The Monkey’s Paw

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Sergeant-Major-Morris then tells how the owner of this magical monkeys paw is granted three wishes. Despite warning from Sergeant-Major-Morris, Mr White in greed wishes for two hundred pounds. We are then left wondering if Mr Whites wish will come true and before any money is found, Herbert White dies in a tragic machinery accident at work. Visited by a representative from the work the Whites receive two hundred pound in compensation, which we are then left to believe is the two hundred pound Mr White wished for and that the monkey’s paw is in fact magical.

After Herbert is laid to rest his mother, Mrs White, in desperation demands Mr White use one of two remaining wishes to wish their son alive again. Despite protest Mr White wishes and later knocking begins at the door, which may be Herbert White. Mrs White escapes her husbands restrain and dashes to the door while Mr White searches rapidly to find the monkeys paw in order to wish his son dead again to prevent his wife seeing her son’s tattered, torn body.

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In this extremely dramatic climax Mrs White finally gets the bolt off and ready to rip the door open just as Mr White finds the paw and uses his third and final wish. The street was deserted and Mrs White was left in devastation, Mr White in relief and we are left in a state f uncertainty, who was knocking on the door? What was Mr White’s final wish? And was all this the result of the monkeys paw? believe W. W Jacobs use of setting is superb for producing a suspenseful atmosphere in this short story.

He sets the story in rural England in the early 1 900s, so there wasn’t any electricity, the area was isolated, desolate, miserable and there were only two houses in the whole area and Mr White lets us see his feelings towards the area very early on: “That’s the worst of living so far out… of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the- way places to live in, this is the worst. Mr White’s use of “of all” shows just how badly he regards the area that out “of all” the other areas out there he feels his is the worst.

By describing the area as such W. W Jacobs paints images in our heads of eerie, scary, ghost like little village and this adds to the feeling of uncertainty and fear of what is going to happen. Jacobs then tells of the atmosphere within the White’s house and by doing so allows the reader to see the clear comparison from outside to inside. Through fine use of narrative, Jacobs, describes the atmosphere in the house as: “The fire burned brightly… Father and son were at chess/ the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire. He sets a lovely atmosphere, ‘the fire burned brightly”‘ symbols the warmth and light in the house, father and son playing chess with mother close by knitting shows it is a close family, and its a peaceful carefree environment, everyone at ease yet all this danger, darkness, rain and isolation is surrounding the White’s and their peace. This comparison in atmosphere creates a mood of suspense and discomfort, and we find ourselves wondering what would happen, what would e the consequences if something from the outside that dangerous outside got inside the White’s home.

This thought, the difference in atmosphere and in mood unsettles the reader and is superb for creating suspense. Jacobs excellent use of narrative also assists to create an atmosphere of fear and suspense. In the opening when narrating Jacobs use of word choice is fantastic and adds to the fearful and dangerous atmosphere by using words like: “Possessed…. sharp unnecessary perils that provoked comment…. the words died he hid a guilty grin.

All of these words that are particularly used by Jacobs all carry with them a sense of danger and are used almost in a subliminal fashion to strike fear and danger into us without really being aware or in control. Through analysing the narrative dialogue in greater detail it brings our attention to the great detail Jacobs uses and how precise he was when building up the catalyst within the story, Sergeant-Major-Morris. Before his introduction we feel Sergeant-Major- Morris is a mysterious man right from the beginning the Whites are waiting and waiting for their guest, but why we ask what part has he to play?. W.

W Jacobs fine description of Sergeant-Major-Morris adds to our state of suspense: “A tall, burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage” This very exotic, articulate description proves he has a big part to play instead of using simple terms such as, old or rosy faced, Jacobs uses words like “rubicund” and ‘Wisage” which draws our attention to this character and adds to this mood of suspense as we are left asking ourselves what part has this mysterious man have to play in this story, what is the purpose of his visit and this man has come from the dark and dangerous utside into the warmth and peaceful inside of the Whites home what has he brought with him?. Sergeant-Major-Morris is the key character for suspense, he starts of mysterious, we do not know much about him, he has came from the outside into the Whites home we do not know exactly know why. But then we find out, the monkey’s paw, everything the visitor states leaves us in a state of suspense, we do not know if it is true, we do not know the consequences of this “magical” paw and all this makes this outsider bring a sense of suspense, danger and uncertainty to this once peaceful home.

