Greed In The Monkey's Paw By W. Jacobs

W. W. Jacobs wrote the short story “The Monkey’s Paw” in 1902. A great number of adaptations of the story have since been created using different forms of media. The two which are being compared here are the play adaptation The Monkey’s Paw dramatized by Mara Rockliff and the 2011 film version The Monkey’s Paw by Ricky Lewis Jr. Both the play and film feature the White family receiving a monkey’s paw by which three wishes may be granted. The paw had a spell put on it by a holy man who wanted to show that fate rules people’s lives and that if people try to interfere, they will be sorry. The main differences between the play and the film are that film gives more background information about how and why the paw was obtained, uses more

Society has thrived against adversity with virtues of hope, fueled by the belief of a higher power. In The Book of Martha, by Octavia Butler, the protagonist, Martha, seeks a solution to end humanity’s greed, which will eventually lead to their inevitable demise. For centuries, religion has had an impact in the way societies view ethical and moral issues. Human kindness has always been at the core of each act behind religious beliefs. These acts of kindness have been made with the intention to progress ourselves as a society and as a community. An interview with Father Jesus de la Tapia, from The Parish of Santa Rosa, highlighted the social impact that these acts of kindness can bring to our community. Although Martha’s actions are those set in a fictional story, her belief in God and ability to bring humanity together, are actions which can be seen in our community, making it a better place.

During the 1900s many immigrants were coming to the United States for a better life. Companies would hire immigrants from all over to work in their so called meatpacking industry which had unsanitary conditions. The Jungle written by Upton Sinclair which aimed at the meatpacking industry through the use of socialism. Upton advocated socialism more than capitalism which was used in the book. After the book was written an act was passed known as the Meat Inspection of 1906 which prohibited of misbranding meat products and better conditions for workers.

Upton Sinclair showcases the evils of capitalism and wanted people in the United States to reject it. Through his book, he depicted how capitalism destroys the lives of innocent workers. He wanted radical change and adoption of socialism where the government owns the means of production and controls large enterprises. Instead, most people who read his book were outraged by the filthy conditions in the slaughterhouses. Public outcry and media frenzy focused on the meat safety and not the labor rights and evils of capitalism. His book eventually led to the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 (686). Although he was disappointed that he could not bring about an improvement in the lives of meatpacking workers, he did help

In the book, “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair, we read about a family that comes to America Hoping to have their wishes become a their reality. Sadly to no avail their new american life is nothing like what they wished and hoped it would be like. The family went through way too pain, disaster , loss , and hardship. It was a rude awakening all over america to the hardship and adversity that the lower class had to endure. It depicts corruption and crime in large food companies and on the streets. The book is mainly about a man named Jurgis Rudkis as he and his wife, Ona and their family travel to America with hope and determination during the time period referred to as “The Gilded Age.” Upton Sinclair Wrote this book to bring forth attention, to push socialism, but instead enlightened readers to what was really going on behind the scenes in the places that consumers get their well payed for food from.

Taking place during the early 1900’s in Packingtown, the center of a meatpacking industry in Chicago, The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair is based upon the evils of capitalism. Told from the perspective of an unknown narrator, the novel greatly focuses on the protagonist, Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant who comes to America with his wife, Ona Lukoszaite and several other relatives. Sinclair’s main reason in writing this was to get information out into the public eye about the awful things that were happening in society at this point in time. Many of the things he wrote about in this book were not known to millions of people until it was published in 1906.

