The Monkey's Paw

GLOSSARY

 

1. Mystical - mysterious or magical

2. Permeating - to pass through something

3. Fulham - a district in South- West London

4. Annoyance - the feeling of being annoyed or irritated

5. Bargain - to discuss prices with somebody in order to reach an agreement

6. Hen-pecked - used to describe a husband who always does what his wife tells him to do

7. Exotic - unusual and alluring

8. Mummified - dry up (a body) and so preserve it

9. Spell - magic words or actions that cause somebody to be in particular state

10. Grotesque - strange or ugly in a way that is not natural

11. Shriek - to make a short, loud, noise in a high voice

12. Dismay - a strong feeling of disappointment and sadness

13. Scrambling - to move or climb hastily

14. Cemetery - a place where dead people are buried

15. wanly - in a way that shows no energy or enthusiasm

ABOUT THE AUTHOR- W. W. JACOBS

 

§ William Wymark Jacobs was born in Wapping, near London, on September 8, 1863. His father, William Gage Jacobs, was employed as a wharf manager on the docks at Wapping. His mother was Sophia Wymark. Young Jacobs spent his youth playing around the docks of Wapping, meeting many of the kinds of characters who would later appear in his dockside stories.

 

§ After attending Kirkbeck College, Jacobs entered the civil service in 1879 as a clerk. He was promoted in 1883 to the savings bank section, where he remained until 1899. While serving as a clerk, he began submitting sketches and occasional pieces to magazines.

 

§His opportunity came when The Strand Magazine accepted one of his stories in 1895. One year later, his first book, a collection of humorous sea tales entitled Many Cargoes, appeared, and thereafter he was able to issue nearly a book a year until 1914, when his production slowed. His first novel, A Master of Craft, appeared in 1900.

 

§His most famous work, “The Monkey’s Paw,” garnered considerable attention when it first appeared in 1902.

 

§Jacobs wrote more than 158 short stories under his byline and anonymously. By 1916, his prolific writing had slowed, and he began converting his stories into plays. He died in 1943.

 

ABOUT THE PLAY- THE MONKEY’S PAW

 

§ ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ , classic tale of horror and superstition, a much anthologized short story by W.W. Jacobs, published in 1902 in the collection The Lady of the Barge. The story centres on a dried, shrunken monkey’s paw that is said to have the power to grant its possessor three wishes.

 

§ The story of the play is in three sections. The play is beautifully constructed.

It proves that man’s destiny is very powerful. If anybody tries to change his destiny, he has to suffer a lot. When the White family comes into the possession of a monkey’s paw that magically grant wishes, they do what many people would do—they wish for money. But every wish has a consequence, and the White family finds they are completely unprepared for what comes next. The Monkey’s Paw is a classic horror tale that gives new meaning to the phrase “be careful what you wish for”

 

§ Irony is evident throughout this story; the author makes the story interesting to the reader by twisting facts. It is obvious that the reader expects that wishes can be granted especially when the intentions are genuine; however the monkey paw wishes are different and have severe consequences.

 

§ As a result, it is evident that there is nothing for free in this story; a price has to be paid, regardless of the level of sincerity. The flow of events in this story is systematic, the setup starts with a humble happy family, and ends with a devastated family.

 

CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

 

1. MR. WHITE – Head of the family and father of Herbert.

He is an old man who is both curious and flexible.

 

2. MRS. WHITE – Wife of Mr. White and mother of Herbert.

She is an intelligent and passionate woman.

 

3. HERBERT WHITE – The only son of Mr. and Mrs. White.

He is irreverent, affectionate and loyal young man.

 

4. SERGEANT-MAJOR MORRIS – A retired army- man and a friend of the Whites. He is the man in the play who introduces the Whites to the Monkey’s paw.

 

5. MR. SAMPSON – A representative of the firm where

Herbert is employed. He is the man who informs Mr. and Mrs. White about Herbert’s death.

 

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLAY

 

The Monkey's Paw is a story about a mystical charm, a monkey's paw that is brought into the home of the White family by Sergeant Major Morris, who has served in India. The monkey's paw has the ability to grant three wishes to three people. Mr. White is the third owner of the paw. S.M. Morris was the second owner, the first owner's third wish was for death. S.M. Morris expresses grief over the monkey's paw and tries to destroy it. The White family prevents a guest from destroying a monkey's paw that has the power to grant wishes. Mr. White wishes for money, which he is granted by the factory his son works at after his son's gruesome death. They then wish for their son to come back, and something knocks at the door. When Mrs. White opens the door, nothing is there, as Mr. White's third wish caused whoever was there to disappear. Jacobs’s story is structured around a pattern of threes. The central force of the story is the monkey’s paw, which will grant three separate owners three wishes each. The White family is made up of three people. In addition to permeating the plot, the number three gives “The Monkey’s Paw” its structure. The story is broken up into three parts, which take place at three times of day, during three types of weather. Part I occurs in the evening during a rainstorm. Part II takes place during the morning of a bright winter day. Part III is set in the middle of a chilly, windy night.

