Chapter 1.2 - A Synopsis-The Swiss Family Robinson
William, Elizabeth, and their children had been travelling in a ship when it was caught in a great storm. The ship’s other passengers had evacuated (left) without them. William and his family, including the young children Fritz, Ernest, Jack, and Franz, were left to survive alone.
The ship survived the night, and the family found themselves within sight of a tropical desert island. Upon reaching the island, the family set up a makeshift (temporary) camp. The father knew that they had to prepare for a long time on the island and make as much provision for the future as for their immediate wants.
The family spends the next few days securing themselves against hunger. William and Fritz make several trips to the ship in their efforts to bring everything useful from the vessel ashore. The domesticated animals on the ship are towed back to the island. There is also a great store of firearms and ammunition, hammocks for sleeping, carpenter’s tools, lumber, cooking utensils, silverware, and dishes. Initially, they construct a tree house, but as time passes, they settle in a more permanent dwelling in the form of a cave.
hold : Here, space in a ship for cargo
pinnace : small boats attached to a ship
evacuated : left the ship to save themselves
reef : rocks and sand etc. close to the surface of the sea
vessel : Here, it means a boat.
kegs : barrels
runners : stripes on which something slides
exuding : giving out, emitting
abutting : having common boundary
oppressive : distressing
albatross : a large, long-winged sea-bird
stranded : left alone helpless
vicinity : close to
∗ ∗ ∗ Warming up! ∗ ∗ ∗
1. Do you know any stories about people who were lost in uninhabited places and were later rescued? Name them.
Ans: Yes. In 1971, the Robertson family boarded their yacht Lucette at Falmouth harbour, Cornwall, to sail around the world. Eighteen months into the trip, they were 200 miles from the Galápagos Islands when catastrophe struck. Their boat was hit by a pod of killer whales and destroyed within minutes.
The family scrambled aboard a leaky raft, and when that finally deflated seventeen days later, they made for their dinghy, the Ednamair. There was only enough water for ten days, and the only food on board consisted of a bag of onions, a tin of biscuits, ten oranges, six lemons, and half a pound of glucose sweets. When that ran out, the family drank turtle blood to survive.
The matriarch of the family, Lyn Robinson, was a nurse and devised a gruesome technique to keep them hydrated with rainwater collected in the boat.
On July 23, 1972, the family was finally picked up after a Japanese crew spotted their distress flare.
2. Think of one of your favourite interesting stories and fill in/ draw an outline-chart like the one shown below.
Ans:
The Real Castaways
Change / Problem / Challenge:
The famous explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 28 men left England aboard the ship Endurance on August 8, 1914 to fulfill his dream of crossing the south polar continent from sea to sea.
Scene 1:
During the expedition the ship got trapped in ice. Shackleton and his men found themselves marooned in Antarctica for five months.
Scene 2:
They lived on top of floating ice, fed on seals and kept warm by playing hockey and dog – sled racing.
In April 1916, Shackleton and 5 of his men set off in three small lifeboats they had recovered to find help on Elephant Island.
Scene 3:
The six men spent sixteen days crossing 1,300 km of ocean. The six men landed on an uninhabited part of the island.
Climax:
Their last hope was to cross 26 miles of treacherous mountains and glaciers until they finally reached a whaling station where they found help.
The problem resolved/Normalcy restored/End:
Shackleton returned to rescue the men on Elephant Island and amazingly, apart from some missing toes from frostbites, not one member of the 28 man crew was lost.
- Many times, the climax is near the end. A few stories end with a climax to achieve greater effect.
- Find the meaning of ‘anticlimax’.
Ans: Anticlimax means a disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events.
3. Divide the class into groups of 4-6. Each group selects for itself, one of the difficult situations listed below. Each group imagines themselves to be in that situation.
A group of passengers are marooned on an island in the middle of the ocean.
A group of pilgrims walking through a thick jungle have lost their way.
A team of players from an office got down at the wrong place on a highway at night. It is a lonely spot.
- Describe their surroundings in 4-5 sentences.
- Write the reactions of the companions using exclamations.
- Using your imagination, write what is the only ray of hope for them.
- Two members of the group are going out to try to get help. They can take any five things with them. Write what they choose, and why they choose it.
Ans: Students must form a group and do this on their own.
