The Swiss Family Robinson

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The Swiss Family Robinson is a novel by Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812. It is about a Swiss family of immigrants whose ship en route to Port Jackson, Australia, goes off course and is shipwrecked in the East Indies. The novel was intended to teach his four sons about family values, good husbandry, the uses of the natural world and self-reliance. Wyss’ attitude towards its education is in line with the teachings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and many chapters involve Christian-oriented moral lessons such as frugality, husbandry, acceptance, and cooperation.