“The Monkey’s Paw” “The Monkey’s Paw” is a drama written by W. W. Jacobs about a small family who experiences a disturbing and extremely coincidental situation. This family consists of three members, Mr. and Mrs. White, and their adult son Herbert. During an ordinary visit with an old family friend, Sergeant Major Morris, the White family comes into possession of an old, shriveled monkey’s paw. This paw would supposedly grant its owner any three wishes that that person might desire. This play describes the three wishes that Mr. White made to the monkey’s paw and how these wishes were seemingly granted. Although the events that conspired throughout the course of this play may have been caused by some form of magic from the monkey’s paw, there is evidence in the play to suggest that everything that happened during this drama was mere coincidence.
When Mr. White first acquires the monkey’s paw from Sergeant Major Morris, the family’s skepticism shows when Herbert states:
HERBERT. Well, Morris is quite a storyteller. For a minute there he almost had me believing that one about the monkey’s paw. (Jacobs. 1. 1)
Mr. and Mrs. White are reluctant to even attempt to make a wish on the paw, while Herbert acts as the whole affair is a large joke and
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and Mrs. White immediately assume that since the compensation they received for Herbert’s death was the same amount that they had wished for, the monkey’s paw was the cause of his untimely demise. But Herbert’s death was more likely a simple coincidence. Since Herbert worked in an environment with heavy machinery and equipment, careful attention to detail was vital. Herbert was most likely regaling his co-workers with amusing tales of the supposedly magic monkey’s paw and neglected to be fully aware of his surroundings. Furthermore, the amount of money that the Whites received as compensation for his’ death was likely the standard for that company in situations such as this one and had nothing to do with the