∗ ∗ ∗ In Between the Lesson ∗ ∗ ∗
Q1. In what way is a work of fiction different from a fact file?
Ans: A work of fiction is a piece of creative imagination. It is generally open to interpretation, whereas a fact file is completely based on reality. In a fact file, characters who are actual people are described, and they are factually accurate. This story, about the Swiss family Robinson, does stretch reality to a certain extent, and it is considered a work of fiction and not a fact file.
Q2. How did the family reach the tropical island?
Ans: The family had been shipwrecked, and they found themselves within sight of a Tropical Island. The next morning they decided to get to the island, they could see beyond the reef. With much effort, they first made provisions for their survival on the island. Over the next few days, William (father) attached the floatable old kegs to one another and built a bow that carried them around. Thus, the family landed successfully on the Island.
Q3. Why did Mother wish to shift the family to a tree – house?
Ans: Elizabeth, the mother, wanted the family to move to a safer place. Their current camp was not only exposed to danger but also very dry and hot. If they built a house up in one of the large trees, they would be safe from jackals.
Q4. How did the mother occupy herself while the tree house was being built?
Ans: While the tree house was being built, Mother kept herself occupied with tending the garden, which was now producing healthy plants.
Q5. What was the third place the family decided to reside in? Why did they wish to shift there?
Ans: The third place the family decided to reside was a cave. As the winter was ahead, they wanted to create a place protecting them from the elements, a strong storage spot to protect themselves and their belongings.
Q6. What made the family change over to their fourth residence? What precaution did they take before building it?
Ans: One day they found that one of their huts had been completely trampled and destroyed by a herd of elephants. So the family designed their fourth residence using four strong trees growing in a square near one another as the foundation. They avoided using stilts to prevent the elephants from knocking them down.
Q7. Do the changes in the family’s residence remind you of the history of man’s evolution?
Ans: Yes. The use of tools has been interpreted as a sign of intelligence, and it has been theorized that tool use may have stimulated certain aspects of human evolution. Besides, the fear of wild animals, the change of seasons, famine, and drought made the ancient man change his residence from one place to another. The Robinson family, too, was resourceful in building up their residences each time with the things available on the island.
Q8. How did Fritz learn about another victim, forsaken on a far away island?
Ans: On the shore of another island Fritz had knocked down an albatross, which was threatening to attack him and found a rag tied to the large bird’s leg. On the rag was a message that an Englishwoman had been stranded on the Smoking rock.
Q9. Who was the victim and how long had she survived?
Ans: The victim was a young woman, Jenny Montrose, and she had survived for three years.
Q10. Who is included in the word ‘Everyone’ in ‘Everyone was amazed …’?
Ans: The word ‘Everyone’ includes the passengers and crew of the British vessel that rescued the family.
Q11. How does the adventure come to a happy end?
Ans: With a burst of celebration, the family passengers and crew of the British vessel headed towards new Switzerland. Everyone was amazed by the prosperity and good health of the survivors.
∗ ∗ ∗ ENGLISH WORKSHOP ∗ ∗ ∗
1. Two separate words combine together to make a new word with a different meaning. They form Compound Words. Using a dictionary, find the meanings of the following compound words.
armloads
Ans: a load that can be carried with one’s arms.
driftwood
Ans: pieces of wood which are floating.
cross-currents
Ans: water currents in a river or sea which flow across one another.
footprints
Ans: the impression left by a foot.
fireplace
Ans: a place for a domestic fire to keep warm
spyglass
Ans: a small telescope to watch distant objects
2. The following words can be used as nouns as well as verbs. Make two sentences of your own, using them as a noun in one and a verb in another.
(a) hold :
Ans:
(a) Noun – She has a strong hold over her children
(b) Verb – Let me hold the bag for you
(b) value :
Ans:
(a) Noun – He has old-fashioned values.
(b) Verb – I value these old photographs.
(c) knot :
Ans:
(a) Noun – His stomach was in knots.
(b) Verb – Knot the shoelaces.
(d) travel :
Ans:
(a) Noun – He enjoyed selling but hated travelling.
(b) Verb – We travel quite often to distant places.
(e) return :
Ans:
(a) Noun – On his return, we threw a party.
(b) Verb – One should always return a compliment.
