Wishes have always been one of man’s desires to have in life. There are some people that would use wishes to make their problems away. Wishes can seem as benevolent and generous acts but they can also be misinterpreted. Perhaps, there is a reason why really no one is granted wishes on this earth. Sometimes people have the desire to have something really bad when they should not. Within the Monkey’s Paw, the author presents the events of an irony which leaves the reader with the message that the story deals with the strong emphasis of greed and that one should be careful with what one wishes for. The story begins with three family members Mr. White, Mrs. White and their son Herbert. Once Mr. White receives the monkey’s paw from his friend, …show more content…
Every single wish is not needed because they are not essential things needed. For example: even when Mr. White states that he has all he needs and yet he still wishes for 200 pounds. Since this something he does not requires then he faces the evil consequences. Because of his second wish is not something he needs and therefore does not happen like he planned. This goes to add that not everything people desire is necessary.
With the end that Mr. White wish is fulfilled it can be concluded that the third wish for the owner of the monkey’s paw is most likely realized. Similar to the one of the man with the third wish which was dead. It is probable that the third wish was used to finally prove the point of the Fakir and leave a lesson. The man whose third wish was death must have happened to end the bad consequences of the monkey’s paw.
Certainly the wishes of the story prove that if we try to interfere with our fate, we do it at our own risk, such as the Whites’ sorrow is demonstrated. Nothing in this world is free and for our actions there are reactions. All in all, not being satisfy with one already has can lead to greed and greed can lead to tragedies. The monkey’s paw becomes a source of super power to anyone who holds it. Now and then, superpower comes with sorrow. What appears to be craving and desire becomes the grief and
Kherdian, David, and Cheng'en Wu. Monkey: A Journey to the West : a Retelling of the Chinese Folk Novel. Boston: Shambhala, 2005. Print.
"The Monkey" is a short story written by Isak Dinesen. The story was published in 1934. "The Monkey" is a form of gothic sublime. In this story, I encountered many elements that related to magical realism as well as the sublime.
These characters, however different they lie on the morality scale, all share the sinful trait of greed. They all ask, and take too much, ruining what the good that they had in their lives. Understanding their mistakes offers its useful readers a lesson, not to demand too much of the things we are offered. The characters struggle with their desires, each of them succombing to their passions.
The Signifying Monkey is an embodiment of the poor man’s values and dreams: He is weak and only has his speaking skills (slang ‘mouthpiece’) to survive on, and he uses it to play the powers of the jungle against one another. The same way a pimp survives on his ‘mouthpiece’ by using fast talk, sweet talk, jive, and jaw-blockin’.
From the outset, it is clear that ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ by W.W. Jacobs is driven by an increasing sense of foreboding. Firstly, the setting of the story takes place in a very isolated and lonely place, far away from civilisation in a deserted area. This makes it a bit scary and starts to introduce tension for the reader in the story. Right from the start of the story W.W., Jacobs creates a very foreboding scene. He starts the story with pathetic fallacy, ‘the night was cold and wet’. Immediately this makes the reader feel more tension. This line also creates a feeling of inhospitality, and makes you feel that that the place is not inviting. This creates a scene outside that is evidently ominous, and sets the mood for the whole story. The next line is correlated with the first, and backs up the idea of the atrocious weather. It says ‘In the small parlour of Laburnum Villa the blinds were drawn’. This is trying to say that the family is protecting themselves from the weather, in a sense they are cocooning themselves from the weather. Also Jacobs Sets the scene by saying ‘Father and son were at chess’. This seems a bit too good to be true, for example the inside is all calm, with the father playing chess with his son and the Mother knitting; ‘the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire’. This shows that the family is venerable. This also creates a big contrast because it’s warm and pleasant inside and very hostile and antagonistic outside. At the end of the first paragraph of the story somewhat sets the expectations of the story by saying ‘unnecessary perils’, which you can predict, that there is going to be danger in the story. At the start of the...
At the bottom of the rung, rests the monkey who is lower than all of the other characters in the painting both socially and evolutionarily. He is like the serfs on a feudal manner who are expected to do the bidding of their master and unable to leave. The monkey’s lack of clothing and ignorance thereof also contributes to his subordination, thereby making him less powerful than humans. The lack of clothing is similar to the condition of Adam and Eve before they ate the apple. Their eating the apple allowed them to realize their nakedness, thus elevating them to an unignorant state. His contentment towards this disposition further exemplifies the blissful nature of his ignorance.
