The Comparison of Swiss Family and Robinson Crusoe Essay Example

Many people would panic if they got stuck on a stranded island no matter what supplies they have. In The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe, a man that is stranded on an island has little or no supplies. The man begins to panic since he was unprepared for this circumstance.

Secondly, in the Swiss Family by Johann David Wyss, there is a family that gets stranded also but they have enough supplies to live comfortably. The family has a minimal reaction because they are more prepared for the dilemma. The setting has a large impact on how the characters react to the situation because the first man has no tools, the second family is very well prepared and the people both have different reactions due to their amount of possessions. 

Initially, the man in the first passage does not react well due to his limited amount of supplies. According to the passage, “This was all my provisions; and this threw me into such terrible agonies of mind, that for a while I ran about like a madman.” Basically, when the man realized what little he had and that he was stuck on a stranded island, he was really upset and eventually crazy. Therefore, the setting affects him because he does not have the supplies to survive there. Eventually, the man just gave up because he knew he was not going to make it, he saw no point in living any longer. 

Following, the family in the second passage is well prepared which allows them to be rational and maintain their calmness. In passage two the author states, “I kindled a cheerful fire with water and so,e squared of portable soup, and left my wife, with Francis to assist, the prepare dinner.” In other words, the family could comfortably live on the island because they had the proper supplies. This causes them to stay calm and to not go berserk because they are in danger. 

Finally, the difference in the settings impacts the characters reaction due to their differing amount of possession on the island. In passage two, the author states, “How rich we thought ourselves with has little we had.” Furthermore, the second family had enough supplies. The man did not have enough supplies so he had a difference in reaction compared to the family. Due to the characters different atmospheres in which they have to decide what they have to do. This results in the varying reactions between the characters in each story. 

The setting has a large impact on the characters because they each have a different amount of materials to help them survive. The man in the first passage has a very small amount of supplies therefore he begins to panic and go crazy. The family in the second passage has an abundance of supplies which in turn they are calm and do not panic.