The Treasure in the Forest: Summary and Exercise | Class 12 English Notes | NEB

Before Reading

Answer the following questions:

a. Have you read any story about treasure hunting before? If yes, what is its title?
Ans. Yes, of course. Its title is The Old Man and His Lazy Sons.

b. Why do you think people take the risk of treasure hunting?
Ans. I think people take the risk of treasure hunting because they want to become rich quickly with minimal effort.

👉 View All Chapter Notes of Class 12 English

Understanding the Text

Answer the following questions:

a. Describe the expository scene of the story.
Ans. The story opens with a canoe approaching the land, carrying two treasure hunters, Evans and Hooker. A small river flows into the sea, surrounded by a dense green forest, sloppy hills, and the sea in the background, setting a mysterious and adventurous atmosphere.

b. What does the map look like and how do Evans and Hooker interpret it?
Ans. The map is a rough paper marked with twisting lines, stars, and dots. Evans and Hooker interpret the twisting lines as rivers, stars as treasure locations, and ignore the dots.

c. How did Evans and Hooker know about the treasure?
Ans. They learned about the treasure from a secret conversation of the Chinese man and also obtained the map from him.

d. Describe Evans’ dream.
Ans. Evans dreamt about the treasure and his changed status. In the dream, they were in the forest, where three Chinese men sat by a small fire, whispering. Evans learned that Chang-hi had taken gold from a Spanish galleon after a shipwreck and hid it on the island. Although Chang-hi kept it secret, Evans wanted help to retrieve the gold. A battle ensued, and Chang-hi was brutally killed.

e. What do the two treasure hunters see when they walk towards the island?
Ans. They saw a gap in the somber darkness where white shafts of sunlight filtered through the forest ahead.

f. In what condition did the treasure hunters find the dead man?
Ans. At the treasure site, they found the corpse of a Chinese man with a puffed, purple neck, and swollen hands and ankles.

g. How did the treasure hunters try to carry gold ingots to the canoe?
Ans. They placed the ingots on a jacket and lifted two opposite sides to carry the gold into the canoe, as they had nothing else to use.

h. How were Evans and Hooker poisoned?
Ans. A poisonous thorn punctured their skin, leading to fatal poisoning.

Reference to the Context

a. How do you know the story is set on a tropical island?
Ans. The story begins with Evans and Hooker heading to an island in their canoe under the noon sun. The narrator describes tropical features such as thick forests with big trees, thorny bushes, freshwater streams, sloppy hills, and coastal forests, which are typical of tropical islands.

b. Why do you think Evans and Hooker took such a risk on a deserted island?
Ans. Evans and Hooker risked their lives due to:

• Their greed for wealth, which clouded their judgment.

• Belief that risks would lead to rewards.

• The idea that “gold makes people crazy,” which applied to their case.

c. Do you think the narrator is racist? If yes, what made him feel superior to other races?
Ans. The story shows subtle racist undertones. The narrator presents Evans and Hooker as superior to the Chinese man, Chang-hi, whom they kill brutally. The dominance of Hooker over Evans also reflects the biased perspective. A racist is someone prejudiced against a racial or ethnic group, often marginalized, and here the narrative emphasizes Western superiority.

d. What is the moral of the story?
Ans. The story warns against greed and taking uncalculated risks. Evans and Hooker went to a strange forest, found the treasure, but ultimately died due to poisonous gold. The moral emphasizes that excessive greed clouds judgment and leads to dangerous consequences.

Reference Beyond the Text

a. Interpret the story as a mystery story.
Ans. The Treasure in the Forest can be interpreted as a classic mystery story because it is filled with suspense, unexpected twists, and unresolved questions that keep the reader engaged until the very end. The narrative begins with two treasure hunters, Evans and Hooker, whose secretive and often morally questionable actions immediately create a sense of tension. Their decision to murder Chang-hi to steal the treasure map introduces a dark and mysterious element. Interestingly, Chang-hi’s mysterious grin even at the moment of death adds an element of uncertainty and foreshadows danger, leaving both the characters and readers guessing about the true meaning behind it.

The journey itself is another layer of mystery. As Evans and Hooker sail in their canoe toward an uninhabited coral island, the environment around them is depicted as strange and potentially threatening. The dense forest, the narrow river, and the isolated landscape create an atmosphere of uncertainty where danger seems to lurk at every turn.

Suspense heightens further when they discover the corpse of the Chinese man at the treasure site. This unexpected event raises questions about who killed him and why, deepening the sense of mystery. Finally, the poisonous thorn that injures Evans and Hooker adds an element of imminent threat and danger. The story ends with Hooker realizing the hidden message in Chang-hi’s grin, revealing the subtle irony and consequences of greed. The combination of murder, secret treasure, hidden threats, and moral ambiguity makes this story a compelling mystery narrative, as readers are constantly wondering what will happen next.

b. Compare with another treasure hunting story from childhood.
Ans. Another treasure hunting story I read in my childhood is The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe. Like The Treasure in the Forest, it is suspenseful, mysterious, and set on a remote island. Both stories use the isolation of the island to create a sense of adventure and danger, and both are narrated by an anonymous observer, which adds to the tension and intrigue.

However, the methods and focus of treasure hunting differ in the two stories. In The Gold Bug, the protagonist, William Legrand, uses a pet dog and cryptic clues to locate the treasure, relying on intelligence, reasoning, and a sense of adventure. In contrast, Evans and Hooker rely on a map stolen through immoral means, demonstrating how greed and unethical behavior guide their actions rather than intellect or careful planning.

Thematically, the stories also diverge. The Gold Bug emphasizes wealth, fortune, and problem-solving, celebrating cleverness and perseverance. The Treasure in the Forest, on the other hand, highlights greed, power, and the dangers of recklessness. Evans and Hooker’s obsession with treasure ultimately leads to their demise, sending a clear moral message about the destructive consequences of unchecked desire.

Despite these differences, both stories caution readers about the risks associated with treasure hunting. They show that treasure is not merely a symbol of wealth, but also a test of character, patience, and morality. While The Gold Bug rewards intelligence and careful strategy, The Treasure in the Forest punishes greed and rashness, making it a more cautionary tale. Together, these stories illustrate how treasure hunting can be a thrilling narrative device, capable of exploring suspense, moral dilemmas, and human behavior under pressure.