his sons make the air in the cave safe?

10. In Chapter 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," what improvements are made to the cave house during the winter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you analyze the value of the island in this story as a microcosm of the larger world. In what ways does it resemble the larger world, and in what ways is it an imperfect allegory for the world itself? Be sure to use textual evidence to support your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you explore the sometimes conflicting attitudes the book expresses toward the usefulness of book learning. Does the narrator believe that the kind of education you can get from books is always valuable, or only valuable under certain circumstances? Use specific textual evidence to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you evaluate this novel as a teaching tool. What are the main values that it seeks to teach, and is it successful? Are there other values that it teaches besides those that the narrator directly expresses? Are these likely to be values that audiences of the time would have endorsed, and why or why not? Be sure to use textual evidence to support your claims.

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