One particular description made by Sergeant-Major-Morris when talking about the paws history I feel sums up his character: “It had a spell put on it by an old fakir… a very holy man/He wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. ” Right away my attention is drawn to “fate” and “sorroW’ and I am left in suspense, what is going to happen, this statement shows that Sergeant- Major-Morris has brought with him the danger of the outside and it is now taking place in the Whites home. After reading this quote and understanding the moral f the monkey’s paw and know that “they who interfered did so to their sorro#.

Knowing this I begin to wonder why anyone would want to be near the thing yet Mr Whites visitor has been carrying this curse with him all along, so why of all the places decide to give it away to Mr White even though Sergeant-Major-Morris did throw it on the fire he must have known Mr White was desperate to have it and it was of no surprise to him when Mr White snatched it off the fire and even after this why did Sergeant-Major-Morris not take it and throw it else where as he new the consequences of wishing and the danger of possessing it. Sergeant- Major-Morris broke the barrier between the peaceful inside and the dark and dangerous outside and therefore was the catalysts in the Whites terrible run of luck. Being the first visitor Morris brought danger, suspense and the monkey’s paw, the next visitor was the representative from Herbert’s work and right away we know something is wrong, we are told: “Three times he paused at the gate, and then walked on again/The fourth time he stood with his hand upon it, and with sudden resolution flung it open and walked up the path.

Right away we are in a mood of suspense, why is this man in this isolated, desolate area here, why does he check back three times, why doesn’t he go in first time, there are only two homes in the area and this builds uncertainty for the readers. Finally the last visitor, we do not know exactly who it was but he/she was repeatedly banging on the door late at night and we suspect it to be the body of Herbert White and this visitor is not here to give good news. All these visitors have came from the outside and all bring with them danger, bad news, fear and suspense. The writers’ use of dialogue is fantastic for creating a mood of suspense in the short story.

None more so than this statement from Mrs White after she makes her husband wish Herbert alive again, after hours of waiting she finally hears knocking at the door: “It’s my boy; it’s Herbert! I forgot it was two miles away’ This peace of dialogue is fantastic for creating a mood of suspense as it makes us picture this torn apart body of Herbert White walking in the night through the graveyard then up onto the roads and towards his home. Which I find petrifying just the thought of seeing this body walking through the night creates massive mounts of fear and suspense, what is going to happen when Mrs White opens that door, what is going to come through it and what will it do, how will Mrs White react when she sees it?. The writers fine use of suspense is optimised in the climax of the short story.

After Mrs White forces Mr White to wish Herbert alive again and the knocking begins at the door, in desperation Mrs White escapes her husbands grasp and dashes to the door, but is unable to reach the lock: “The bolt, …. Come Down. I can’t reach it” Cried Mrs White but Mr White in a scurry tried in a last ditch attempt to find the onkeys paw: “… on his hands and knees groping wildly on the floor in search of the monkeys paw All of this commotion and desperation adds suspense and this race to see who will find the paw or who will open the door makes adds excitement to the already uncertain and fearful mood and atmosphere. At the same moment Mr White found the paw as Mrs White unlocked the door and we prepare ourselves for the unexpected what is going to happen just as: “. rantically breathed his third and final wish” The knocking ceased suddenly, Mrs White ripped the door open, only to the wind of a deserted street. Mrs White was left in despair and disappointment, Mr White in relief and we are left in suspense, who was knocking? , what did Mr White wish for? And was all these events the result of the Monkey’s Paw. Further more feel W. W Jacobs peace ‘The Monkey’s PaW’ makes for a fantastic and suspense read. The characters are all mysterious making for a mood of uncertainty, the dialogue is in great detail and this adds to the mood and suspenseful atmosphere, the narrative work is superb and assisted by the suspenseful setting, all of these combined make this short story a superb and suspenseful read from start to finish.

The Monkey’s Paw

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Big Ideas and Key Understandings One should use caution when interfering with the powerful forces of fate or estiny; the end results can be completely different than what one actually desires. Synopsis Using the supernatural powers of “The Monkeys Paw”, the Whites make a wish for money, receive the money after their son is involved in a fatal accident, wish for his return, and finally wish for his disappearance. 2. Read the entire selection, keeping in mind the Big Ideas and Key Understandings. 3. Re-read the text while noting the stopping points for the Text Dependent Questions and teaching Tier Il/academic vocabulary.

