How The Theme Of Fate Revealed In The Monkey's Paw

The Monkey's Paw, wrecking people's lives and reducing them to a life that would never satisfy them. Jacobs was known for short fiction, marine life, and humor. "The Monkey's Paw" by English author W. W. Jacobs was the first ever horror short story that he made. Ironically, the horror story “The Monkey’s Paw” was his best remembered story. In the short story, W.W Jacobs shows us how wishes come with consequences. The owner of The Monkey's Paw is given three wishes, but they come with a hefty price for messing with fate. In the short narrative, the concept is illustrated in a couple of ways: characterization and foreshadowing.

W.W. Jacob uses Mr. White and Herbert's actions and words throughout the narrative to indicate foreshadowing on

and Mrs. White, establishes the theme on numerous occasions.. In the story, “The Monkey's Paw” the characters are initially happy and content before The Monkey's Paw enters their lives and renders them depressed and dull. Mr. White is a perceptive and curious man. While Mrs. White transfers from a wise, self-assured person to a raging, screeching, and sobbing mourner. Jacobs says “...having seen a fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it.” (Jacobs 112) Jacobs here characterizes Mr. White as a man who can't admit his own destiny, like a game of chess that he knows he will lose due to a careless move. Furthermore, Mr. White makes bad wishes which he didn’t think about before he wished them. Every wish he wished came with a consequence but he didn't notice. Jacobs alleges, “Never mind, dear,” said his wife soothingly; “perhaps you’ll win the next one.” (Jacobs, 113) Here, Jacobs demonstrates Mrs. White's ability to comfort others and her affection for her son and husband. But she changes into a completely new creature throughout the narrative because of her wishes that all came with outcomes. The characteristics of Mr. and Mrs. White contribute to the topic because they illustrate what the monkey's paw caused to their lives via their progression from great to