“Kansas work” – an unsuccessful slave revolution led by John Brown in 1859. The author describes John Brown as a “radical abolitionist” native of Ohio who “has passion for justice” and “equality between the races.” (Smith 50) In April of 1848, Brown arrives to Peterboro, New York to find Gerrit Smith, a philanthropist and “peace-loving abolitionist” whom he aims to convince to finance his plan. He succeeds in recruiting people to join him in his mission to abolish slavery in the South. in an attempt to take over a federal armory, Brown and his group attacks Harpers Ferry, Virginia on October 18, 1859. Brown’s plan fail, however, as he was captured by the U.S. Marines under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee while members of his group dies during the excursion. In October 20,1859, the Herald newspaper editorial published an article accusing Gerrit Smith and Frederick Douglas of being an accessory of Brown’ rebellious act. By the end of October 1859, Brown was convicted of murder, treason and for sparking a revolution. Frightened that he may also be indicted, Smith destroyed all evidences that links him to Brown, and sends his son-in-law Charles Miller to obtain any evidences that Brown’s family may be keeping. For this reason, a group of New York Democrats by the name of Democratic Vigilant Association published a fake investigative report accusing Smith of being a “dangerous man” and “key figure in a

The Monkey’s paw by W. W. Jacobs is an eerie short story about a son who dies in a horrific way and a family who wants to bring him back. It focuses on an enchanted monkey’s paw that grants three wishes. The paw was enchanted by an old fakir that wanted to prove that fate controlled life and going against it would only lead to regret and sorrow. This plot point can be noted as an underlying theme, but the main theme is “be careful what you wish for, because you might get it”. While this story is superb, a question comes to mind: Would could be learned from this short story?

“Gluttony and idleness are two of life’s great joys, but they are not honorable” (Burchill). This quote helps describe one of the themes in The Pie by Gary Soto. It is about a man reflecting on a memory from his childhood, on how boredom had made him do something he had never done before. The Pie by Soto is centered on the themes greed and guilt of the young man.

Money is the root of all evil, or at least that is many think about it. However, William Hazlitt believes the exact opposite. To him, money is a necessity that brings joy or if not, lack of money causes stress. In his essay, “On the Want of Money”, he conveys the extent to which it is horrible to be in want of money. To live in this world, one needs money to survive. Hazlitt stresses this point by using suggestive syntax, harsh diction and figurative language. He writes in a way that is matter-of-factly and unapologetic to emphasize the need for money and show what the lack of it looks like.

“Money provides the best motivation for success”. This quote was said by Russell Baker (Author of No Gumption)and many might agree to this, but many people don’t agree to this. MONEY IS NOT THE BEST MOTIVATION FOR SUCCESS!!! There are many reason why and, the book (written by the person who SAID this quote)even shows this to be true. To catch you up “No Gumption” is about a boy who is living through the great depression and his mom is upset that he isn’t pulling much work around so she meets with a person who sells newspapers and he gives him a job at selling papers.

The disagreements described between the friend and the author, embody their distain for one another as well as distain for what the other represents while presenting their inability to gain independence from one another. The friend accuses the author of being a monkey in terms of how he is dressed and offers him one of his many suits, symbolizing the author’s own self distain and attempted rectification of the defect. The author returns this criticism by describing the friend as “really [making] himself look like a monkey” when he was dancing. Other arguments continue to display the struggle between the part of the author that wants to assimilate and fit in with the predominantly white culture and the side that wishes to be exactly who he is and do as he likes. One such altercation arises from the shame the friend feels when in the company of the author because of his bad behavior and requests he deny their friendship if asked. The excuse of bad behavior in conjunction with the friend’s previously stated views of Africans or black people indicate that he thinks that such behavior is African and he does not wish to be associated with it as

The Price of Civilization, written by Jeffrey Sachs, is an educational book that encapsulates the progression and downfall of America’s environmental, economic, and political systems. The book is known to be “an incisive diagnosis of our country’s economic ills ,but also an urgent call for Americans to restore the virtues of fairness, honesty, and foresight as the foundations of national prosperity.”

After the paw was burned Mr and Mrs White suddenly remembered all the mourning that was going on before Sergeant Major Morris came to their door. Both Mr and Mrs White had forgotten about Herbert’s death with all that was going on. That night instead of sleeping, they mourned the loss of Herbert some more. They may have had their mind off of Herbert for a day, but nothing would ever make them forget

Throughout the ages, literature has consistently reflected the interests and activities of a people. Therefore, some themes have been dominant in World Literature from ancient times to the present. One such theme greed and generosity, which is explored in the French short story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant.