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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. Who thinks of eating their soup from oyster shells?

2. What does the family name "Falconhurst"?

3. In Chapter 7, "Bread," what creature does Fritz catch that ends up towing their boat in to shore?

4. On their second trip out to the shipwreck, what do they discover washed up on an island?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

7. When the children are told of the decision to move to the grove of trees, what is their response and what is it an allusion to?

8. How does the family observe their first Sabbath together?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The island on which the family is shipwrecked has an astonishing capacity to support life. At one point, the children allude to the Biblical "Promised Land" (57). Write an essay in which you analyze the religious significance of the island as a "Promised Land." What does this phrase mean to Christians, and what additional meaning did it have during a time of colonial expansion? What does it likely signify about the island and the relationship of the family to their God? What does it signify about Europeans and their relationship to God?

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Evaluate the ending of this book; how satisfying is the ending, and why? Use specific textual evidence as you make a case for or against the ending of the story.

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