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The Swiss Family Robinson

by Johann David Wyss, Johann Rudolf Wyss

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In "The Swiss Family Robinson", the shipwrecked family domesticates and names several animals on the island: an onager (Lightfoot), a donkey (Grizzle), a jackal (Fangs), a buffalo (Storm), an ostrich...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, the children's ages at the time of the shipwreck are: Fritz, 14; Ernest, 12; Jack, 10; and Franz, nearly 6. The parents' ages are not specified, but it is implied that...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

On the third day in "The Swiss Family Robinson", while William and Fritz return to the ship to save livestock and supplies, the rest of the family remains onshore. Elizabeth and Jack spend their time...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The family in The Swiss Family Robinson decides to leave the beach because it is too exposed to pirates, the elements, and dangerous animals. Moving inland offers better protection and allows them to...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

Mr. Robinson comes up with the idea of a digging a cave from Fritz, and when they break through to a large salt cavern, Mr. Robinson realizes after some experimenting that it will make a fine winter...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, exploration and setting play crucial roles. The Robinson family explores a remote, uninhabited island where they are shipwrecked. They adapt to their new environment by...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

"The riven masts had gone by the board" means the masts of the ship were broken and had fallen overboard. "Riven" indicates that the masts were split and damaged, while "by the board" means they fell...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The differences between Tentholm, Rock House, and Falconhurst in The Swiss Family Robinson lie in their locations and structures. Tentholm was a beachside tent used for storage and initial living....

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, the family finds various foods on the island, including lobster, oysters, mussels, an animal called an agouti, sugar cane, coconuts, honey, potatoes, spices,...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The adventure concludes happily as the Robinson family, settled on the island for over a decade, faces a choice when a British ship arrives. Fritz and Franz decide to sail to England, while the...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The father in The Swiss Family Robinson offers advice to his sons regularly. He encourages faith in God during crises, as seen when facing death at sea, saying "God can save us." He advises hard work...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

Fritz's suggestion was wrong for several reasons. First, his father argues against repaying evil with evil, emphasizing moral principles. Second, he points out that the former crew could provide...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The conflict in The Swiss Family Robinson is the family being stranded on a deserted island due to a storm. The climax occurs when, after three years, they feel at home on the island. The resolution...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The first campsite in The Swiss Family Robinson is not explicitly described in the novel, but various clues suggest it was located near the beach where they landed. The family quickly found a spot to...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The central conflict in "The Swiss Family Robinson" is the Robinson family's struggle to survive and adapt after being shipwrecked on a deserted island. Initially, they must overcome the immediate...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

Grizzle, the Robinson family's donkey, is helpful because, after he is swallowed by the boa constrictor, they are able to kill this fearsome snake.

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The family moves several times. First, they move from a tent in the blazing sun to a cooler treehouse. They take the precaution of being sure they can bring their rope ladder up with them at night....

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The Robinson family in The Swiss Family Robinson faces three main problems: surviving the shipwreck, protecting themselves from the elements, and finding food. They build a raft to reach the island,...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The Swiss Family Robinson initially constructs a treehouse for safety and shelter, using materials like wood and rope. As their needs evolve, they build more sophisticated structures, including a...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

During the rainy season, the family lived in their cave, named "Rockburg," as described in Chapter 10. They chose the cave because it was weatherproof, unlike their other home, Falconhurst, which was...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, tobacco serves the unusual purpose of being a tranquilizer. The family uses tobacco smoke to calm animals, including an eagle, an ostrich, and a swarm of bees. Fritz...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, the family uses porcupine quills to make sewing needles, coconuts for bowls and food storage, hides from jackals and wild cats for belts and dog collars, and turtle meat...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

Admirable characters in The Swiss Family Robinson include Father, who demonstrates leadership and resourcefulness; Mother, who shows nurturing and resilience; and the children, each of whom exhibit...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The plot structure of The Swiss Family Robinson follows a three-act structure. In the exposition, the Robinson family is shipwrecked on a tropical island. The rising action includes their survival...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

