Swiss Family Robinson Figurative Language

In the novel, “The Swiss Family Robinson”, by Johann David Wyss, a Swedish family is shipwrecked on an uninhabited, tropical island. They find that they are the only survivors of the crew so they set out to explore the island and colonize it. Using resources from the wrecked ship, they construct a magnificent abode high in the trees called Falconhurst. With constant vigor and determination the Robinsons find many wonders of natural beauty, while facing numerous perils and over the course of years established a quantity of lavish settlements and tamed many wild beasts of the land. In a stroke of good fortune, the family discovered another human a girl who had been shipwrecked and washed up on the island. They took her in as a member of their …show more content…
For instance, in the novel the father of the family made multiple allusions to the Greek soldier Stentor from the epic poem , “The Iliad”by Homer. The text states, “They had a creamy-white cow called Blanche, and a bull with such a tremendous voice that he received the name Stentor”(248). Furthermore, Stentor possessed a tremendously loud voice and would call the Greek army to battle. Therefore, the purpose of this literary allusion is to personify the bull’s voice by comparing it to the voice of Stentor. In addition, the father also describes the making of treehouse Falconhurst. The text states, “A strong, straight beam was made flat on one side. Smooth planks were laid across two of the lower roots of our tree”(87). This excerpt from the text gives the reader deeper insight into the building process of the treehouse. Similarly, it helps the reader to form a more clear image of the treehouse on a whole. These literary elements allow the reader to grasp more fully the spectacles of natural grandeur seen by the characters and their cultural influences through