The Swiss Family Robinson - Characters

Characters

• The Father - He is the narrator of the story and leads the family. He knows a great deal of information on everything from roots to hunting, demonstrating bravery and self-reliance.
• Elizabeth - The mother. She is intelligent and resourceful, arming herself even before leaving the ship with a "magic bag" filled with supplies, including sewing materials and seeds for food crops. She is also a remarkably versatile cook, taking on anything from porcupine soup to roast penguin.
• Fritz - The oldest of the four boys, he is sixteen. Though he is not the most intelligent, he is the strongest and accompanies his father on many quests.
• Ernest - The second oldest of the boys, he is fourteen. Ernest is intelligent, but a less physically active boy, often described by his father as "indolent". Like Fritz, however, he comes to be an excellent shot.
• Jack - The third oldest of the boys, eight years old. He is thoughtless, bold, vivacious, and the quickest of the group.
• Franz (sometimes rendered as Francis) - The youngest of the boys, he is nearly six when the story opens. He usually stays home with his mother.
• Jenny Montrose - An English girl found on Smoking Rock near the end of the novel. She is shy but soon is adopted into the family.
• Knips - An orphan monkey adopted by the family after their dogs have killed its mother. The family use him as a test subject for unfamiliar foods.
• Fangs - A jackal that was tamed by the family.