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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 suggestion does Fritz make about their barrel boat?

2. At the beginning of Chapter 4, "Back to the Wreck," what do the narrator and Elizabeth decide their next priority should be?

3. In Chapter 9, "A Growing Menagerie," what important substance does Fritz discover a supply of?

4. What does the narrator decide they need to build before they can build the treehouse?

5. What is the first structure that the family lives in?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When Ernest finds oysters and salt, what is the narrator's response?

3. In Chapter 8, "The Pinnace," what do Elizabeth and the narrator disagree about, and what is the outcome of their disagreement?

4. What is convenient about the discovery of the dead shark's body?

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

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

7. In Chapter 4, "Back to the Wreck," how does Elizabeth react when Jack and Ernest fail to shoot the birds when they are traveling through the tall grass?

8. What problem occurs when the family tries to launch their barrel boat, and how do they solve it?

9. What creature does Fritz shoot in the bay, and how does Elizabeth react to this?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you explain how this novel reflects European knowledge about and attitudes toward non-European lands in the early nineteenth century. 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.

Essay Topic 3

Choose another castaway story to compare and contrast with The Swiss Family Robinson. Consider plot, setting, characterization, and theme as you explore the similarities and differences. Be sure to use textual evidence from both stories and to cite your sources in MLA format.

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