Monkey Paw Essay

439 Words2 Pages
Be Careful What You Wish For “Fate ruled people’s lives and that those who interfered with it did so with their sorrow”. In the short story, “the monkey’s paw” written by W.W. Jacobs, Mr. White’s choices changes his life forever. A cursed monkey paw comes into the curious White family. Mr. White can choose 3 wishes but he will regret tampering with fate. Mr. White is allowed 3 wishes. Greed causes the first, sorrow causes the next and worry causes the last. Mr. White’s decision to tamper with fate brings misery to the family. Mr. White choice to use the monkey’s paw causes him to wish for 200 pounds, ultimately leading to misery. After making his first wish, Mr. and Mrs. White meet a stranger, who informs them that their son “was caught in a machinery” (55) and died. Mr. White’s son is killed by a machine. His death had to something with the monkey paw. They realize the wish had caused the death of the son. The stranger informs that “they wish to present you with a certain sum of compensation” (55), and then the strangers hands them 200 pounds. Mr. White gets 200 pounds because of the son’s death. The monkey’s paw granted the wish but at the cost of the son’s life. Mr. White’s curiosity leads to misery. Mr. White’s son’s death leads him to his second and final wish. Out of wife’s desperation of wanting her son back, he raised the monkey paw and said “I wish my son alive again” (57). His first wish had caused the son’s death and the wife wanted the son back. Mr. Whites was afraid of his son’s return. Not wanting his son back, “He found the monkey’s paw and frantically breathed his third and last wish” (58), to send his son back to the grave. Mr. Whites was afraid of the return of his mutilated son. He realized his wish would come out bad, so he wished his son away because of the fear of a disfigured son. Mr. White’s desperation for her son caused Mr. White’s second
Open Document