 

DOMESTIC SCENE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PLAY

 

The play opens on a cold and stormy night. We are taken to the house of Mr. White in Lovers’ Lane, Fulham. A strong wind is blowing. Mr. White and his son play chess in their warm parlor while Mrs. White knits comfortably and watches her son and husband at the game. As they play, Mr. White complains that their villa is too far away from the town and it is difficult to travel there. The pathway leading to his house is marshy and the road is full of water as if it were a stream. He is expecting a guest, but the road is bad. Mr. White is very unhappy about the location of the house. What adds to his annoyance is that he loses the game to his son. Herbert says that it is one of the old- fashioned houses left near London. It is not a big house but it provides them with all the domestic comforts. Mr. White says that he has made a very good bargain by purchasing it for 200 pounds. He has to pay back the loan. Herbert is very affectionate towards his parents. He assures his parents that he will work hard and pay back the loan in three years. Mr. White wants his son to get married. But

Herbert says that there is lot of time left for him to get married. At present, he is busy working in the factory which manufactures electric goods. He has no time for love-making in the married life. The expected guest arrives and Mr. White introduces him to the others as Sergeant-Major Morris. Mrs. White asks him to come and sits in a chair before the fire to warm himself up. Sergeant Major Morris takes his seat and feels comfortable. Major Morris expresses his gratitude for the hospitality shown by Mrs. White. Thus domestic scene in the beginning of the play is well-presented indeed. The slightly hen-pecked but loving father, the adoring mother, and the doubting and somewhat careless son make up a quite typical English working class family living a cheerful life.

 

FATE IS ABOUT TO KNOCK AT THE DOOR OF THE WHITE FAMILY

 

S.M. Morris thanks Mrs. White for offering him chair. He says that sitting before fire in a house is far better than sitting in the bunkers at Chitral in Pakistan. Mr. White serves him glasses of whiskey. S.M. Morris starts drinking. He asks Herbert why he does not drink. Herbert tells him that he works in a dynamo factory which requires alertness from him. He has to go on night duty in the factory. Morris regales the White family with the tales from his 21 years travelling to vast and exotic places in his tenure as a soldier in the British Army in India. He then tells them about the power of a mummified monkey's paw he brought back with him. Mr. White curiously asks Morris about the special features of the paw. Morris says that this Monkey’s paw has a magic spell put upon it. Mr. White does not believe this. Morris explains that an Indian Fakir placed a spell on it to chasten those who try to tamper with fate. The paw has the power to fulfill three wishes for three men. Morris tells White that the first man who had three wishes of the paw asked for death as his third and final wish; that is how Morris came to own the paw. He doesn’t reveal what three wishes he himself asked from the paw, but he is clearly of the impression that only a fool would seek to ask three wishes of it. Mr. White asks him why then he keeps the Monkey’s paw with him. Morris says he wants to rid himself of the thing. He wanted to sell it once, but some people were unwilling to buy it. Some even did not believe in its magical powers and wanted to have practical proof of its power. Mr. White wants this paw to him. Mr. White asks if he'd make three more wishes if he could. Thus the fate is about to knock at the door of the White family in the form of S.M. Morris and the entrance of the actual monkey’s paw in their life.

 

THE WHITE FAMILY MAKES A FIRST WISH THROUGH THE MONKEY’S PAW

 

