Essay/Term paper: The monkey's paw

Essay, term paper, research paper:  World Literature

The Monkey's Paw

By (author) W.W.Jacobs

The mystery of the Monkey's Paw is a cleverly thought out short story.
This story had three main parts. These parts were the first wish, the second
wish, and the third wish.
The first wish was the only tragic wish that was granted. Mr.White, his
son Herbert, and an old man were sitting around playing chess. There was a
knock at the door and Mr. White answered it to let the man in. His name was
Sergeant-Major Morris. He sat down in the seat nearest the fire, and after
several glasses of whiskey he began to talk. He talked about some of his war
experiences, and then of India.
His last story was about a magical mummified monkey's paw. The
sergeant-major tells the family that the old dried out monkey's paw has a spell
put on it by an old fakir. The story continues and then Mr.White and the
sergeant-major trade. Later Mr. White wishes for 200 pounds. A man comes and
visits the Whites telling them that their son Herbert had been killed, and then
he gibes them 200 pounds. The consequence of Mr. Whites first wish is the main
reason he uses a second and third wish.
Mr. White did not want to use a second wish but his wife insisted that
they wish their son back to life. Mr. White wishes his son back to life, but
nothing happens so they go to sleep. They are sleeping when they hear a
knocking sound at their front door. Mrs. White goes downstairs to answer the
door even though Mr. White told her not to answer the door. Mrs. White
approached the door while Mr. White looked for the monkey's paw.
At the very moment Mr. White unlocked the door Mr. White found the
monkey's paw and made his third and final wish. Just as he made his wish the
knocking stopped, and his wife opened the door. What was the last wish? The
author never really says, but one can assume that he wished he had never made
his second wish. The end of the story is open and leaves you to come up with an
end of your own.
In conclusion, the story line was well written and cleverly thought out.
With the three wishes as the main parts of the story; the author was able to
lead you one way and then suddenly change direction. I think that using a
monkey's paw instead of a lamp was creative, and that people appreciate
something different every now and then.