The Swiss Family Robinson – Shipwreck Questions & Answers

Question 1: When did the storm hit them?

Answer: The storm hit them on the sixth day.

Question 2: Why did it feel as if nature had unleashed all its fury?

Answer: They felt so because when daybreak broke, there was no sign of

hope. Nobody on board had any clue and the crew had lost heart.

Question 3: Why could the family not get into a boat?

Answer: The family could not get into the boat because the crew had
already crowded all the boats. The last who entered the boat were cutting
off the ropes to move.

Question 4: How did the crew desert the family?

Answer: The crew got in the boats and lowered them; they took the last
lifeboat and deserted the family.

Question 5: What was the only comfort that the father had?

Answer: The only comfort was to observe that the slanting position of

the ship that could protect them from water and the stern seemed
immovable.

Question 6: Why did the narrator’s heart sink?

Answer: The narrator’s heart sank as he looked at his family in the midst

of the horrors.

Question 7: What was the narrator’s duty?

Answer: The narrator’s duty was to appear calm and collected before his
family.

Question 8: What supplies did each family member find?

Answer: Fritz found powder and small-shot which was contained in horn

flasks and small bullets in bags. Ernest found nails, a hammer and a
hatchet, a pair of pincers, chisels, and a pair of large scissors. Jack drew
attention to the large tubs.
Question 9: Describe the ship during the storm.

Answer: The masts had torn apart and gone to the side of the ship, leaks
appeared in every direction, and the ship began to fill with water.

Question 10: What did Fritz suggest?

Answer: Fritz suggested that if they had some cork jackets for mother
and his younger brothers, they could swim to land.

The Swiss Family Robinson – Shipwreck Questions & Answers

Question 11: Describe how the Swiss family built the narrow boat to
get ashore and what did their first cargo consist of. How did they
manage their way to the sea?

Answer: The narrow boat was built using eight tubs placed on a long thin
plank. The ends were bent upward like the keel of a vessel. The tubs were
nailed to the plank and to each other. This boat would be able to perform
a short course in calm water. The first cargo consisted of a barrel of
gunpowder, a chest of carpenter’s tools, guns, bullets, fishing-rods and a
sailcloth to make a tent. The Swiss family stepped out bravely into their
respective tubs, along with the help of two paddles, they managed to
make their way into the sea.

Question 12: In the novel, ‘The Swiss Family Robinson’, after the
crew had taken all the boats, the Swiss family stayed on the deck.
What were the courageous words that the narrator gave to his
family? On whom did it have an immediate effect?

Answer: The courageous words that the narrator gave to his family were
– “Courage, dear ones”. “Let us not lose all hope. The ship is aground,
our cabin is above water. Should the sea be calmer tomorrow, we can find
the means to reach the land safely.”