"The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs is a short horror story about a family's tragedy about a cursed object; the mummified monkey’s paw. It was a rainy night and the White family were having a cozy night in their villa when Sergeant-Major Morris introduced the White family to a mummified monkey's paw, which can grant three wishes but with negative consequences. Mr. White wishes for £200 to pay off their house, but his son Herbert dies in an accident at work, and the family receives £200 as a comeback by a visitor. Eagerly, Mrs. White convinces Mr. White to wish Herbert back to life. When a knock at the door suggests Herbert's return, Mr. White makes a final wish to undo it. The story ends with the family losing their son and using the wishes unwisely.
Greediness is a crucial element that drives the story’s tragic events. Everyone can be greedy when we have better things that we can get; this is human nature. However, we can get good or bad consequences depending on the correct choices we make. If we are too greedy, we might get punished. This shows that we need to control ourselves to not be so greedy. In the story, the White family, first content with their simple life, becomes convinced by Sergeant Morris and retrieves the paw. Their first wish for two hundred pounds, represents this greediness. However, this leads to the devastating loss of their son. The story shows how greed can lead us to forget what we have while wanting more, resulting in negative consequences. We should learn to control ourselves to make sure we don’t get too greedy.
Selfishness, trickery, and lying can be common in daily life. We should be cautious everyday wherever we are. There are more bad people than people who are kind and respectful to us. They want many things from us including our money and many other more. We need to have a strong heart and don’t mind those who bother us. The story highlights the dangers of selfishness as the White family uses the cursed paw to fulfill their wishes, leading to devastating consequences. But this is all caused by the evil Sergeant Morris. He gave the Whites the paw using his tricks and lying skills. He also used the selfishness of the White family. The story serves as a caution about the dangers of these traits, emphasizing that they can lead to sorrow and regret when individuals fail to heed warnings and respect the natural order of life. We need to learn how to avoid selfishness, trickery, and lying to make sure we are safe.
The ending of "The Monkey's Paw" is shrouded in mystery, leaving readers with a haunting sense of uncertainty. After Mr. White uses the second wish to bring his son Herbert back from the dead, a knocking at the door ensues, putting terror and horror on the poor Mrs. White. However, the true identity of the visitor remains unconfirmed, creating doubt about whether it was indeed Herbert, returned in a disgusting (zombified) state, or merely a coincidence. Mr. White's final wish, made in desperation to prevent his wife from confronting the horror, results in the knocking stops, and the door opening to reveal an empty street. This emptiness by W.W. Jacobs allows readers to fill in the gaps, heightening the psychological impact of the story and underscoring the theme of the unknown, which is central to the tale's enduring horror and intrigue. The story's ending gives the readers more space to predict what will happen next.
In conclusion, In "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs, the White family receives a cursed monkey’s paw from Sergeant Major Morris which can grant three wishes. Mr. White wishes for two-hundred dollars, but leads to his son's death. He then wishes his son back, but fearing the outcome, uses his final wish to undo it, leaving Mrs. White being miserable and himself helpless. From this story, I learned three themes. Firstly, greediness is the theme of who “drives the car” in the story. Secondly, selfishness, trickery, and lying can be common in society. Last but not least, the story’s ending makes it more interesting for the readers.
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