Monkey's Paw And The Third Wish: A Literary Analysis

There have always been stories and tales about those that are seemingly lucky enough to be granted three wishes. Most people dream of their wishes becoming a reality, but wouldn’t it seem too good to be true? In the two stories The Monkey’s Paw by William Wymark Jacobs and The Third Wish by Joan Aiken, two people in very different situations experience the reality of how wishes don’t always work out the way we’d like them to. Throughout the two stories, there are handfuls of similar and contrasting points present involving the exposition, conflict, resolution, and theme in these differing tales.

By way of example, there is a variety of similarities in plot to be found between the two stories. The biggest resemblance between the two is the consistent theme: be careful what you wish for. In both stories, the main characters had been given the opportunity to get three wishes, and both Mr. Peters and Mr. White from the two stories used their first wish for things they thought would benefit

In the first story, Joan Aiken did a marvelous job of creating a setting in a modern day forest; involving the characters of Mr. Peters, the king of the Forest, Leita, and Rhea, the tale created a sad and mournful tone. The second story, The Monkey’s Paw, featured a setting of a house in England during the late 1800s. The characters of Mr. and Mrs. White were introduced, along with their son Herbert and Sergeant-Major Morris to create a dreadful and sinister tone. As for main conflict, Mr. Peters had to help his wife return to her natural state, while Mr. and Mrs. White had to cope with their son’s death. While both stories had a previously explained similar overall resolution, the two opposing characters still used their last wishes for different reasons. Mr. Peters finally made his wife happy, and Mr. White was able to put his dead son to