Sample Answers by Samarpit Prakash
Answer the following questions.
a. Describe the expository scene of the story.
Ans: Two friends, Evans and Hookers, reach the seashore of an island in a canoe following a map. They are in search of the treasure that is hidden in the forest a distance away from the bay. There are big mountains far beyond the forest, which stand like frozen waves in cloudlike texture. They are tired, hungry, and thirsty as they have been there with an unprovisioned canoe. Suddenly they discover a lagoon, a gap or stretched opening of saltwater on the shore. They go into the lagoon in search of fresh drinking water.
b. What does the map look like and how do Evan and Hooker interpret it?
Ans: The map looks like a rough piece of discoloured paper. It is creased by much folding and is almost on the verge of separation with discoloured fragments. They hardly understand the outlines on it because of the dim and unclear symbols.
Evans points to the curved line and claims that to be a river. He mistakes the little marks there to be the plan of a house and expresses his confusion about the meaning of the little dashes.
c. How did Evans and Hooker know about the treasure?
Ans: Evans knew about the treasure by overhearing the conversation of three Chinamen, led by Chang-hi, and from the map they had possessed.
d. Describe Evan’s dream.
Ans: Evan dreams of the same incidents that have happened in reality. In his dream, there are three Chinamen talking about a treasure left by a Spanish galleon on an island, and Evans and Hooker are overhearing them. They snatch the map from them by murdering their leader, Chang-hi, after a struggle. During this, Chang-hi grows bigger and bigger. Evans also sees the heaps of gold turning to a furnace. A vast devil with a black tail, just like Chang-hi, begins feeding him with coals that burnt his mouth horribly. And, when another devil has been shouting his name, Evans wakes up.
e. What do the two treasure hunters see when they walk towards the island?
Ans: The two treasure hunters see a lagoon where a small stream ends. They also see a gap, with a marshy land beneath, from the opening of the reef to a clump of palm-trees in a straight line. When they approach the treasure, they come to see a half exposed hole with gold ingots, and a dead body beside it.
f. In what condition did the treasure hunters find the dead man?
Ans: The treasure hunters found the dead body with a puffed and purple neck, and swollen hands and ankles. It was of a Chinaman lying prostrate with limp arms as if killed by a poisonous snake.
g. How did the treasure hunters try to carry gold ingots to the canoe?
Ans: The treasure hunters tried to carry gold ingots to the canoe in a jacket. They spread it on the ground, filled the ingots in it and planned to carry it by holding the sides.
h. How were Evan and Hooker poisoned?
Ans: Evan and Hooker poisoned when the thin thorns pricked their skin. The thorns had poison in their tips which looked similar to those used in Dyaks’ blowing tubes.
Reference to the context
a. How do you know the story is set on a tropical island?
Ans: There are some evidences in the story which tells us that this story is set on a tropical island. Firstly, when the treasure hunters approach the land of the treasure, it has a hot and tropical climate. Secondly, they reach there through the long night voyage from the mainland. Mainland is the larger extent of a territory as opposed to the island. Lastly and most significantly, the vegetation like palm trees, reeds, and ferns, as well as the lagoon, coral reefs, dense shrubs, creepers swung from tree to tree, dim white flowers, fungi with specks, red-brown incrustation, and marshy wetlands found in this island are some significant features of a tropical island.
The following facts help us to know that this story, “The Treasure in the Forest”, is set on a tropical island.
b. Why do you think Evan and Hooker took such a risk of finding the buried treasure in a desert island?
Ans: I think Evan and Hooker took such a risk of finding the buried treasure in a desert island because of their greed of wealth and power. Greed to achieve the treasure, gold ingots, is the main reason that invoked them to take a high risk, which even took their life. They had the intention to get-rich-quick through this expedition. They wanted to achieve their goal even by robbing and murdering the Chinamen. Besides, they seemed to be adventure loving people who really liked to take risks.
It also looked like Evan and Hooker might be in a financial crisis or in a heavy debt. They might have an obligation to pay that within a short time period. This, too, can be a reason that made them take a risk of finding the buried treasure in a desert island.
c. Do you think the narrator of the story is racist? If yes, what made him feel superior to other races?
