Comparing The Monkey's Paw And Tell Tale Heart

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Have you ever made a decision that you regret later on? In “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs, the family uses the paw to wish for something, which they regret later in the story. In “Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator isn't completely sane which causes them to make some decisions that they regret. Both authors use symbolism and mood to advise the reader of the importance of making careful choices. Both stories use symbolism for example, Jacobs uses symbolism in “The Monkey’s Paw” to help the reader understand the importance of making careful decisions. ““Hold it up in your right hand, and wish aloud,” said Sergeant Major, “ but I warn you of the consequences,”(Jacobs 41). This explains that the paw is a metaphor that basically means that if you want something you must know consequences that the thing can cause you. Another example is from the story “Tell Tale Heart” this story uses symbolism to let the reader know that you should always before you do something because someone may …show more content…

Both W. W. Jacobs and Edgar Allan Poe’s stories advise the reader of the importance of making careful choices. In both stories, the main characters do things that they soon regret and feel guilty for doing so said thing. W. W. Jacobs writes of a small family who uses a magical paw to wish for money but the outcome of how they receive the money is not completely good so the family regrets making the wish. Edgar Allan Poe writes of a mad person whom kills an old man because the narrator was obsessed over the old man's eye, the narrator hid the man’s body however, when the police arrived the narrator must of felt guilty for killing the old man because they showed the police where they hid the body. Each story implies that if you make good decisions you won't feel guilty about anything or regret