While the question of whether all the animals in "The Swiss Family Robinson" could coexist on a deserted island is subjective, it is possible for a diverse ecosystem to sustain thousands of species,...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The time frame for "The Swiss Family Robinson" is around the turn of the 19th century, with the original book published in 1812. Although various adaptations depict different times and settings, the...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The female sailor in "The Swiss Family Robinson" is Emily Montrose. She is discovered by Fritz on a rocky island where she survived alone after a shipwreck. Initially, she disguises herself as...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The children in The Swiss Family Robinson describe the dead jackal with surprise and confusion, as none can accurately identify it. Ernest thinks it is a fox, Jack believes it is a wolf, and Frank...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The journey to the Promised Land in The Swiss Family Robinson involves the Robinson family leaving their initial encampment on a hot, bare rock to seek a more comfortable home. Mrs. Robinson desires...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

While returning from the wreck, Fritz and his father encounter a shark threatening their salvaged animals. Fritz quickly responds by shooting the shark as it attempts to attack a sheep, successfully...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In "The Swiss Family Robinson," the pastor and his son, Fritz, transport animals to the island using makeshift flotation devices. Initially, the family constructs a boat from empty casks to carry...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The family's first meal on the island is not breakfast. Their morning meal is later in the day. They have their first breakfast on the island in Chapter Five.

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In "The Swiss Family Robinson," the family utilizes animals in various ways. A tortoise provides meat and its shell is used as a water tub. A buffalo is used for meat, leather, and as a beast of...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The Robinson family was on the ship because they were moving to Australia after losing their fortune during the Revolution of 1798. The father, a Swiss clergyman, obtained a missionary position in...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, the cry of the ostrich sounds like the roar of a lion.

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The arrival of the family on the tropical island in The Swiss Family Robinson marks the beginning of their adventure. After being shipwrecked, the family reaches the island and starts to explore and...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The tone in The Swiss Family Robinson is optimistic and adventurous, reflecting the family's bravery and cheerfulness in adapting to their shipwrecked situation. The novel emphasizes ingenuity and...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In "The Swiss Family Robinson," male ostriches are distinguished from females by their coloration. Males are described as having dark, glossy black bodies with white plumes at the tips of their wings...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The Robinsons faced the challenge of survival after being stranded near an uninhabited island, requiring them to adapt to life in isolation with no hope of rescue. They had to create a new life in...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The family names their landing spot "Safety Bay" to express gratitude to God for their safe escape from a shipwreck. This naming reflects the educational and moral themes of the story, where the...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, the shark's skin is initially considered for use as a file due to its rough texture, but it is ultimately used to aid in tree climbing. The family wraps the skin around...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, Coco is a descendant of Fangs, the jackal, and becomes one of the family's animal companions. Jack, one of the children, names him Coco because it is easy to call from a...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The third residence of the family in The Swiss Family Robinson was a cave. They moved there after initially living in a makeshift tent and then a tree-house. The cave provided better protection from...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The fowls and dogs reach the shore by different means. The family constructs a makeshift vessel using wooden casks, and the fowls are placed in one of these compartments along with other provisions....

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The Swiss Family Robinson

The family in The Swiss Family Robinson doesn't always live in Falcon's Nest because it doesn't adequately protect them from harsh weather. Although initially excited about moving there from Tent...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, the characters carve their utensils from gourds that Mr. Robinson cut down from the calabash trees.

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In "The Swiss Family Robinson," the family uses a jackal hide to create a belt and protective spiked collars for their dogs. Jack crafts the belt and collars by cutting strips from the hide, cleaning...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

In The Swiss Family Robinson, Mr. Robinson, the pastor, and his wife, Elizabeth, are very much alike in their resourceful and positive attitudes in coping with being stranded on a deserted island....

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The Swiss Family Robinson

During the initial exploration in The Swiss Family Robinson, Fritz discovers various resources and animals that will aid the family's survival. He finds a coconut, sugarcane, and a lobster,...

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The Swiss Family Robinson

An alternative ending for The Swiss Family Robinson could involve the island facing internal conflict or external threats. Civil strife might arise among settlers over governance issues, disrupting...

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