W. W. Jacobs

"The Monkey's Paw"

Title: “The Monkey’s Paw”

Author: W. W. Jacobs

Genre: Short Story

TAG (Title, Author, Genre)

The Shape of a Story

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Protagonist – the character the reader is supposed to relate to and empathize with (the character who advances the plot)

Antagonist – character/force in conflict with the protagonist

Who are the protagonist and antagonist in Jacobs’ “The Monkeys’ Paw”?

Characters

Atmosphere: the mood of a story

Jacob’s creates an eerie and ominous atmosphere in the beginning of “The Monkey’s Paw” by describing an isolated house on a flooded road. The weather is stormy, cold, and unfriendly for travelers.

Literary Terms

Foreshadowing: hints and/or clues as to what is going to happen next

Instances of foreshadowing occur in “The Monkey’s Paw” when the sergeant is reluctant to speak of the monkey’s paw, and when he says the last man to handle the paw had wished for his own death.

Suspense: the sense of anticipation a reader gets when reading

Jacobs’ uses foreshadowing in the short story to create a feeling of suspense. Suspense is also created in the short story through the use of repetition. The reader understands that after the first wish is granted that there will be two more wishes that will also come true.

Irony: when what occurs is not what is expected

There are many instances of verbal irony in “The Monkey’s Paw”

When Herbert says “Well, I don’t see the money and I bet I never shall” (page 33) his statement becomes verbally ironic because he actually does not get to see the money, though his comment at the time is meant only as a statement of disbelief over the supernatural powers in the monkey’s paw.

Another instance of verbal irony is when Herbert states “And how could two hundred pounds hurt you, father?”(page34)

This statement is ironic because the two hundred pounds devastates Mr. White – He gained the money only at the expense of his son’s death.

Theme: the underlying universal message in a work of literature

What is the theme of “The Monkey’s Paw”? What do you think W. W. Jacob’s is trying to relate to the reader about fate?