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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. What does the narrator like about their original camping site?

2. What creatures does Jack mistake for "little people" (103)?

3. In Chapter 9, "A Growing Menagerie," what unusual food does the narrator convince Fritz to try?

4. Whose idea is it to make the boat out of barrels?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 9, "A Growing Menagerie," how does Ernest eventually end up owning the monkey, Knips?

2. When the narrator and Fritz go exploring for the first time and are walking through the grass, what animal surprises them, and how do they react?

3. When Fritz shoots the margay, how does Ernest react, and what does the narrator tell him?

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

6. On the second morning, why are the dogs afraid of Fritz, and how does he win them over?

7. When the narrator wakes Ernest early, what is his reasoning, and how does Ernest respond?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you answer the following questions--be sure to use specific textual evidence to support your claims and to cite in MLA format any outside resources you use in your essay: What is "Christian husbandry," and in what way does the novel reflect the principles of Christian husbandry?

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate this story as a reflection of the philosophies of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Which of Rousseau's ideas are being explored in this book, and does the book seem to accurately bring these ideas to life? Be sure to cite your sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you explain the publication history of this novel, including the effects of its translation into French and later translation into English. How has this book changed over the years, and what is the significance of the changes? Be sure to use specific textual evidence to support your claims and to cite in MLA format any outside resources you use in your essay.

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This section contains 900 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample