The Monkey 's Paw

Introduction

"The Monkey's Paw" is a chilling and suspenseful short story by W.W Jacobs, first included in Harper’s Magazine and then published in England in 1902 in his collection "The Lady of the Barge." The story has been included in dozens of collections, from horror and gothic anthologies to The New York Review of Books’ collection of classic fiction. In the story, Jacobs renders a creepy spin on the classic three-wishes folk tale of "Arabian Nights." The story revolves around a couple, Mr. and Mrs. White, and their son, Herbert. Upon a visit from an old friend, they acquire a magical artifact – a monkey’s paw. Anyone who owns it gets three wishes granted, but it becomes clear that the wishes come with a catch: whoever makes the wish must pay a great price. When the Whites wish for money, they end up receiving the wished-for amount as compensation for their son’s death. After a grieving, desperate Mrs.White wishes her son back to life, he returns to them from the dead as a zombie-like creature. At the last moment Mr. White uses the third wish to send him back to the peace of the grave. Jacobs uses foreshadowing to increase suspense in this tale, along with setting and imagery to add to the eeriness. A combination of horror and humor have made "The Monkey's Paw" popular with generations of readers.

There have been several different media adaptations of "The Monkey's Paw," one of the first being a one-act play in 1903, in which famous dramatist Louis Napoleon Parker performed at the London Haymarket Theatre. There have also been other plays, operas, a radio reading, eight separate films, and (most popularly) an episode of "The Simpsons." Stephen King even based his novel "Pet Sematary" (1983) on the themes of this story.

Summary

The story is set in England around the turn of the twentieth century. It opens with the elderly Mr. and Mrs. White and their son Herbert in their cozy family home one stormy evening. Father and son are playing chess while Mrs. White knits by the fire. From their conversation, it is apparent they are expecting a visitor. The visitor soon arrives; Mr. White introduces him as Sergeant-Major Morris. The family welcomes him warmly, and as he relaxes with a drink, he tells them exciting stories of his time in India (under British rule at the time of the story). Mr. White remarks that he would like to see the strange and exotic sights of India, but Morris says he's better off at home.

Mr. White remembers the strange tale of a monkey's paw that Morris recently told him. Morris somewhat reluctantly shows them the paw and declares that an old Indian fakir placed a spell on it. As a result, according to Morris, the paw has the power to grant three wishes, but it brings disaster upon the wisher in the process. Morris then tosses the paw onto the fire, but Mr. White hastily retrieves it. Morris warns him that he should stay away from the paw. However, the Whites are curious, and Mr. White ends up buying the paw from Morris.

After Morris leaves, the Whites decide to put the paw to the test. Mr. White admits that he can't think of anything to wish for. Herbert suggests that he ask for two hundred pounds to help with the mortgage. Mr. White wishes for this with the paw, and he is shocked when he feels it move in his hand. Nothing else happens, and Herbert scoffs that he's not likely ever to see the money. After this, Mr. and Mrs. White retire to bed. Herbert remains in the room for a while, imagining pictures in the fire. Finally, he sees a strange monkey-like face in the flames, a sight which frightens him. Reaching for some water to pour on the fire, he accidentally touches the monkey's paw, which alarms him further. In this rather unsettled mood, he too heads for bed.

Next morning dawns, bright and cheerful, and Herbert is able to dismiss his misgivings of the previous night. He jokes with his parents about the monkey's paw and then leaves for work. Mrs. White continues to tease her husband about having made the wish, but she too appears to be on the lookout for something to happen, and is disappointed when the morning mail only brings a bill. However, she is intrigued when a well-dressed stranger unexpectedly turns up at the front door. She makes him as welcome as she can, believing that he is bringing them good news about the two hundred pounds. In fact, he has come to tell them that Herbert has been killed in an accident at work. Mr. and Mrs. White are utterly devastated at this news, but there is worse news still to come. The stranger says that they will receive two hundred pounds in compensation–exactly the sum that Mr. White wished for using the monkey's paw. At this revelation, Mrs. White screams aloud, and Mr. White collapses in a faint.

After Herbert's funeral, his grieving parents return to the family home, which now appears desolate. A few nights later, Mr. White awakens to find his wife lamenting for their son at the window. Then she startles him by suggesting that they should use the monkey’s paw to wish Herbert alive again. Mr. White is utterly horrified at the thought of summoning their son back from the grave, especially because he was mangled beyond recognition in the accident. However, Mrs. White is too excited to listen to reason and forces her husband to make the wish upon the monkey’s paw. She waits by the window for her son, but nobody comes. Very relieved, Mr. White returns to bed; after a while, his wife joins him.

