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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 7, "Bread," when Jack and Ernest follow the narrator and Fritz to the bay, what message does the narrator give them for his wife?

2. In Chapter 7, "Bread," what important food crop does Ernest discover?

3. How do the narrator and Fritz get the sheep and goats to shore?

4. On their way in to shore, what is it revealed that Jack has thought to bring along?

5. When Elizabeth learns that they are alone on the ship, what is her response?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the family end up on a deserted island?

2. In Chapter 8, "The Pinnace," what process do the narrator and his sons follow as they assemble and launch the new boat?

3. Before they leave the ship, what does the narrator convince Elizabeth to do, and why does she object at first?

4. In Chapter 7, "Bread," what does the reader learn about the mission of the ship, and why is this so fortunate for the family?

5. When the narrator finally agrees to build a treehouse, what does he say he will do with their original camping site?

6. When Fritz and the narrator feel lonely for other people, what does the narrator tell Fritz?

7. What jobs does Elizabeth take on from the time of the shipwreck onward?

8. In Chapter 8, "The Pinnace," what has Elizabeth been doing while most of the family works on the pinnace, and what does she want the family to do next?

9. In Chapter 7, "Bread," what is convenient about Jack's discovery of clay?

10. Describe the incident at the bridge in Chapter 7, "Bread," when the narrator and Fritz are surprised by Jack and Ernest.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the novel's narrative voice: how does it characterize the narrator, how would you describe the narrator's language, and how does it impact the reader's experience of the story?

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Consider the characterizations of the family members that are offered in the book; which family members do you get to know the best and the least? Write an essay that offers a theory about why this is. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims. If you use historical or biographical evidence in your essay, cite your sources in MLA format.

(see the answer keys)

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