Monkey's Paw

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

“The Monkeys Paw” is a heavy gothic short story that teaches a grave lesson. This story is jam-packed with foreshadowing and irony. It also teaches the important lesson on being grateful for what you have, and to be careful for what you wish for.

He is also described as a reckless thinker, which is proven in the opening scene of the story when he moves his king “into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment. This recklessness leads him to tempt fate with the monkey's paw, endangering his family as a result” (DISCovering Authors). Mr. White’s son, Herbert, also plays a smaller, but huge part of this story. Herbert is the kind of person that likes to be a little bit silly and joke around about anything. After Sergeant-Major Morris leaves their cozy home, Herbert starts to tease his mother and father telling them that they should make the their wish and to wish for money. After they wish for the money, it is kind of ironic that he starts to make fun of the wish because it has not showed up yet, even though his death ends up being the factory that gives his parents the two hundred pounds that they wished for. Herbert jokes around by saying “Well, I don't see the money,’ said his son as he picked [the paw] up and placed it on the table, 'and I bet I never shall” (1282). And Herbert never did see it, because he was the money. Mrs. White is described as “a calm, reserved woman. In the story's first scene, Jacobs notes that Mr. White's chess moves are so ‘radical’ that they ‘even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire’—as if drastic events must take place in order for her to even speak” (DISCovering Authors). Mrs. White is the common

But, there is no telling what will happen down the road. A possibility of what may come to the family is abundance of discrimination from the White Americans. “The only people in the world who are more snobbish than rich white people are rich colored people.” (Pg. 49). The excerpt further explains the comparison of people’s attitudes by the color of their skin. The neighborhood that they are moving to may not accept or view them as equal. “That is just what is wrong with the colored woman in this world.. Don’t understand about building their men up and making’em feel like somebody.” (Pg. 34). This reference analyzes how Walter has no appreciation for his wife. This is apparent because of the comparison he is trying to do with the color of her skin instead of who she assuredly is. Making the decision of moving into this new house could bring up great opportunities for women or not give them equal rights and

      If it is ironic that the women find the clues, it is even more ironic that they find them in the mundane household items to which the men attribute so little significance. "Nothing here but kitchen things," the men mistakenly think (287). Because of their weak intuition, they do not see the household as indicative of John's and Minnie's characters. They do not see beyond the cheerless home to John Wright's grim nature, nor do the dilapidated furnishings provide

The town is daunted by Joe not because of something physical but because he acts as if he is superior to the citizens. Joe reinforces his superiority by acting like a white man who, in their culture, is superior to blacks. Joe imitates a white man by owning a house that resembles one of a white. Joe’s house is described as large, with two stories, porches, and bannisters. The house seems to resemble a house of a white plantation owner since it's a large, colonial style home. By owning the house, Joe is seen as a white plantation owner . The house is also described as mirroring a big house surrounded by servants quarters, the quarters being the rest of the town. This means that Joe’s house is viewed as the home of a slave owner. Joe’s house is painted a boastful, shimmering white. The house further resembles a white man's home when it is painted white since most white homes are of that color. Again by being the owner of a house that resembles a white home, Joe is adapting the lifestyle of a white man, Joe portrays his whiteness by owning a white-like house. By owning a house that resembles one of a white slave owner, Joe is able to act like a white slave owner. Since Joe acts like a white man he must see himself as superior to the rest of the all-black town since at the time, white men were superior to blacks. Joe acting like a superior white

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?

The theme of “ The Monkey’s Paw” written by William W. Jacobs is to be satisfied with the one’s life and not interfere with fate. “‘He was a very holy man and he wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that to interfere with fate only caused deep sadness. ’”(Jacobs 1) This example shows that fate should not be interfered with because otherwise bad things will come from it, like when someone makes a wish from the monkey’s paw. People who wish for something with the monkey’s paw always end up regretting it because by doing so they mess with fate and the consequences are inescapable.

Herbert was at the door and he was in the form of a spirit. Mrs. White was talking to Mr. White about using their second wish to bring Herbert back to life. But Mr. White didn’t want that. Here is what he said, “He’s been dead ten days, and besides he - I would not tell you else, but - I could only recognize him by his clothing.

What would a typical person do if they had three wishes and knew that there would be a price that they would have to pay in order for them to fulfill their wishes? This is the question that overcomes the main characters, Mr. White and Mr. Peters, in the stories “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs and “The Third Wish” by Joan Aiken. In these two stories, two men were allowed to create three wishes each and had consequences that followed, therefore, they learned a valuable lesson about life.

The theme of the “Monkey’s Paw”, by W.W. Jacobs is to be careful when being curious. In other words, the sergeant is trying to stray the White family away from taking the monkey’s paw because it causes many bad things to happen to the wishmaker. The White family just gets more and more interested and basically only starts hearing things they want to hear. For example, the sergeant keeps telling the family how the user before him had wished for his own death due to the mistakes that he made in previous wishes from the paw. Another example would be when the sergeant recommends the family to burn it after he says “Better let it burn.”

The text "The Monkey's Paw", is a suspenseful story about a family who is given a talisman to grant the owner three wishes. However, the monkey's paw comes with drastic consequences that tears the White's family apart. In the text, the son, Herbert, never really believes in the monkey's paw, and mocks it's power. His father wishes for money, and the next day, he receives it, but in return the consequence is Herbert's death. The film also shows how Herbert mocks the power of the paw, and is killed in return.

The Monkey’s Paw, a short story written by W.W Jacobs, has concepts that relate to a common theme: fate. One of the main themes in the story is fate, but another theme is don’t mess with fate. Throughout the story The Monkey’s Paw, there are instances of fate, and what happens when you mess with fate. An example in the story that relates to fate is when Mr. and Mrs. White mess with fate when they wish for 200 pounds.

Taking place in a countryside home, W.W. Jacobs’s short story “The Monkey’s Paw” illustrates the White family’s two-day interaction with a seemingly innocent mummified monkey's paw. Each character presented in the short story represents natural human traits that can prove to be negative when greed and curiosity are involved. The use of symbolism throughout the story proves to be vital to the reader, as it allows him or her to understand the importance of every action done to the monkey’s paw has an opposite consequence. This correlates to everyone on Earth’s predetermined fate and the problems that an individual could face when greed overcomes their needs, even when it is for a better or worse life. When individuals are consumed by greed, like the White family, they must accept the consequences no matter how severe it is when it is something they truly seek in life.

  In the play, descriptive language teaches the audience more about the surroundings than what the characters are actually saying to one another.  "I've not been in this house--it's more than a year" (6), Mrs. Hale tells the county attorney.  It is a very run down house, and the audience discovers there are no signs of anyone really ever being happy.  The kitchen is dirty, and the women begin to feel uneasy about being in a house where there is nothing but darkness and coldness.  The darkness is to signify how alone and empty Mrs. Wright was feeling while living with her husband.  Mrs. Wright did not feel wanted, and she felt like all hope was lost which the audience recognizes with the help of Mrs. Hale's saying, "...he was a hard man, Mrs. Peters.  Just to pass the time of day with him.  Like a raw wind that gets to the bone" (11).  Mrs. Hale conveys these important details to Mrs. Peters, which proves that the environment in the Wright house was dark and dreary.  The audience can imagine living in house where there is nothing but solitude and misery.  The solemn atmosphere makes the readers start to understand how lonely and depressing living in the house actually was.