The Swiss Family Robinson

Johann David Wyss (March 4, 1743 - January 11, 1818) was a Swiss pastor who earned lasting fame for writing The Swiss Family Robinson, a novel inspired by Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. While Crusoe was a lone castaway, The Swiss Family Robinson was written to have a father figure impart wisdom to his children, teaching them important lessons.  
 
The Swiss Family Robinson involves a family being shipwrecked, allowing the father to teach his four sons about Christian values and morality, including naturalism and self-reliance. The influence of Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau is evident in the writings of the Swiss pastor. The family encounters several adventures, with each one teaching the children certain lessons. Today the novel is considered a classic of Western literature.