The Treasure in the Forest
Answer the following questions
a. Describe the expository scene of the story.
=> Answer: The opening introduces Evans and Hooker as they travel by canoe toward an isolated island. As they approach their destination, they are surrounded by a landscape of thick green woodland, a downward-sloping hill, and a narrow stream that eventually reaches the sea.
b. What does the map look like and how do Evan and Hooker interpret it?
=> Answer: The map has clearly suffered from age and repeated handling. Its surface is rough, folded, creased, and worn. Evans examines its unusual symbols and identifies the curved lines with the river, while he considers the star to be the mark showing where the treasure is located. Hooker interprets the other markings differently, believing that the dotted and straight lines describe the route to the lagoon.
c. How did Evan and Hooker know about the treasure?
=> Answer: The two men first obtained knowledge of the treasure by overhearing a Chinese man's conversation. Their information was supported by the map that he had, which offered clues about where the treasure had been hidden.
d. Describe Evan’s dream.
=> Answer: While on their journey, Evan falls asleep and has a vivid dream involving Chang-hi and the treasure. In the dream, three Chinese men are sitting beside a small fire in the forest and speaking in English. Their conversation tells Evan that Chang-hi had recovered gold from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon and concealed it on the island. He had originally worked alone to protect the gold, but later required help to bring it out. A conflict developed among them, eventually causing Chang-hi's brutal death. Evan's dream is cut short when he hears his name being called.
e. What do the two treasure hunters see when they walk towards the island?
=> Answer: During their journey inland, Evan and Hooker pass three palm trees and thick bushes, with small white flowers growing close to the mouth of the stream. A much more disturbing sight soon awaits them: they discover the dead body of Chang-hi.
f. In what condition did the treasure hunters find the dead man?
=> Answer: They find Chang-hi's body lying in an open part of the wooded area. His neck is swollen and purple, and his hands and ankles are also badly swollen.
g. How did the treasure hunters try to carry gold ingots to the canoe?
=> Answer: To solve the problem of carrying the heavy gold, Evan and Hooker turn a coat into a makeshift carrier. They hold the two sides of its collar and transport the ingots together toward the canoe.
h. How were Evan and Hooker poisoned?
=> Answer: The poisonous slender thorns on the island cause the treasure hunters to collapse. One thorn, almost two inches long, penetrates Hooker's thumb. Evan then falls onto Hooker, and the pair collapse together in great agony.
Reference to the Context
a. How do you know the story is set on a tropical island?
=> Answer: The surroundings described in the story make the location recognizable as a tropical island. Evan and Hooker arrive at a coral island under the hot sun, where they encounter thick vegetation, tropical plants, streams, and a coastal environment. These natural features indicate a tropical climate.
b. Why do you think Evan and Hooker took such a risk of finding the buried treasure on a desert island?
=> Answer: The expectation of becoming rich is what drives them into such a dangerous situation. Evan and Hooker are convinced that the hidden treasure will provide them with wealth, so they accept the risks of exploring the deserted island. Its connection with a shipwrecked Spanish galleon makes the gold even more desirable. Their greed makes them careless about the possible dangers.
c. Do you think the narrator of the story is racist? If yes, what made him feel superior to other races?
=> Answer: Yes, there are definite elements of racial prejudice in the story. Evan and Hooker treat Chang-hi as someone beneath their status and behave toward him with a sense of superiority. They attempt to exercise control over him, and Hooker's manner of speaking reinforces this attitude. Their conduct demonstrates racial superiority and prejudice.
d. What do you think is the moral of the story?
=> Answer: The story illustrates that uncontrolled greed may lead to destruction. Evan and Hooker's intense desire to obtain the treasure causes them to overlook the dangers of the island and behave recklessly. Their search ends disastrously when the poisonous thorns become the cause of their deaths. The story therefore advises people to control their greed, remain content with what they possess, and achieve their objectives through honest means.
Reference Beyond the Text
a. Interpret the story as a mystery story.
=> Answer: The story possesses the major qualities of a mystery story, as it uses secrecy, strange circumstances, suspense, and an unexpected conclusion to hold the reader's attention. Evan and Hooker travel to an unfamiliar island in search of treasure associated with a shipwrecked Spanish galleon.
The mystery becomes stronger after the discovery of Chang-hi's dead body. The circumstances surrounding his death are initially unclear, creating questions for both the characters and the reader. The isolated forest contributes to the strange atmosphere, while Evan's dream offers important clues about Chang-hi's past and the hidden treasure.
The greatest surprise comes near the end when the treasure hunters encounter the poisonous thorns. Their search for wealth unexpectedly turns into a fatal experience. The hidden gold, Chang-hi's mysterious death, the unfamiliar island, Evan's unusual dream, and the deadly vegetation combine to make the story highly mysterious and suspenseful.
b. Treasure hunting is a favorable subject of children’s story. Remember a treasure hunting story you read in your childhood and compare and contrast it with The Treasure in the Forest.
=> Answer: “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson** provides a useful comparison with The Treasure in the Forest. Both stories are centred on the pursuit of hidden treasure, but they differ considerably in the way they develop their characters, atmosphere, and endings.
In Treasure Island, Jim Hawkins becomes involved in a dangerous treasure expedition after discovering a map associated with pirate wealth. His journey brings him into contact with pirates, sailors, betrayal, adventure, and sea journeys. Long John Silver is one of the prominent characters in the narrative.
In The Treasure in the Forest, Evan and Hooker travel to a remote island in search of gold hidden after a shipwreck. Both stories therefore contain the common themes of treasure hunting, mystery, danger, and adventure.
Nevertheless, their moods are quite different. Treasure Island is primarily an exciting adventurous children's story, where exploration and action dominate. The Treasure in the Forest is more frightening and mysterious, eventually ending in tragedy when Evan and Hooker are poisoned by the thorns. Thus, although both stories deal with the pursuit of treasure, they differ in tone, plot development, and conclusion.