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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 16, "A Winged Steed," which family member thinks of a way to tame their "winged steed" through kindness?

2. In Chapter 11, "Our Estates," who suggests making a cave for a winter home?

3. In Chapter 17, "Bounty and Peril," what unanticipated danger do the narrator and his sons face?

4. What important substances does the narrator tell his sons can be obtained from fir trees?

5. In Chapter 15, "We Explore Inland," what use does the narrator say the family can find for fuller's earth?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In Chapter 16, "A Winged Steed," what is Elizabeth's first reaction to the ostrich, and what does Jack tell her in reply?

3. In Chapter 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," what happens to Jack in the swamp?

4. In Chapter 10, "Changing Seasons," how does the family make a staircase to their treehouse?

5. In Chapter 17, "Bounty and Peril," what new method of skinning animals does the narrator devise, and why does he feel it is necessary?

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

7. In Chapter 15, "We Explore Inland," where does the family explore for the first time and what new animal do they capture to ride, there?

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

9. 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?

10. In Chapter 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," what improvements are made to the cave house during the winter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

This book was originally composed as a series of stories and then later compiled into a novel. Write an essay in which you analyze the impact this origin has had on the book's overall structure and effect on the reader.

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

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?

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