S.M. Morris refuses to give the paw to Mr. White. He says that he would not give him the paw as he has had a very unhappy experience with the paw and throws it into the fire. Mr. White pulls it out and asks Morris to give it to him. Morris refuses, saying he threw it away and that's where it belongs. White looks the paw over and asks how to use it. Morris explains—hold it in the right hand and make a wish out loud—but also warns him not to do so. Something serious or disastrous could happen to him if he insisted on having the paw. He himself will be responsible for the tragedy. So he asks Mr. White to throw back the paw in the fire. But Mr. White insists on having it. Morris warns him to make only "sensible" wishes. Mr. White puts the paw away, and the family enjoys more stories from Morris over dinner. After he leaves, Herbert returns the conversation to the paw, saying they won't get much out of it if their guest's stories were true. Herbert makes another joking suggestion about what to wish for (to be an emperor), but Mr. White says he feels like he has everything he needs. His son suggests that his father would be happy if they just had the money to pay off the mortgage, which would be £200. Embarrassed by what he's doing, Mr. White holds up the paw and wishes for £200. They hear a crash from the piano when he makes this wish, and Mr. White cries out. When his family runs toward him, he explains the paw moved when he made the wish. His son observes that the money isn't there and predicts they never will see it. They all sit by the fire again. The men smoke, and everyone is quiet. Outside, the wind is stronger than ever. Herbert’s duty in the factory starts at midnight. Before going for duty, Herbert jokingly predicts they'll find the money on their bed and "something horrible" on their wardrobe watching them. After the departure of his son, Mr. White closes the door. Then he stares into the fire. He seems to see faces there, and they get increasingly grotesque until he throws a glass of water on the fire and goes to bed.

 

FULFILMENT OF THE WHITES’ FIRST WISH AT THE COST OF THEIR SON’S DEATH

 

After a stormy dreadful night, the Whites wake up to a bright morning. They are seated at the breakfast table waiting for the return of their son from his duty. Mr. White says that he could not sleep the previous night because of the monkey’s paw. Mrs. White asks him how an amount of two hundred pounds could hurt him. Mr. White also wonders how the money could harm him. As they are talking to each other, a postman delivers a letter to Mr. White. He thinks that it must be a cheque of £200. On opening the envelope he finds a receipt for interest paid. Mrs. White makes fun of her husband and wishes to share the joke with her son Herbert. Mr. White forbids her to do so. In the meantime, someone is seen moving outside. Mr. White wants to know what is happening outside. Mrs. White says that the gentleman, wearing a black dress, is looking at the house. He approaches their gate three times before coming in. Finally, he gathers his resolve and walks to the Whites' house. Mrs. White tucks her apron into her chair and goes to the door as the stranger approaches. She welcomes him, but he still seems nervous and distracted. Eventually he hesitantly explains his purpose. He is a representative from Maw and Miggins. Mrs. White is immediately worried and asks if something happened to her son. Mr. White intervenes, reassuring her that the man didn't bring bad news. She should allow Sampson to speak. Mr. Sampson informs them about the death of their son Herbert. He tells the Whites the circumstances leading to the death of Herbert. Herbert was telling a story to his colleagues in the factory. The story was about some event that happened in the house the last night. He was laughing while telling the story. He was not watching the working of the machinery. By chance, he was caught in the machinery and he was killed. The man explains the firm feels sorry for their loss. While Maw and Miggins doesn't accept any responsibility for Herbert's death, they do want to give some money to make up for their loss. Mr. White asks how much it is. The visitor says its £200. Mrs. White shrieks at the information, while Mr. White smiles wanly and then faints.

 

MAKES A SECOND WISH FOR HIS SON HERBERT ‘TO BE ALIVE’

 

The Whites are shocked and dismayed to discover the Sergeant's warning come true. How they wish that they had not experimented with the fateful paw. The Whites bury Herbert in the cemetery two miles from their house then go home to a silent house. Herbert had died so quickly that his parents expect something else to happen to make them feel better, but nothing does. Days pass, and they fall into a tired sadness, barely speaking to each another. A week later Mr. White wakes up in the night alone. He can hear crying. He calls to his wife to come to bed and says she'll be cold if she stays where she is. Mrs. White responds that it will be colder for Herbert. Eventually she stops crying. Mr. White dozes off, but when his wife cries out he wakes up again. She screams "THE PAW!" and "THE MONKEY'S PAW!" She starts looking for the paw. Mr. White tells her where it is, and she laughs tensely as she explains: they have two wishes left, and she wants to wish Herbert back to life. Mr. White asks if the first wish wasn't enough, meaning their loss already cost them a lot. She counters that it was not—that they will have another wish—and tells him to get the paw. Mr. White lights a candle and tries to talk her out of it, suggesting it was just a coincidence that Herbert was killed and they got the money. Mrs. White insists him to get the paw and make a wish. Mr. White shifts tactics, arguing that Herbert's been dead for 10 days now. Mr. White goes down into the parlor. He finds the paw on the mantel. She orders him to wish for their son to return. He tries to argue it is a bad and stupid thing to do, but she orders him again. He wishes for his son to be "alive again." The paw drops on the floor, and Mr. White stares at it in fear, then collapses in a chair shaking. Mrs. White goes to the window and stares out. Mr. White just sits there until he's cold. He looks at his wife from time to time. The candle has burned down, and it casts flickering shadows around the room until it goes out. Mr. White is relieved because the paw seems to have failed. He goes back to bed, and his wife joins him.

