Comparing The Third Wish And The Monkey's Paw

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In this paper I will be explaining the differences in plot and mood of the stories “The Monkey's Paw” and “The Third Wish”. “The Monkey's Paw”, by W.W. Jacobs is about the cursed monkey's paw. When the White family becomes in possession of they are pleased to find they have three wishes, but they have three bad consequences. In “The Third Wish’, by Joan Aiken Mr. Peters is also rewarded with three wishes, however he is much carefuller with them.

The first difference between the two stories that I will be comparing is plot. The plot of “The Monkey's Paw’ begins with Mr. White obtaining the paw from an old friend, the Sergeant Major Morris. Despite the Sergeant Major's warnings, Mr. White made a wish. He wished for two hundred pounds to pay off the mortgage. But the next day they find their son, Herbert died while at work. To help them with their loss the company rewarded them two hundred pounds. Mrs.White, still not over the trauma and grief over the loss of her son, uses the paw to bring Herbert back. Mr.White fears that …show more content…

Peters driving down a forestry road when he hears a swan call in distress. He helped the creature escape and watched it turn into a little man who called himself the King of the Forest. He rewarded Mr. Peters with three wishes, but not before warning him to use them wisely. Mr. Peters did not want to waste any of his wishes, so he pricked his tongue with a thorn. For his first wish he wished for a wife as beautiful as the forest. A beautiful girl named Leita appeared and married him. They lived happily together for a long time until Mr. Peters noticed that she was spending more and more time by the river. He soon found out that Leita was once a swan and she was visiting her sister who was still a swan. Mr. Peters used his second wish to turn Leita back into a girl. He Lived a long and happy life with Leita and her sister visiting often, and never used his last wish because there was no need for