Ans: Yes, I think the narrator of the story is a racist. It is because he/she narrates the story favoring Evans and Hooker, two Englishmen. The actions of these two criminals, who murder a Chinaman-Chang-hi to rob the map, are presented as brave and courageous. Whereas, Chinamen are presented as cowardly, weak, and cunning.
The narrator also mentions, “The life of a Chinamen is scarcely sacred like a European’s”. It proves his/her biases towards the Asian, particularly Chinese. He/she believes the Europeans are superior and sacred than the Asians. He establishes European supremacy over the others. The author H.G. Wells is a European and he seems to portray white men’s perspective through the narrator’s point of view. After the seventeenth century, Europeans colonized several countries of Asia and Africa, believing it was their responsibility to civilize the natives imposing their language and culture. I think this historical fact has made the narrator feel superior to other races.
d. What do you think is the moral of the story?
Ans: The moral of the story is that a person should be humble and honest without greed to accomplish a certain task because greed always ends in disaster. Besides, one needs a better plan and preparation before the execution of an expedition. And lastly, this story teaches that karma always pays with the same outcomes.
Reference beyond the text
a. Interpret the story as a mystery story.
Ans: The sequence of the events in the story “Treasure in the forest” are full of mystery. The way Chang-hi discovers the treasure is too mysterious. There has been the treasure of the Spanish galleon buried on the island for two hundred years and suddenly Chang-hi has discovered that. It is not known how he has come to find those riches after so long. Even after this discovery, he does not bring with him rather buries in another place in the same island which is very strange. He has ensured the safety of the treasure by the snare of poisoned thorns. These incidents create a greater suspense in this story.
After burying the treasure in very easily identifiable landmarks, Chang-hi prepares a rough map of the entire island and mainland, which is tougher to understand. How a person knows the entire territory with such a confidence is another mystery in this story. Evans and Hooker murder Chang, and rob the map from him. While dying, Chang-hi laughs at them because he knows they cannot access the ingots without losing their lives. But, Evans and Hooker find his dead body near the treasure. It is another riddle in this story to solve.
This story has several elements of mystery. It begins with a hook by portraying two characters, Evans and Hooks who approach land for a purpose. The setting, characters, and conflicts are gradually introduced with full suspense. It also has strong compelling characters, reader involvement, and a satisfying ending. These features make this story a complete mystery.
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.’
Ans: I had read a story “Baja Lauri Dangdung” meaning “Go stick flog disorderly” in my childhood. In this story, there was a man Dilbahadur who was living happily despite his poverty. One day he went to his field to plant maize. He worked hard all day, and in the afternoon, he went to a shade of a tree for lunch. He made seven pieces of a roti that he had brought, and was ready to devour. He said that he would eat all seven one after another. Beneath the tree, there was a demon living with his seven children. Listening to what he said, he got scared, because he mistook that Dilbahadur was going to eat his seven children. He came out and gave him a magical dish that could cook rice pudding instantly without ingredients. It was an amazing treasure for him because he did not have to worry about food anymore. But later Dilbahadur’s aunty, who was very mean and selfish, stole it from him. In the same way, he brought a magical goat from the demon that would poop gold droppings. But, it too was stolen by her. At last, the demon gave him a magical stick that could beat anyone to death once ordered. Like usual, the aunt tried to steal the stick but she was beaten awfully by it. At last, she accepted her fault and returned the items which she had stolen from Dilbahadur.
This story “Baja Lauri Dangdung” and “The Treasure in the Forest” have some similarities and some differences as well. The mean aunt has similar characteristics like that of Evans and Hooker, who too are selfish like her. Like the aunt steals the treasure from her nephew, Evans and Hooker too try to steal the treasure hidden by Chang-hi. As Evans and Hooker get unsuccessful in stealing the treasure that does not belong to them, the aunt too has to return the things she has stolen.
In both stories, there is the involvement of demons with symbolic meanings. In “The Treasure in the Forest”, Chang-hi, in Evans’ dream, turns into a demon and grins at him. Also in “Baja Lauri Dandung”, the demon is the main source of the treasure similar to Chang hi as a source.
However, these stories have significant differences. In the ending of the first story, the Aunt realizes her mistake and gets redemption after her acceptance, but in the second story, they do not get a chance for redemption as they lose their life. The second story has adventurous voyages with significant risk unlike the first one. The first story ends with a happy atmosphere whereas the second story provides an ominous feeling.
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