THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON

THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON

Chapter by Chapter

Chapter 1 : Shipwrecked

Exposition	The Robinson family leaves by ship for Australia. They want to become missionaries there.
Conflict	After a week-long storm, the family is abandoned on the ship by the captain and crew who leave by life-boat.
Climax	Mr. Robinson and family leave the ship on a raft of planks and barrels. They land on shore.
Resolution	The next day they return to the ship and take supplies, two dogs and livestock. Finding no signs of other people on the land, they decide to start looking for a safe place to stay.

Theme:

1. Courage in the face of calamity

2. Resourcefulness

3. Ability to adapt to new environment

4. Religiousness

Synopsis:

The Robinson family set sail for Australia. Very soon, the ship is caught in a very fierce storm for six days. The ship runs aground near an island. The captain and crew flee the ship, abandoning the family. The family makes a raft of planks and barrels and leaves the ship. They are washed ashore. The next day, they return to the ship and bring some farm animals and supplies. While returning, Ernest falls off the raft upon seeing a shark. He miraculously holds on to a turtle that brings him to shore. One of the sheep that they brought from the ship mysteriously disappears.

Chapter 2 : Building A New Home

Exposition	The Robinson family starts to explore the place they are in. While exploring they learn that there are porcupines, foxes, tigers, penguins and cape buffaloes near them.
Conflict	They need to make a house that will keep them safe from the wild life. They come across a fig tree that is ideal for a tree house.
Climax	Mrs. Robinson’s worry about the rope ladder comes true when she almost falls down from it.
Resolution	Mr. Robinson makes a staircase inside the hollow trunk of the tree.

Themes :

1. The resolution to take charge of one’s family.

2. Perseverance

3. Resourcefulness

4. Religiousness – expresses the faith that God is still looking after them despite being stranded in a

strange place.

Synopsis :

The Robinson family decides to build a home for themselves. They set out looking for the best location for a house. They encounter a porcupine and some foxes. By noon, they come across an enormous fig tree. Mrs. Robinson suggests that they build a tree-house up in the fig tree. Fresh water and edible fruits are available close-by. Toiling for many months the house is finally completed. Mrs. Robinson feels that the rope ladder with which they ascend into their new home is dangerous. The next day, they find tiger tracks and see some penguins. Escaping up the rope ladder from a charging Cape buffalo, Mrs. Robinson almost falls. Off. The next day, they find that the tree trunk is hollow. Over several weeks, Mr. Robinson fashions an internal stairs to safely ascend into their new home.

Chapter 3 : A Deadly Mystery

Exposition	The rainy season sets in.
Conflict	Sleepless nights and nightmares set in. The comforts of civilized life are missed. Fear and gloom set in.
Climax	The family learn with horror that there is a prowling tiger nearby. They also find a sheep missing and a donkey dead.
Resolution	The family put away their fears by celebrating a religious occasion. It is Christmas. They find strength in prayers and togetherness.

Themes :

1. Courage in the face of dangers both known and unknown.

2. Being dependable for each other.

3. Togetherness as a family.

4. Religiousness – celebrating Christmas and finding comfort in prayers and singing.

Synopsis:

The Robinson family is getting use to their new home. The whole atmosphere changes when the rainy season starts. The heavy rains and dark, gloomy days and nights lead to much uneasiness, sleepless night and nightmares. To make matter worse, they discover that a tiger lurks in the jungle. To their horror they find the tiger killed without clues as to who or what has killed it. They are more horrified to find a sheep missing and a donkey also mysteriously killed like the tiger. They find solace in prayer and celebrating. Their sense of closeness as a family gives them the courage and strength to go on.

Chapter 4 : Island of Good Fortune

Exposition	The rainy season is over.
Conflict	The joy of bright, sunny days raises everybody’s spirits.
Climax	Ernest, the second son, finds a useful cave of rock salt. Fritz notices that the sea is full of herring.
Resolution	The family decides to make the cave their winter dwelling. Happy days again.

Themes :

1. Independence – Ernest  finding the cave on his own.

2. Sharing and caring – the parents observing their teenage sons.

3. Togetherness as a family.

4. Religiousness – considering the discovery of the cave and the ocean being full of fish as

magic, attributing them to a greater power.

Synopsis :

The rainy season is over and the gloom is lifted. The blue sky brings out much joy in the family. The second son, Ernest finds a useful cave. It is large enough for the family to use as a winter shelter. It is also the herring season. There is so much fish in the sea that they can practically catch them with bare hands. The parents observe how big their elder sons have grown.

Chapter 5 :Fritz’s Discovery

Exposition	Fritz has been secretly working on a canoe for two whole years.
Conflict	As he leaves in the canoe to explore, he gets a note on the leg of an albatross, about a woman stranded nearby.
Climax	Fritz finds her as she is about to be attacked by a pair of tigers. He shoots them with arrows and saves the girl.
Resolution	Fritz brings the girl, Jenny Montrose to his family.

Themes :

1. Independence  & curiosity – Fritz wanting to see if they are on an island.

2. Courage

3. The coming together of a young couple – a promise of the future.

Synopsis :

The eldest of the Robinson children Fritz, has been working in secret on a canoe. He wants to see if he can row around and prove that they are on the island. He finds Jenny Montrose after fighting off some tigers that were about to attack her. They row back in his canoe and join his family. When they arrive at Falconhurst, Fritz realizes that something seems to be wrong.

Chapter 6 :The Cave Creature

Exposition	Fritz and Jenny arrive at Falconhurst.
Conflict	The dog Turk leads them to the cave. Then they come across a gigantic boa constrictor.
Climax	Fritz attacked the snake. Jenny joins in. So does the family.
Resolution	The huge snake answers many  unanswered mysterious such as the dead tiger, dead donkey and the missing sheep.

Themes :

1. Determined courage.

2. Working as a team.

3. Young love

Synopsis:

Fritz and Jenny arrive at Falconhurst. Fritz immediately realizes that something is not right. The dog Turk leads them to a cave. There they encounter a gigantic boa constrictor. The family work as one to kill the snake. Jenny is introduced to the family. There is overall happiness because the answer to the dead tiger and dead donkey is finally found. It was the boa constrictor, which had also eaten the missing sheep. The young Fritz and Jenny become romantically attached.

Chapter 7 :Rescued from Paradise

Exposition	A ship arrives. It flies the flag of Britain. The family signals with their old cannon.
Conflict	The ship has been sent especially to look for Jenny.
Climax	The captain invites the Robinson to leave with them.
Resolution	Only the children leave. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are happy to stay back, as they have everything they need.

Themes :

1. Yearning to return.

2. Satisfaction.

3. Different interests.

4. Fulfillment of the children’s lives.

Synopsis:

A ship arrives. The family uses the last of their gunpowder to fire their old cannon to draw the ship’s attention. The ship has actually been sent by Jenny’s grandfather to look for her. The captain invites the Robinsons to join them on their return journey.  Jenny and Fritz marry in London. Ernest, Jack and Franz school well. They become famous with their stories. But Mr. and Mrs. Robinson do not leave. They stay on the island. They are happy where they are.