Analysis of The Story The Monkey’s Paw

The story tells about an ordinary family living in the wilderness and unexpectedly receiving a kind of amulet from a friend. This amulet is able to fulfill the three wishes of three people. This is a story about the law of conservation of energy and that nothing is free in this life, you have to pay for everything and pay, as they say, better with money. If the story is regarded as a realistic, and not a mystical story, then everything will look completely different from what it seems, and this is the undoubted charm of this literary work. The story is small in volume, but interesting, especially considering that William Jacobs skillfully revealed the theme of the fulfillment of three wishes, beloved by many authors and readers.

The Analysis of The Story

William Jacobs is an English writer not very famous, but undoubtedly talented. The mystical story “Monkey’s Paw” was written by the author in 1902 and is included in the conditional cycle Classic Dark Alleys in 2017. This story is really a real classic of mysticism with all the appropriate gloomy attributes: from a magical talisman to a living dead. The book traces a causal relationship: if something is received not rightfully or contrary to circumstances, then you need to pay for it, as a rule, fate takes something very expensive (for example, life) as payment (Jacobs). References to the story “Monkey’s Paw” come across in books, this story is small in volume, however, due to its classical narrative, it provided inspiration for many.

With a brief sketch, the author draws us a happy family, a mother, father, and adult son, to whom a guest who recently arrived from India comes. He talks about some strange object, a monkey paw that grants three wishes, and the father of the family begs for it for himself. Morris claims that he has already used all his attempts. Under pressure from his wife and son, the head of the family wants to receive a large amount of money, and he really does receive it. The wish is fulfilled, but it makes the blood run cold in the veins. After a while, his wife makes him make a wish again, whether it is feasible, is the question. The wife decides not, because it is easier for her and Herbert, perhaps, too. Sergeant Morris (guest), knowing the true nature of the artifact and the consequences of its use, brought it to the house of friends and did not destroy it on the sly (Jacobs). The narrative of the story, despite being simple, manages to plainly depict the horror of wishes that come true too easily. In such a way, Jacobs attempted to demonstrate that in order to have what a person desires, they must make some effort to avoid tragic consequences.

Many writers would eventually take inspiration from the “Monkey’s Paw” with horror writers being some of the most noticeable. An analogy with Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (1983) is the situation with the old neighbor of the ill-fated Louis Creed, who spoke about the deadly power of an abandoned Indian cemetery. King at one time was impressed by the story and borrowed the idea for his novel (Mandarani and Ardiansyah 20). The idea of a realization that one’s wishes come true, however, not in an intended way is truly horrifying and is worth the inspiration it produces.

Conclusion

The “Monkey’s Paw” is completely captivating, you get used to its atmosphere, and you submit to its energy. Despite the rather small size, this is a very powerful work that makes you think and leaves an impression after reading. In general, the story is creepy and sad, it is a pity for all its actors, and the ending is not quite clear, the author seems to have made it clear what is happening but without specifics. The idea is clear, do not flirt with fate and do not try to steal free cheese from a mousetrap, and also, learn from other people’s mistakes, do not rush to make your own.

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Works Cited

Jacobs, William Wymark. “The Monkey’s Paw.” American Literature, 2021, https://americanliterature.com/author/w-w-jacobs/short-story/the-monkeys-paw.

Mandarani, Vidya, and Nur Muhammad Ardiansyah. “An Analysis Of Figurative Language Elements Upon An American Short Story Entitled “The Monkey’s Paw”. JEES (Journal Of English Educators Society), vol 3, no. 1, 2018, pp. 13-22. Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, https://doi.org/10.21070/jees.v3i1.1326. Accessed 3 June 2022.