The Monkey's Paw Essay

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. The Whites family now have realized

that this saying is very true… In the short story The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs it can be

observed that fate needs to be respected and cannot be messed with. The setting of this story isn’t

described but it is assumed that the story takes place in England in the 1900’s. This has been

inferred by critics and researches who think it was this time period due to the customs and beliefs

of this time and the publish date of the story, also by the currency and the economic deference of

Since the beginning of the story the mood feels shady and a little bit scary which keeps

readers interested in the writing. The story starts with a thunder storm

He explained to them that the paw granted wishes three wishes and

that they could use it, but there was a catch to it. Morris explained that the wishes would come

true but bad things would happen. Though Morris kept talking, but still he was drunk so the

Whites didn’t know for sure if it was true or not.

After Morris’s departure the Whites family feel curious about the paw and start to wonder

if the story was real or if it was made up. In the story the mood starts to become even scarier and

creepier because the house is described in such a way that it feels as if bad things are going to

happen. The Whites even though they were warned they decided to make a wish to test it out and

see if it really was true. The Whites’ first wish was for two hundred pounds to pay off the debt of

their home. When they wished for it nothing happened, but the next morning Herbert, which was

the son, died because of the wish. Even though they received the two hundred pounds later and

their son died, they decide to make another wish. Their other wish was to bring back to life their

beloved son that Mrs. White couldn’t live