The Swiss Family Robinson

I learned something really cool about the book. The family's last name is not actually Robinson. The title is Swiss Family Robinson referring to the famous book Robinson Ceruso. The family loose their last name as they loose their life. Using the first name of a famous character who also gets shipwrecked on an island is just them doing what ever they can to connect their new lives to the lives they once knew.

Example

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF MY ESSAYS FOR ENGLISH CLASS

IF YOU WANT TO READ A DIFFERENT ONE, SEE LINK ON SIDE BAR

Essay 9 - Irony

Ben Dameron
Mr. H Salsich
8th Grade A
03/12/09

Essay 9 Irony

Ironic Irony

(TS)Irony is a little but great detail when used correctly, and in To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses all three types of irony perfectly in To Kill a Mockingbird.(SD) An example of Lee’s irony of situation is when Lula doesn’t want Cal bringing Scout and Jem to church.(CM) You would think that the blacks would like the Finches because Scout and Jem aren’t racist but Lula says, “I want to know why you bringin’ white chillun to a nigger church” (Lee,158).(CM) Atticus works for black people, in fact he is risking everything for a black man and yet that Lula doesn’t like them.(SD) Harper Lee does a good job of using dramatic irony in parts with Boo Radley.(CM) There are two great examples in chapter 6, and one of them is when the three kids try to see Boo Radley, because the entire time you are telling them not to go.(CM) The second part is when Jem loses his pants, and he goes back even though Nathan is sitting outside with a shotgun.(SD) One person throughout the book continues to surprise us all with verbal irony, Dill.(CM) When Dill and Scout first meet, Dill tells her that he is going to marry her.(CM) Later in the same chapter, he “promptly forgot about it(marrying Scout)” (Lee, 54)(CS) To be constantly use all three types of irony in a book as a little detail is very hard, but Harper Lee pulls it off perfectly.








For more of my essays, see "Ben's Space in English Class" on side bar

ERBs part two

Today we finished our ERBs, and yet again I finished early and continued to read The Swiss Family Robinson.  Still, I am furious that Mr. Wyss can't have the sense to write about the mental aspect of being "lost" on an island in the West Indies.  It is still hard to put up with the kids need to shoot or tame every animal they find.  They have so many animals in one area, you would think that they (Family) would need to supply their "livestock" with food.  Also, animals come and go.  The monkey found in the early stages of the book was a huge character.  Now however, I don't know if this animal is dead or alive.  I am also a little confused, why did they waist gunpowder on blowing up the ship.  This is pointless to me.  If some ship comes along, and sees the wreck, you could get rescued.  I know they aren't to crazy about being rescued, but they are crazy.

Monday November 30th 2009

Wow!  Today in English class we got a really long time to read, and I got a lot further in The Swiss Family Robinson.  So, they are swiss?  With the way that the book is written, they sound more Scottish that Swiss.  The author needs to make to make a little more reference to Switzerland.  I don't know were they come from.  Well yeah the SWISS family robinson, but it just seemed like a catchy title.  A connection must be made from the real world and gilligan's island out there in happy land, were everyday is a happy days. The mental fact that they have been stranded on an island is not implied at all.  It is scary.  You don't know if you're going to live or die.  This is not a good dessert island story.  It is too happy.  The author is probably has only written about that happy little town in the valley in France.  He is just diving in to uncharted waters that he can't handle.

The Swiss Family Robinson

In our eighth grade English class before every lesson, we have silent reading, which is when we read books of our choice for six minutes everyday.


I am currently reading the classic "Swiss Family Robinson"


The Classic about an English family who get stuck on a island after a storm washes there ship up on shore and its crew tries to escape in the row boats. I am one who likes reading story about those who are trapped, for instance, one of my favorite books is Gary Paulsin's classic about Brian who got wrecked in northern Canada. The thing about this book is that the family seemed almost pleased when the found themselves trapped. The father says, "Hey, we were looking for a bit of adventure" and I don't think that a struggle for their lives is exactly what he was talking about. Also, his three sons seem to be too content with going out into the jungle and finding wild animals that they then adopt as pets. The father and mother keep saying that it is good to have livestock, but there is a great difference between livestock and keeping every animal you see. They have been on this island for days, yet there have been no disasters. Nothing has happened, I mean you would think that something would happen. I keep waiting for an animal to attack them, or for someone to fall into a ditch, or just something. It is frustrating how little happens. They're just skipping around this island having a dandy time. I mean, they are even drinking tea. I am very let down about this classic which was supposed to be a "great" book, but so far, I am not impressed.