 

MR. WHITE MAKES HIS LAST WISH TO BE ‘HIS SON DEAD AND AT PEACE’

 

After a while the darkness feels threatening to Mr. White, and eventually he lights a match and goes downstairs to get a candle. Once he is downstairs, the match goes out. Just as he starts to light another match, he hears faint knock. He drops the matches and holds his breath. There's another knock. Mr. White turns and runs back to his bedroom, slamming the door after him. Behind him there is a third, louder knock that can be heard throughout the entire house. Mrs. White calls out "What's that?" and sits up. Mr. White says it is a rat. There's another knock loud enough to hear everywhere in the house. Mrs. White is sure it is her son and runs to let him in. Mr. White drags her to the bedroom door and grabs her arm. He asks what she is going to do, and she says she is going to let him in—that she had forgotten it would take him a while to travel the two miles from the cemetery. She struggles to get to the door, and the two argue about whether to let him in. There are more knocks on the door. Eventually, Mrs. White gets free and runs downstairs to open the door. However, she can't get the bolt open, and she calls for Mr. White to help her. Instead, Mr. White is upstairs, desperately scrambling for the paw. There is another blast of knocking. Mr. White hears his wife pull a chair over to the door so she can open the bolt. He hears the bolt creak as she opens it, and at the same moment Mr. White makes his third wish. Mr. White takes the paw in his hand and asks for the grant of the third wish: "I wish my son dead and at peace". The knocking suddenly stops. Mr. White hears his wife open the door. A wind blows through the house, carrying a chill and Mrs. White's cry of sad disappointment. This makes Mr. White brave enough to run down to her and then out the door to the gate beyond. The road is quiet and empty. The play ends with the Whites in a state of anguish and despair.

 

THEME OF THE PLAY

 

‘The Monkey’s Paw’ is a successful horror and supernatural play. It presents the theme that everything is predestined. The situation is ironic but the end is tragic. The play is based on the idea that fate rules the life of man. It is worth noting that a story can have multiple messages or themes all at once. In any case, the message that really stands out for us can be expressed in the old adage: "be careful what you wish for." There is a cruel irony at work throughout "The Monkey's Paw" in how it grants wishes in such a way that it would ruin the lives of the ones doing the wishing.

 

In this story, the Whites do not treat the Monkey's Paw with the gravity that this talisman deserves, regardless of the warning given by the Sergeant-Major. Indeed, at one point, Mr. White's wife suggests that he wish for her to have "four pairs of hands" while his son suggests he wish to become an Emperor. In the end, Mr. White resolves to make a more humble wish for two hundred pounds, never dreaming the tragedy that would ensue. His family would receive the two hundred pounds in compensation for the death of their son. This story is, at its heart, a cautionary tale about unexpected consequences and the ways in which achieving what we wish for might prove catastrophic in ways we would not expect. This theme is expressed within the story's very plot and the vicious irony at work within it. Thus the moral value of this story seems to point toward an acceptance of our fate. We must not try to endlessly struggle against our destiny, but we must work with it.

 

CHARACTER- SKETCH OF MR. WHITE

 

Mr. White is the head of the White family. He is an elderly man. Mr. White is a conservative, satisfied man who enjoys his quiet domestic life. The author shows this in the very first scene in the story, which opens with father and son playing chess in their cozy cottage on a rainy night, while Mrs. White, knitting by the fire, comments on their game. Clearly, the Whites live a contented life. Mr. White is reckless person. He is a little reckless (as his chess game suggests) and a bit dissatisfied with his life. Mr. White complains that their villa is too far away from the town and it is difficult to travel there. He is expecting a guest, but the road is bad. Mr. White is very unhappy about the location of the house. Mr. White is both a good husband and good father. He is eager to please his wife and his son. We find him playing with his son in a lively mood. He does not mind setting his wife take decisions. Mr. White is a dreamer. Like most people he has conflicting desires and emotions. We see him as a bit of a dreamer, a man who wants to experience something exciting in his old age. This dream combines with his desire to make life easier for his family by paying off the house and drives him to wish on the paw. Mr. White realizes himself guilty over his desires. The fact that he believes an unholy creature stands knocking at his door instead of his son suggests that he feels guilty for having let selfishness overtake him when he made his wishes. Instead of passing off the knocking as an unrelated coincidence, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that evil stands on the other side, as if believing the paw has punished him for being greedy. His decision to wish the unwanted visitor away with his third wish may reflect his desire to not only save his and Mrs. White’s lives, but also redeem himself for his sins. Mr. White is definitely a dynamic character, because at the beginning we get the feeling that he is assertive, collective, and hoping, but towards the end he becomes scared because of his son and the monkey paw, and almost torn, from his wife, and hoping she will be alright.

