The Monkey’s Paw

Recently, I have just read an interesting short story “The Monkey’s Paw”. It is the story about a family who finds a magic talisman that grants three wishes that also carry with them a lot of tragedy. Today I will tell you all about the story both the most important character in the story and a valuable message that I get from the story.

I think Mr. White is the most important character in the story because Mr. White who is Mrs. White’s husband and Herbert’s father to be the person that processes several events in the story. The story is begun with Mr. White and his son that are playing chess. He is the person who starts to speak many things to induce into the story. He said “I don’t think Sergeant Morris will come tonight”. This is the speaking to introduce readers know a character in the story, Mr. White’s friend, Sergeant Morris. In addition, in a part of the story, when a sergeant throws the monkey’s paw upon the fire, Mr. White is the person who pulls it out and he also keeps it. Although the sergeant warns him that “if you keep it, don’t blame me for what happens!”, Mr. White insists to keep it and this causes horrible events later. So he is the main character for processing several important situations in the story.

In my view, the message of this story is people will get a good or bad result; depends greatly on their own actions. It can bring about danger if people fool with fate. Fate rules people’s lives but fate doesn’t control whole of people’s lives. People should intend to make the goodness to achieve their desires more than asking wishes from an object that they think it has magic charm. If people rely on wishes for impossible something, they will be disappointed forever like Mr. White wishes his son alive again for the last wish but it can’t become to be true. As the end of the story appears that “A cold wind blew up the staircase. A loud cry of disappointment from his wife gave him courage. He rushed down the stairs and out to the gate. The street lamp shone on an empty road.” This demonstrates that his son can’t alive again.

And you??? What do you think about it?

More details: http://www.americanliterature.com/Jacobs/SS/TheMonkeysPaw.html