You open a lamp and a genie pops out and offers to grant you three wishes. YES!! YOU WON THE JACKPOT!!! Now make your wish: I wish to be a millionaire. You must feel like the luckiest human alive. No harm done wishing for some money right? Well, money cannot just grow on the trees in your backyard so there ought to be a more realistic way to get it.
What if you wake up the following morning to find out one of your dearest family members had an accident and because of that, the life insurance company is now offering you a million dollars? Would you feel so lucky then?
W.W. Jacobs would likely say NO. In fact W.W. Jacobs opens his story, The Monkey’s Paw, with the following message: Be careful of what you wish for, you may receive it. This story is a MUST READ! Not only will this rob you of your sleep but you will wish that you never wished before!
So what about the story?
Sit around children and I will get to the story. One cold rainy night, a soldier enters the warm, cozy house of Mr. and Mrs. White and their son, Herbert. The soldier tells his tragic story related to a wish-granting monkey’s paw. A spell was cast by Indian fakir on the paw so it would grant three wishes for three different people. As wonderful as it sounds, there is still a catch: those who make a wish will not go without a dire consequence. The soldier, having paid a painful price for his wish, tosses the monkey’s paw into the fire. Despite the soldier’s warning, Mr. White reaches for the paw and wishes for two-hundred pounds. What seemed like a blessing at first turns into a nightmare when their son pays the ultimate price for two-hundred pounds. Click the following link to read the full story of The Monkey’s Paw to find out what happens to Herbert.
About WW Jacobs
William Wymark Jacobs was born in Wapping, London, England in 1863. According to americanliterature.com, William spent much of his childhood at the dreary South Devon Wharf, where his father worked as a dock hand and manager. Unfortunately, his mother died when he was very young and he grew up under financial hardship with his many brothers and sisters. He eventually left for a private school in London and became a clerk in the civil service.
Later on in his career, William went on to write one of his most famous horror stories, The Monkey’s Paw. This story shares many ties with Jacobs’s erie childhood. One of the most prevalent connections is that the story takes place in London, the hometown of Jacobs. London is famous for its cold, dreary weather. This dark setting of London casts a gloomy vibe throughout the story.The imagery of this obscure setting will send shivers down your spine. For those of you who like to stay up during a thunderstorm, this is the terrifying tale for you! MUAHAHAHA!
Why a monkey’s paw?
Great question! There are so many object Jacobs could have been used as a talisman. Why in the world would Jacobs choose to make the talisman a nasty monkey’s paw instead of a lamp or a sponge? Well, have you ever heard the saying that fate lies in your hands? That’s just what Jacobs is getting at.
In the story, the paw is said to have been cursed by an old fakir in India who wanted to prove that fate ruled people’s lives and those who tried to change it would be sorry. Well, the fakir did a great job proving his point since all three people who made a wish suffered tremendously in the end, especially for the Whites.
The paw, being a hand essentially, symbolizes how one is capable of making their decision at their own hand. However, the consequences of that decision would be unspeakable. If you think about it, the idea of a monkey’s paw itself is quite disturbing. The despicable nature of the paw foreshadows the devastating consequences that will be faced by those who wish. It’s terrifying to think how a crummy, dried monkey’s paw could destroy a family. This thrilling story will leave feeling more superstitious than ever.
Psycho Mom
We all love our moms and every now and then you drive them nuts. But have you ever considered just how nuts they can get? In the beginning of the story, Mrs. White appears to be a very sweet and motherly old lady but things take a turn for the worst when she discovers her son had paid for the two hundred pounds with the ultimate price: his life.
After learning of her son’s death, Mrs. White realizes that she could wish her son back to life with the paw. As soon as the idea hit her, she was crazily screaming, “THE PAW !…THE MONKEY’S PAW”. When her husband refused she yelled, “WISH…WISH”.
The yelling,denoted by capitalized dialogue, reveals the change in the character of Mrs. White. She has gone from a calm old woman to a desperate psycho. Wishing for someone dead to come back to life is sick. But to go to the point of screaming and forcing her husband to wish for such uncovers how vulnerable and distressed she has become. If you are curious to see how crazy a mom can get, this is the short story for you. The transformation of Mrs. White to a monstrous psycho is nothing other than frightening.
Be Warned
If you like to wish, I highly recommend you read this short story. This dark,thrilling tale of The Monkey’s Paw, isn’t just the perfect good read for a stormy night but it will leave you more cautious than ever. You will want to be more careful of what you wish for after reading this story because after all, is a wish really worth your life or your sanity?
October 18, 2019 at 12:57 am
Hey Annita, I agree with you, this short story is amazing!! I read it a few years ago and I still think about it sometimes. I agree with you that it leaves you slightly creeped out and rethinking whether or not you want to wish for things.
In my own life, I’m a very big believer in the fact that everything in life happens for a reason and that we should be grateful for what we have and not be greedy. So I love this short story because this theme comes through loud and clear, and it reinforces it from a different perspective that really makes you think.
This story really does keep you on the edge of your seat, so I agree with you that’s it’s a good one to read, especially for people who love thrillers!
October 23, 2019 at 4:41 am
You really sold this story, Annita! Your voice and personality really came through, and I feel like the short story is very relevant to me now.
Because the November 1st deadline is next week, I’m finding myself wishing more and more that I had started applications sooner so I could use the time now to refine my essays even more. There are school I really wish to get into, but I also believe that whatever school I end up at will be the best one for me.
Reading this story will for sure reassure me and the way you describe it… I’m most definitely going to read it soon, and I WISH it will be as thrilling as you say haha!
November 18, 2019 at 2:53 am
I really love your introduction, what a creative way to introduce this short story by offering an easily relatable anecdote to allude to the Monkey’s Paw.
I think that it is extremely important to always accept your decisions and cope with the consequences. We shouldn’t dwell on the past, but rather face the present and future instead of trying wish and change what we could’ve done in the past. We could go crazy thinking about all the past possibilties, just as Mrs. White later becomes, or at the very least, waste time that we could’ve spent doing something more productive.
I’m looking forward to reading this story in the future and learning more about the Whites. I can’t wait to discover how Mrs. White turns out and if she actually wishes her son back to life.
November 18, 2019 at 3:07 am
I LOVE your introduction. I love how it starts off lighthearted, with a dark twist. I feel like the dark twist really reinforces the fact that realistically, decisions always have consequences of some sort.
I think that it is extremely important to not dwell on the past, but focus on the present and the future. You can spend all the time in the world wishing you could’ve done something different but that won’t change anything. It is always better to focus on what you can do in the future, because that is something you can control.
I’m especially looking forward to giving this short story a read. I’m curious as to how Mrs. White develops as a character and finding out if she succeeds in bringing her son to life. You did a great job building up the suspense and the thrill of this story, and I’m excited find out the details for myself!