During Teaching 1 . Students read the entire selection independently. 2. Teacher reads the text aloud while students follow along or students take turns reading aloud to each other. Depending on the text length and student need, the teacher may choose to read the full text or a passage aloud. For a particularly complex text, the teacher may choose to reverse the order of steps 1 and 2. 3. Students and teacher re-read the text while stopping to respond to and discuss the questions, continually returning to the text. A variety of methods can be used to structure the reading and discussion (i. . , whole class discussion, think-pair-share, independent written response, group work, etc. ) Text Dependent Questions Text-dependent Questions Evidence-based Answers What does it mean that Mr. White was “amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it? ” Amiable is friendly, pleasing, and sociable. Mr. White was playfully trying to prevent his son from seeing his poor move on the chess board. What does Mr. White mean by, “l should hardly think that he’d come tonight”? The Whites are expecting a visitor, but because of their location and the weather, Mr.

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White believes it is unlikely the visitor will “come tonight. ” Mrs. White states, ‘That’s the worst of living so far out… of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the way laces to live in, this is the worst. Pathways a bog, and the road’s a torrent. ” Explain what the sergeant major means when he states, “it’s just a bit of what you might call magic. ” “It had a spell put on it by an old fakir”. “He wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives…. each have three wishes from it”. Why does the sergeant major say, “Better let it burn”? The sergeant-major alludes to his own and others’ bad experiences with the paw.

He responded quietly and gravely when asked if he had been granted his wishes. His blotchy face whitened, and he threw the monkeys paw into the fire. The sergeant-major doesn’t know what the first two wishes of the previous owner were, but the third wish was for death. He doesn’t know whether he would take advantage of three more wishes if that opportunity would arise again. Read the last two paragraphs of Section 1 . How does Herbert’s attitude toward the paw shift after his experience with the fire? Cite specific evidence in the text that indicates where the shift occurs.

Herbert sarcastically says that he expects that they will find the money in the bed, but should expect something horrible watching them “pocket their ill-gotten gains. However, after seeing a horrible monkey-like image in the fire, he tries to douse the image with water and actually shivers. His reaction of fear and disgust contrasts with his earlier attitude of disbelief. On page identify an example of foreshadowing in the story and explain what this instance foreshadows. On page 35, “The first man has three wishes,” was the reply: “l don’t know what the first two were, but the third was for death. The sergeant-major’s comment indicates that the previous owner’s wishes were so sinister that death was seen as the only possible escape and was actually his final wish. Knowing this, tudents can foreshadow a sinister fate befalling the Whites should they wish on the paw. Why did Mrs. White go “scurrying to the door at the postman’s knock”? Because Mrs. White scurries to the door when she hears the postman’s knock, the reader can conclUde that she believes in the supernatural power of the monkey’s paw. She believes the postman is there to deliver the E200.

Ironically, the postman is there to deliver a bill. What does the author mean by the “sinister meaning of the assurance” and the “awful confirmation of her fears”? How do the words “sinister” and “awful” contribute to the tone of the text? The use of sinister indicates an omen or something evil. By using the word sinister, the author brings up the foreshadowing from previous pages when the White’s learned the fate of the previous owner of the monkeys paw. The “awful confirmation” tells the reader that Mrs. White’s worst possible fear has come to fruition.

Including these phrases What is the “horrible fear” that Mr. White experiences on page ? By ordering Mr. White to wish their son alive again, Mrs. White has apparently either not considered or chosen to disregard the possible consequences of seeing her mutilated and decomposing son. This increases the tension between husband and wife because Mr. White is aware of the condition of their son’s body and is astutely aware of the evil which may now accompany Herbert. This is Mr. White’s “horrible fear. ” Why does Mr. White say, “Don’t let it in”? What is Mrs. White’s response?

White’s horrible fear is of his son returning in a mutilated state (as evidenced by his use of “it” instead of “him”). Mrs. White cries, “You’re afraid of your own son. ” What is Mr. White’s “third and last wish’? Cite evidence from the text to support your response. One can infer the final wish was for his son to return to the grave. While the text does not specifically state Mr. White’s final wish, the fact that the moment he found the paw on the floor, he “frantically breathed his third and last wish and the knocking ceased suddenly,” implies that the father’s last wish was for his son to return to where he now belongs.

