Johann Wyss "Swiss Family Robinson"

 

Johann Wyss

The family do not die at sea; they find their way to a small island. But what can they do now? Where will they live? What will they eat? Luckily, the father and mother have useful skills and they can teach their children. But how long will they be there, on the island?

The Swiss Family Robinson is different in a number of ways, but one difference is very important. Robinson Crusoe was not written to teach any special lessons. The Swiss Family Robinson shows that a loving family can work together in very difficult times. The story is told by the father. He teaches his sons lessons that readers of the book can also learn. The children have to learn to be kind and patient. They have to work hard and help their parents and their brothers. They are alone, but together, and they must always think of other people. No one ever gets angry or shouts on the island. Perhaps people in those days showed their feelings less and thought about themselves less than people today.

Wyss’s book is very long - he wrote it as two books - and the father often talks about religion to his sons. This shorter book tells the more exciting and adventurous parts of the story as we watch the boys grow up in their island home.

 

 

  

• Prev
• Next