 

CHARACTER -SKETCH OF MRS. WHITE

 

Mrs. White is the wife of Mr. White and the mother of Herbert. She represents the happy domesticity present inside the house at the beginning of the story, as she knits by the cozy fire, soothes her husband’s temper, and enjoys spending time with her son. Mrs. White is a strong woman, and the narrator even says she's smarter than her husband. We get the sense that she makes lots of decisions for the family and that her husband is happy with this reversal of traditional gender roles. Mrs. White is extremely loving. She loves her husband and son and is willing to do anything to hold the family unit together. Mrs. White is initially skeptical (doubtful)of the paw's power. After her son is killed, though, she falls into a deep depression and decides that she should use a wish to bring Herbert back. Her hysteria and sorrow lead her to do this even though it goes against her husband's wishes. Herbert’s death leaves Mrs. White feeling apathetic and surrounded by her grief. She is emotionally separated from her husband, as after the death of their son they speak little to each other. Her grief makes her frantic and argumentative, and she then comes to believe that she can bring her son back to life using the monkey’s paw. At the end of the story she experiences tragedy once again, as she opens the front door, expecting to see her son come back from the dead, and instead sees nothing. One could interpret her disappointment and misery at the end of the story either as a consequence of her attempts to alter fate by wishing on the paw or as a consequence of her belief that she could change fate, rather than accepting the loss of her son.

 

CHARACTER -SKETCH OF SERGEANT MAJOR MORRIS

 

Sergeant Major Morris is an old friend of Mr. White who has been a soldier abroad in India for 21 years. Morris is tall and well built. He visits the Whites and regales them with exotic tales from his adventures abroad, particularly in India. He is the man in the play who introduces the Whites to the Monkey’s paw. Sergeant Morris seems like a passionate storyteller. He likes to go back in time to tell about things he has experienced in the war. He seems to be good friends with the White family. He talks with such a passion that it makes the White’s listen to his inspiring stories contently. The sergeant is very interesting, sometimes mysterious, laid back, and a good storyteller. He provides a catalyst for story’s conflict. Before his arrival, the White family is perfectly content. With his travels he not only brings back tales of strange and “exotic” lands far beyond Europe but also brings the artifact of the monkey’s paw. Through his discussions of the paw, he makes its power sound alluring, limitless, and dangerous, causing Mr. White to save the paw from destruction and setting the story’s events in motion. He is frightened of the talisman's power. The Sergeant is very cautious about what he does with the monkey paw and who he hands it over to because he claims that it’s very dangerous. He has used the monkey paw before and so he knows the kind of evil power it has and how serious things can get when you wish for something. He tries to persuade Mr. White out of taking the monkey paw back from the fire. He warns Mr. White against the use of the paw. Sergeant Major-Morris is a static character, because he leaves and then we don’t really know that much about him.

 

CHARACTER -SKETCH OF HERBERT

 

Herbert is the young adult son of Mr. White and Mrs. White. He is a happy, loving son to his parents, indicative of the domestic bliss shown at the beginning of the story. He works at Maw and Meggins. Youthful and enthusiastic, he is intrigued by the paw and hopes that the wishes will bring the family wealth and fame. Unfortunately, he is killed in the machinery at the factory where he works because his father's wish of two hundred pounds is fulfilled by the company compensating the family for Herbert's death. He is dutiful and responsible son. When Mr. White says that he has to pay back the loan of 200 pounds, Herbert being affectionate towards his parents, assures his parents that he will work hard and pay back the loan in three years. He tells his parents that he will not marry till he is able to pay back the loan. He is very sarcastic. We feel that he is very young he takes a lot of things for granted and doesn’t take things very seriously. He makes fun of his parents. He tells his father to wish to be an emperor. Before going to the factory, he jokingly predicts that they'll find the money on their bed and "something horrible" on their wardrobe watching them. So he is a jovial young man. We can interpret the fate of Herbert’s character through two perspectives, one that views Herbert’s death as a part of one’s punishment for trying to alter fate, or as a casualty of the real issue of industrialization that was going to happen regardless of Mr. White’s actions.