The Treasure in the Forest
-H.G. Wells
Regarding The Author
Herbert George Wells, better known by his full name, was an English novelist, journalist, sociologist, and historian who lived from 1866 to 1946. As the father of science fiction, he is best known. His first book, The Time Machine (1895), was an immediate hit. He thereafter added a number of science fiction books, which showed him to be a writer with a strong sense of originality and an enormous depth of knowledge.
The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man, and other well-known books are penned by the author.
The adventure story "The Treasure in the Forest," which is taken from the book "The Country of the Blind and other Short Stories," is about two men who get blinded by greed while looking for Spanish treasure.
Characters
Evans and Hooker are the two pals who embark on a daring expedition to a tropical island in search of hidden treasure.
Chang-Hi is a Chinese man who possesses a treasure map.
Two more Chinese men are Chang-HI's Colleagues.
Location:
On a tropical island, a canoe was approaching the area where a little river empties into the ocean and connects to a denser and deeper green virgin forest.
Style:
The third person is used throughout this narrative.
Plot of the Story:
Exposition:
Evans & Hooker killed a Chinaman, Chang-Hi and stole his map to
treasure.
Rising Action:
They headed towards the direction shown in the map.
Climax:
The main climax of the the story is all about the Evans & Hooker's death in the end of the story along with their painful case
However, we can take as the secondary climax/minor climax to an extent like Evans & Hooker identify the spot indicated on the map. They found a dead body of a China man who had been looking for the treasure, as they can see some half exposed yellow bar of gold.
Falling Action:
They loaded as much gold as they could. While picking up the gold ingots,
they feel a thorn prick/hole.
Resolution:
Evans & Hooker's abortive task as Hooker lies dying alongside the “still quivering” body of his companion.
This story’s themes include:
Ø
Greed
Ø
Temptation
Ø
Destruction
Ø
Suspense & Thriller
Ø
Preparedness & Foresight
Ø
Risk & Safety
Ø
Karma & Justice
Techniques of a Frame story
Allegory:
narrative representation
Imagery :
island feature helps us to form us an image of island in our mind
Simile :
Real location is compared with map.
Summing Up The Story: The Treasure in the Forest
Ø The treasure map that Evan and Hooker stole from Chinaman Chang-hi is
examined by them. Despite the Spanish treasure having previously been
discovered, Chang-hi decided to rebury it in the location marked on his
map.
Ø The hungry and worn-out treasure hunters are initially baffled by the
dashes on the map, but they gradually understand where the map is
pointing.
Ø They land the canoe and immediately find themselves in the middle of a
dense forest. As Hooker pilots the boat, Evans falls asleep and starts
dreaming as he observes three Chinese people seated around a little
fire.
Ø In his dream, he hears the Chinese talking about the wealth Chang-hi
brought them from Spain before his shipwreck. They wanted to take the
treasures out of the area. He makes fun of the two treasure hunters after
Chang-hi is dead because they were both inexperienced in what they were
doing.
Ø They discover a forest-like mound of stones, though, that precisely matches
the description on the treasure map after analyzing the chart. They discover
a man's body covered in bruises shortly after, adjacent to a purple-swollen
body that appears to be Chang hi's colleague.
Ø As they go around 100 yards
farther, Evan’s arm starts to ache, he eventually faints. After Evans collapses Hooker starts to rearrange the gold ingots back, and
soon he feels a thorn prick. Then he realizes the intention or the meaning of Chang hi's grin. Chang-hi
had wrapped the wealth in thorns that resembled Dayak's poison, a deadly
poisonous pipe made by a tribal population of Borneo. The Hooker and his
companion for the Evans' treasure search lie dying as the story comes to a
close.
Assimilation
Ø This story provides a clear illustration of the worst result of avarice in anyone's life as well as the consequences of undertaking dangerous tasks or journeys without adequate planning and preparedness. Greed can be for anything, but it is most frequently for wealth and power because these things are far more harmful and can even result in death, as we see in the story. The more they strive for Greed and Power, the more self-centered they become.
Racism in Critical Thinking
The story's narrator's presentation of various racial feelings is subject to critical analysis. When compared to the Chinese Man in the story, Evan and Hooker are better. A racist is actually someone who harbors animosity or prejudice toward others because they belong to a specific racial or ethnic group, usually one that is underrepresented or underprivileged. In the narrative, we learn that a Chinese man was killed horribly. Have you lost your wit? Hooker asked Evans, which also depicts Hooker's domineering behavior with Ivan. Thus, the narrator of the story is frequently described as looking racist in the narrative.
Analysis
The Treasure in the Forest's key message is to caution us against taking risks when we are unprepared and to prepare before making any decisions. Greed has a negative outcome. The narrative demonstrates the vulnerability of wealth and money as well as how greed is a person's greatest adversary. Tit for Tat: Karma Retribution.
The Story's Lesson is
"The Way of Greed and Crime is always Destructive,"