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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 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," what new construction particularly pleases Elizabeth?

2. In Chapter 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," what new tool does the narrator surprise Elizabeth with?

3. In Chapter 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," what happens to Jack when he is gathering canes?

4. In Chapter 18, "Repairs and Fortifications," what spice do the boys discover and dislike the taste of?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In Chapter 11, "Our Estates," how do the narrator and his sons make the air in the cave safe?

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

4. In Chapter 17, "Bounty and Peril," what new boat do they make and what is Elizabeth's reaction?

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

6. 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?

7. In Chapter 18, "Repairs and Fortifications," what do the boys find has happened at Prospect Hill, and what is their response?

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 11, "Our Estates," what are the improvements that the family makes to the cave before they move in?

10. In Chapter 13, "Unpleasant Tasks," how do the narrator and his three older sons deal with the monkeys who have been damaging their outpost at Woodlands?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Write an essay in which you analyze the value of the island in this story as a microcosm of the larger world. In what ways does it resemble the larger world, and in what ways is it an imperfect allegory for the world itself? Be sure to use textual evidence to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Readers often react negatively to the variety of animal-based foods that the family eats while on the island. How much of this reaction is cultural? Write an essay in which you discuss the likely response of a European audience of the early nineteenth century, using internet research to support your claims about what Europeans of this time were accustomed to eating and what their attitude to novel food sources would likely have been. Be sure to cite your sources in MLA format.

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