The Monkey's Paw
By (author) W.W.Jacobs
The mystery of the Monkey's Paw is a cleverly thought out short story.
This story had three main parts. These parts were the first wish, the second wish, and the third wish.
The first wish was the only tragic wish that was granted. Mr.White, his son Herbert, and an old man were sitting around playing chess. There was a knock at the door and Mr. White answered it to let the man in. His name was
Sergeant-Major Morris. He sat down in the seat nearest the fire, and after several glasses of whiskey he began to talk. He talked about some of his war experiences, and then of India.
His last story was about a magical mummified monkey's paw. The sergeant-major tells the family that the old dried out monkey's paw has a spell put on it by an old fakir. The story continues and then Mr.White and the sergeant-major trade. Later Mr. White wishes for 200 pounds. A man comes and visits the Whites telling them that their son Herbert had been killed, and then he gibes them 200 pounds. The consequence of Mr. Whites first wish is the main reason he uses a second and third wish.
Mr. White did not want to use a second wish but his wife insisted that they wish their son back to life. Mr. White wishes his son back to life, but nothing happens so they go to sleep. They are sleeping when they hear a knocking sound at their front door. Mrs. White goes downstairs to answer the door even though Mr. White told her not to answer the door. Mrs. White approached the door while Mr. White looked for the monkey's paw.
At the very moment Mr. White unlocked the door Mr. White found the monkey's paw and made his third and final wish. Just as he made his wish the knocking stopped, and his wife opened the door. What was the last wish? The author never really says, but one can assume that he wished he had never made
the name of a poisonous plant. This is quite scary as the home of the
His heart began to beat faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning-fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete.
that Mr White is not as connected to the family as the mother and son.
The dog waits and waits until the next morning and then when he starts to lose hope and it
“‘... now comes the part it makes me sweat even to think about. See, he starts to swallow me. Feet first. Like going down in
The monkeys of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book are a very unique group of characters. They are viewed by the other animals of the jungle, or the Jungle People as they call themselves, as outcasts and outlaws. The most prominent chapter they occur in, “Kaa’s Hunting”, shows their lawless, shiftless, and uncivilized way of life. This image in itself does not give off any racist undertone. However, Disney’s adaption of The Jungle Book carries this view of the monkeys, while also giving them strong attributes that are commonly associated with African-Americans.
Herbert had not known he was going to go to work at the factory and be caught in the machinery and die, but was led to believe his family were to become rich and pay their mortgage (WW Jacobs Pg 4). He was, however, correct about the family collecting 200 £ but was brought upon it in the utmost awful way; the death of Herbert. If the family were to be grateful for what they have and still had their mind before the spell was cast, “It seems I have all I want currently” (Pg 4), the son would still be alive and burgeon at his workplace. The family was positively despondent and disheartened, all the mom wanted was her son back. Thus, the second wish was born; Herbert to be brought back to
In the short story, "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs, I came to the conclusion that Sergeant Major Morris was responsible for the sorrows that resulted from the monkey's paw. For instance, he was the one who owned the paw in the first place, allowed Mr. White to keep it, and even told them how to use it, stating on page 377, "Hold it up in your right hand and wish aloud."
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
The man decided to throw it in the trash can outside. After that, the whole family went to bed. The next morning, a monkey sound was echoing through the house. The man woke up and saw that the monkey’s paw was on his dresser. The monkey’s paw had two fingers still up.
In both stories each main character is granted three wishes, but later pays a price. Mr. White’s first wish is for two hundred pounds so he can pay off the mortgage. However, he receives the two hundred pounds as c...
creature’s] thoughts now became more active, and [he] longed to discover the motives and feelings of these lovely
None of them is truly happy that they lost a family member. The families miss the person who seemed so happy, and also know that they are in a better place watching over them. Although the families aren’t happy about losing them, but are relieved to know that nothing else can hurt them. As one family feels sorry for the other family, there could be the family that doesn’t care what happens but wants everyone to suffer the way they are suffering about the tragic death of one family
The Hadley’s, a family that has everything, a house that cost about $30,000 in a time where the average house cost $8,200, which rocks them to sleep and ties their shoes. The White’s, a family that must work for everything and wish for certain possessions, such as money. These families showcased in two different short stories seem like polar opposites, and while they are very different, they have more in common than what is portrayed on the surface. The “Monkey’s Paw” deals with a family that is able to make it by, however their monetary situation could be improved, and they find themselves coming across a talisman that caused them nothing but issues. On the other hand, “The Veldt” deals with a family who is spoiled and has access to everything
The stories of Joyce Carol Oates "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" and William W. Jacobs "The Monkey's Paw" have several different degrees of symbols and themes that warn the characters of emitted danger or bad outcomes in their stories that can be mirrored of each other. In, these stories the characters do not follow the warnings from these symbols and themes from the clues that are presented to them. From these terrible choices that are decided, they find themselves in situations that could have been avoided, but they did not proceed with. My analysis of these symbols and themes will demonstrate what they are and show the obvious of what to look for. So, let us begin on this analysis and see how the symbols and themes could have