(f) reach :
Ans:
(a) Noun – He was beyond the reach of wild animals.
(b) Verb – If we reach early, it is better.
(g) knock :
Ans:
(a) Noun – The knock on the door was loud.
(b) Verb – Knock on the door, to get in.
(h) attack :
Ans:
(a) Noun – Attacks on women are increasing.
(b) Verb – We could not attack them in the day time.
(i) mark :
Ans:
(a) Noun – His arrows hit the mark.
(b) Verb – The skin disease marked his face permanently.
3. Given in a mixed order below are some good human attributes of the family. Pick out each from the box and write it against each line that reflects it.
(1) courage and daring (2) perseverance and positive attitude (3) foresight (4) family bonds (5) humanity and sensitivity (6) resourcefulness (7) knowledge and its application (8) cautiousness
(a) The father told Fritz, the gourds would make excellent bowls and spoons and they cut them into various utensils.
Ans: resourcefulness
(b) After some days, Elizabeth informed that she wanted the family to move to a safer place.
Ans: cautiousness
(c) Thinking ahead of winter, father decided to create a place safe from the elements.
Ans: foresight
(d) Father taught the boys geometry and how to use triangles to measure big objects.
Ans: knowledge and its application
(e) …….. he believed his daughter was still alive, after three years.
Ans: perseverance and positive attitude
(f) Ten years had passed and the young boys grew to be young men and their parents were proud of them.
Ans: family bonds; courage and daring
(g) Fritz felt that someone needed his help and he was determined to find the sender.
Ans: humanity and sensitivity
4. Write in your own words, how the Robinson family made each of their homes.
Ans:
First Home – Their first home was a tent which they built up by softening the floor with armloads of grass. They cut them and spread them to serve as their beds.
Second Home – Their second home was a tree house which they built by using long and extended branches. These branches were used as platforms. They also created a ladder out of bamboo.
Third Home – Their third home was a cave house which they created by making an opening on the smooth face of the rock. They cut windows in the rock for ventilation and sunlight.
Fourth Home – Since one of the huts they had made was destroyed by an elephant herd, they decided to build a stronger house using four strong trees as base, rather than building a house on stilts which the elephants could knock down easily. The four trees were of equal size, approximately twelve feet apart. This was a much safer home for them.
5. Expand the following ideas in a paragraph or two :
(1) Where there is a will, there is a way.
Ans: “Where there is a will, there is a way” perfectly captures the value of tenacity and creativity in achieving objectives.
According to this proverb, if someone has a strong ambition and unflinching will to succeed, they can overcome any challenges that stand in their way. People with this perspective are more able to think imaginatively, look for alternate routes, and persevere in the face of difficulties. It promotes optimism and inspires people to challenge themselves, come up with solutions, and not give in to failures.
This saying is true in many areas of life, including learning, employment, interpersonal connections, and personal development. It serves as a reminder that with the correct attitude and a firm will, people can make their ambitions come true, get through the challenges of life, and finally achieve what they set out to do.
(2) Courage and resourcefulness are the keys to overcome problems.
Ans: A person’s ability to effectively solve challenges depends on their courage and resourcefulness. The ability to face obstacles, face concerns, and act decisively in the face of uncertainty requires courage. It enables people to leave their comfort zones and welcome change as a chance for personal development. Resourcefulness fosters a flexible and innovative thinking, which supports courage. When faced with challenges, resourceful people come up with creative ideas, make the most of their abilities and expertise, and utilize the resources at their disposal.
The two qualities of bravery and resourcefulness work well together. They help people navigate through trying situations with resiliency, transforming failures into teaching moments. Individuals can approach difficulties from many sides, boost their self-confidence, and emerge stronger and more capable in the face of obstacles in the future by combining the willingness to face challenges head-on with the capacity to think outside the box. In the end, these qualities lay the road for success in different facets of life and personal development.
6. Individual Project :
Choose any novel/book that you enjoyed. Prepare a synopsis of the novel. It should include the major events and the links between them as described in the novel.
You may prepare a chapterwise outline first, and then put the outlines together to write a brief synopsis.
Ans: Students must do this on their own.
7. Read about the novel ‘Robinson Crusoe’ by Daniel Defoe and ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ by Jonathan Swift.
Ans: Students must do this on their own.