Summary Of The Monkey's Paw By W. Jacobs

W. W. Jacobs’ short story, “The Monkey’s Paw”, was most likely one of the greatest short stories written, for he excellently uses theme, motif, and symbolism throughout his short story to give many messages across to the audience. “The Monkey’s Paw” is a short story about a man named Sgt. Morris, from the army, who visits a family of three, upon his visit he tells them of a monkey’s paw that can grant any wishes, but bad events occur after a wish is granted. The family does not heed the man’s warning and still wish for wealth, in return the son dies for their wealth. Then after the mother decides to use another wish her son back, but the father comes to realize that something bad will come out of it. Throughout the story there are special themes, motifs, and symbols that show how extensively Jacobs worked on this piece of text. Throughout the story you come to understand the dangers of wishing, which is a very big theme in the story. The White’s understand this when they wish for wealth, but in return they lose their son. Sergeant Morris didn’t say anything about what

There is three people in the family, three wishes can be granted, Morris warned the White’s three times of the dangers of the monkey’s paw, there have been only three users of the monkey’s paw, when Mr. White wished for his son back Herbert bangs on the door three times, the story is broken into three parts with three different settings and weather for each scene, and several other things grouped into threes (Stefan Dziemianowicz). Three is also extremely symbolic, it can mean the progression or imbalance, also in the western world three is represented as very unlucky. Jacobs is extremely talented for he made such a motif without specifically stating what the motif was, he gives hints or details of them and you infer them