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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 is the first name that the family gives to their cave house?

2. In Chapter 14, "A Casualty," what creature does the narrator cause to tow the pinnace to shore?

3. In Chapter 17, "Bounty and Peril," what reason does the narrator give for allowing Fritz to travel ahead alone in the kayak?

4. What fortunate discovery does Jack make while they are hollowing out a cave from the rock?

5. In Chapter 16, "A Winged Steed," what does the family name the new mount?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 11, "Our Estates," what new source of potential danger does the family discover, and what do they decide to do about it?

2. In Chapter 14, "A Casualty," when the sea turtle is towing the pinnace, what do the boys call the narrator, and how does he respond?

3. In Chapter 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," what reactions does the family have to the dead whale?

4. 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?

5. In Chapter 15, "We Explore Inland," how does Ernest kill the muskrats, and what does he intend to do with them?

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

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

8. In Chapter 16, "A Winged Steed," what does the narrator feel as the boys ride away on their first solo expedition?

9. In Chapter 12, "Anniversary," how does the narrator begin the athletic competition, and what is this incident intended to demonstrate about his character?

10. In Chapter 16, "A Winged Steed," how do the narrator and his sons succeed in catching an ostrich?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

What is the purpose of offering moments of humor in a didactic novel? Write an essay that evaluates the use of humor in this novel and offers a theory about the relationship of this humor to the novel's purpose as a teaching tool. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims. If you use outside resources in your discussion of the didactic novel, be sure to cite your sources in MLA format.

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