“The Monkey’s Paw” – Washington Irving

 

Summary

In “The Monkey's Paw”, a family would be given a monkey's paw that is quite cursed and is going to grant them three wishes. Despite warning from a visitor called Sgt. Major Morris, the Whites used their first wish to wish for money, which came later with the death of their son Herbert in a workplace accident. An emotional Mrs. White urged her husband to use the paw to wish Herbert back to life. When they hear a knock at the door, they think Herbert is coming back, but Mr. White, fearing the backlash, makes a final wish. The story's last unfortunate event contains the ending dialect of the knocking at the door, making the readers question what actually happened.

 

Characters:

Mr. White

Mrs. White

Herbert White

Sgt. Major Morris

 

Plot Elements:

Exposition – There is a White family living in a very small house in England. As usual, Mr. White and his son Herbert are midway in a chess game, with the mysterious visitor, Sgt. Major Morris. Morris, an adventurer, now tells them more about a magic and cursed object-strangely called 'monkey's paw'-which grants three wishes. Beyond that, he warns about the paw's danger and anything that would be wished for would come with severe acts of fate. Mr. White eventually becomes curious and takes the paw to make a wish.

 

Rising Action – Inspired by hearing that the monkey's paw could grant wishes, Mr. White made the decision to actually grant a wish to bring in money to improve his family's life. He said, "I want to get 200 pounds." The next day, however, Herbert was lost in an unfortunate workplace incident. The firm pays the family with a compensation of 200 pounds, fulfilling the desired wish from Mr. White in a way he never had imagined.

 

Climax – It is the climax when Mrs. White, devastated over her son's death, insists that they use the monkey's paw to wish Herbert back to life. Mr. White reluctantly agrees, and they make the wish. Later that night, they hear a knock at the door. Mrs. White believes it is her son returned from the dead, but Mr. White senses something is wrong and fears the consequences of their actions.

 

Resolution – After that last wish to wish the wish before, Mr. White is going all crazy with panic strikes. The picture would seem to suggest that he wasn't back in a normal form because Mrs. White was frantically sticking her fingers in the keyhole trying to get the door open to hug her son. The story ends with a last, desperate knock on the door, leaving the reader to imagine what will happen next.

 

Analysis

“The Monkey's Paw” covers the subjects of destiny, the repercussions of greed, and meddling with forces beyond human comprehension. This story can't be told without emotion, the suspense and dread building up as the White family's three wishes turn tragically and unbidden. The story is a clear warning: be careful what you wish for, for it might come true at a great cost. Horror is initiated by the paranormal, but the psychological torture waxes dreadful on the characters-the family especially-since the effects are tragic. The ending, vague and unresolved, adds to the otherworldly atmosphere, challenging the audience to consider the repercussions of trying to change destiny and the dangers of doggedly wanting.