“The Monkey’s Paw” theme is be careful for what you wish for, in the story it says,”I wish for two hundred pounds,” said the old man distinctly.” Page 91. Another example from the story is,”He sat staring blankly out a window,and taking his wife’s hand between his own, pressed it as he had been wanting to do in their old courting days nearly forty years before.” Page 93. The first example from “The Monkey's Paw” shows what Mr.White asked for, while the second example shows the consequence of what happened from what he wished for. As well as,in “The Third Wish” the theme is also be careful of what you wish for,in the story it says,”I wish I had a wife as beautiful as the forest.” Page 103. Another example from the story is,”This is my sister,” she answered.”I can't bear being separated from her.” Page 104. This example shows that he just wished for a wife without knowing the main reasons of what will happen
Additionally, Sergeant Major Morris knew the consequences of wishing upon the monkey's paw, saying on page 377, "I don't know what the first two [wishes] were, but the third was for death." This implied that the previous owner of the paw had suffered such severe consequences that he wished away his own life. Although Sergeant Major Morris refrained from giving the
The Monkey’s Paw by W.W Jacobs is based on a story that allows three people that become in possession of the paw to make three separate wishes. As a friend, Sergeant Major Morris came to the home of Mr. and Mrs. White for a visit and a conversation arose about the monkey’s paw that had been previously mentioned. Mr. and Mrs. White pressed until Sergeant Major Morris would explain the story to the of the monkeys paw. The monkey’s paw allows three different individuals to make three separate wishes while the paw is in their possession. Mr. White made an executive decision to keep the monkey’s paw even though Sergeant Major Morris highly warned him that there are consequences that could come along with the three wishes if not careful. For his
The Simpsons episode “The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror II” is about a magical monkey’s paw bought by the Simpsons, a modern day family that lives in a town called Springfield. The family uses the paw to grant themselves four wishes. The wishes, they soon find out, all include repercussions that harm the family in some way. The book “The Monkey’s Paw” is about a family that is given a monkey’s paw by a friend that says it can grant three wishes. The family’s home in this story is Laburnum Villa, sometime in the past. At first the family is skeptical of the friends claim that the paw is magic saying, “If the tale about the monkey’s paw is not more truthful than those he has been telling us, we shan't make much out of it.”(Page 4, W.W. Jacobs). They then proceed to use the paw and are surprised to find that what they wish for is in fact granted but comes with terrible consequences. While “The Monkey’s Paw” and “The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror II” both share similar plots, the settings of the stories and the
In life, people experience different situations and live different realities. It is not illogical to say that the different journeys in life sometimes give us different ways of viewing the world. This was evident upon a closer examination and analysis of Wu Cheng’en’s “The Journey to the West”, and Mary Shelly “Frankenstein”, where the two main characters of the book, a Monkey and a creature, each have a different way of viewing life. The monkey see’s life as a journey that should be explored, while the creature has no way of exploring and sees life as something he cannot enjoy. In the end, what can be taken away from the works of literature is that no matter the journey taken, it is important to remember that one’s subjectivity, built on our experiences, determines reality.
I will just take it home and see what this fake thing can do.” The man went back to his house and sat down on the chair in the dining room staring at the monkey’s paw. He told his wife and daughter about how the old fakir gave him the monkey’s paw and how it granted wishes. The man said to the monkey’s paw “I wish for a million dollars.”
While reading The Monkey Wrench Gang, many images appear in one?s mind. The uses of Edward Abbey?s skill of developing characters through language, appearance, actions and opinions make this novel more enjoyable to read. The shaping of each character persuades the reader to believe that, "Oh my desert, yours is the only death I cannot bear."
This leads to the fact that a beast really does exist within all human beings, but is only expressed when human instinct for survival becomes the main objective. At first the boys aren?t able to kill, but as survival instinct starts taking over, the reader?s are able to se the true character?s play out, and lives are compromised. ?You feel as if you?re not hunting, but- being hunted, as if something?s behind you all the time in the jungle,? (pg.53) proves that it?s every man for himself and people will do anything to survive. An example of this in the novel was when Robert became the ?pig,? and was wounded even though it wasn?t intentional, but the situation became worse when Piggy?s death happened as a result of all civilization lost and evil taken over.
Throughout the story the monkey’s paw brings pain and grief to the White family. So I disagree with the decision that the White family made by taking the paw. The consequences bring to much pain for the paw to be worthwhile. The decision to take the monkeys paw ultimately does grant you three wishes which seems great, but the consequences that it comes with can be painful or even fatal. So, no the decision to take the paw was not considered properly and was a mistake it ends with the family grieving for all that they lost.