Eventually, Mr. White gets up again to light a candle. While on the stairs, he suddenly hears a soft knock at the front door. Terrified, he rushes back to the bedroom. His wife is roused by the commotion, and he tries to pretend it was just a rat making the noise. However, the knocking grows louder. Mrs. White is ecstatic, believing that her son has indeed returned, and hurries downstairs to let him in before her husband can stop her. Mr. White is left with only one course of action: to make a final wish on the monkey’s paw. We are not told exactly what the wish is, but when he makes it, the knocking stops abruptly. When Mrs. White opens the door, there is nobody there.

 Character List

Mr. White

The father of Herbert and husband of Mrs. White, he is an elderly man who is annoyed that he lives so far out in the countryside. He is pleased when his friend Morris comes to visit, and the tale of the paw thrills him. When it comes down to it, though, he is hesitant to make a wish because he is worried about the consequences and thinks that he already has all he needs. Herbert's death depresses him, but he understands he cannot use the paw to bring his dead son back to life. He uses the third wish to undo what his wife did.

Mrs. White

The wife of Mr. White and mother of Mrs. White, she is initially skeptical of the paw's power. After her son is killed, though, she falls into a deep depression and decides that she should use a wish to bring Herbert back. Her hysteria and sorrow lead her to do this even though it goes against her husband's wishes.

Herbert White

The son of Mr. and Mrs. White, he works at Maw and Meggins. Youthful and enthusiastic, he is intrigued by the paw and hopes that the wishes will bring the family wealth and fame. Unfortunately, he is killed in the machinery at the factory where he works because his father's wish of two hundred pounds is fulfilled by the company compensating the family for Herbert's death.

Sergeant-Major Morris

Morris is tall and well built. He visits the Whites and regales them with exotic tales from his adventures abroad, particularly in India. He mentions the monkey's paw to them but is reluctant to let them have it; his demeanor and words suggest he is frightened of the talisman's power.

 Themes

Superstition

The story never explicitly states that the paw was the reason for Herbert’s death, nor does it reveal whether the mysterious knocker at the White’s home is in fact an undead Herbert. Both events could be a coincidence: the money could have simply happened to be the amount they wished for; the knocking could be a stranger, animals, a trick of nature, etc. This uncertainty makes the reader question the nature of reality, leading them to believe in the supernatural rather than the logical. Superstition is thus one of the most important forces in the short tale because of how it affects the reader.

Greed

The Whites are a content, happy family. They want for nothing, as Mr. White mentions when he thinks of what to make as his first wish. He wishes out of greed, not out of necessity. They face the consequences of upsetting an equilibrium and asking for too much. It is especially telling that Herbert, the one who wants wealth and fame the most, is the one taken by death. Even the second wish is selfish and not rational – it is purely driven by emotion and what Mrs. White wants. This greed leads to disappointment and the downfall of the Whites; greed and lust for something one does not need can lead to tragic consequences.

Interfering With Fate

The story's main character, an elderly man named Mr. White, is told of a monkey's paw that has the power to grant three wishes. Despite being warned about the mysterious talisman–he learns that it had a had a spell put on it by a fakir (holy man) from India who wanted people to understand the dangers of interfering with fate–he takes the paw and wishes for money. His son then dies in an accident, and the family is given the money they wished for. This event emphasizes the story's theme, which is that interfering with fate, especially when driven by greed, leads to tragedy. The tale continues with the fulfillment of two additional wishes due to the supernatural force of the monkey's paw.

Dangers Of Wish Fulfillment

Reminiscent of the biblical story of Adam and Eve, "The Monkey's Paw" reminds readers to be careful what they wish for. The Whites’ downfall comes as the result of wishing for more than what they actually needed. Even though Mr. White feels content with his life—he has a happy family, a comfortable home, and plenty of love—he still uses the monkey’s paw to wish for money that he doesn’t really need. This wish comes true at a steep cost. It also results in Mrs. White having complete faith in the paw and wishing for something with greater stakes. This wish, too, leads to unhappiness. The author skillfully illustrates the dangers of wishes which can come true in unexpected ways.