Tier II/Academic Vocabulary These words require less time to learn (They are concrete or describe an object/event/ process/characteristic that is familiar to students) These words require more time to learn (They are abstract, have multiple meanings, are a part of a word family, or are likely to appear again in future texts) Meaning can be earned from context -surveying, amiably, torrent, intercept, proffered Page Page offhandedly, absent-mindedly, fumbling, conscious, regarded, presumptuous – enthralled, doggedly, pitch, business, installment, regarded, keenly – retire, struck, coloring, marred, wardrobe, gains Page – betokened – inaudible – wistfully – quivering, groped – resounded, reverberated Page _ – installment – prosaic, frivolous, attribute, resolution – courting, wistfully – senseless, resignation – feverishly – suspended, reverberated Meaning needs to be provided – torrent, intercept absent-mindedly, presumptuous – talisman maligned – bibulous – broach – pulsating – hospitable, condoling – offhandedly – dubiously, credulity – courting Culminating Writing Task Prompt The fakir to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorroW’ (p. 34).

Write an essay arguing who is most responsible (Sergeant-Major Morris, Herbert White, Mrs. White, or Mr. White) for the sorrows that resulted from wishing on the monkeys paw. Support your claims with valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient. Teacher Instructions 1 . Students identify their writing task from the prompt provided. 2. Students omplete an evidence chart as a pre-writing activity. Teachers should guide students in gathering and using any relevant notes they compiled while reading and answering the text-dependent questions earlier. Some students will need a good deal of help gathering this evidence, especially when this process is new and/or the text is challenging! 3.

While the Culminating Writing Task asks students to select one character to write about, this chart includes a sampling of evidence from all four characters. The sample answer will briefly address only one of the characters. Complete the evidence chart for each character. Using the completed chart, decide which one character you will write about. Use evidence from the text in your response, including direct quotes and page numbers. Evidence Quote or paraphrase Page number Elaboration / explanation of how this evidence supports ideas or argument Sergeant-Major Morris “He took something out of his pocket and proffered it. ” “Hold it up in your right hand and wish aloud… ” He accepted “a trifle” from Mr. White for the paw.

Sergeant-Major Morris did not have to take the monkey’s paw from his pocket, nor did he have to teach the Whites how to make a formal wish using the magical” paw. By doing both, he piqued the curiosity of the superstitious family, thereby assuming responsibility for the ensuing “sorrows. ” His final act of accepting money from Mr. White for the monkey’s paw cements his responsibility for the grief throughout the rest of the story. Herbert White “Likely,” said Herbert, with pretended horror. “Why we’re going to be rich, and famous and happy. Wish to be an emperor, Father, to begin with; then you can’t be bossed around. ” “Well, I don’t see the money…. and I bet I never shall. “l expect you’ll see the cash…. ill-gotten gains. ” By making a mockery of the magical powers of the monkeys paw, Herbert brought grief to his own family. His death and his parents’ reaction to it created shock, grief, and desperation by wishing on the paw. Mrs. White Curiosity – “Monkey’s Paw? ” “And what is there special about it? ‘ “And did you really have three wishes granted? ” “And has anybody else wished? ‘ “No…. we’ll have one more….. wish our boy alive again. ” ‘Wish! ” “You’re afraid of your own son… Herbert; I’m coming. ” Mrs. White’s repeated questions illustrate how her curiosity immerses her further and further into the world of the mystique of the paw.

She becomes assertive when she orders her husband to make another wish to “wish our boy alive again,” and when she repeatedly orders Mr. White to “wish! ” She exhibits the desperation and fierceness of a mother protecting her young when she berates her husband for his fear and calls out to what she believes is her son. Between the curiosity and assertiveness Mrs. White exhibits throughout the story, had she not involved herself in these ways, her greatest sorrow may not have come to pass. Mr. White “White… stooped down and snatched it off. ” “… give it to me. ” “l don’t know what to wish for…. lt seems to me I’ve got all I want. “l wish for two hundred pounds. ” Mr.

White must accept responsibility for the death of his son for several reasons. He snatched the monkeys paw from the fire, told Sergeant-Major Morris to give him the paw. When he is ready to wish, he realizes there is nothing he needs to wish for, but makes a fatal mistake of wishing for E200. 4. Once students have completed the evidence chart, they should look back at the writing prompt in order to remind themselves what kind of response they are writing (i. e. expository, analytical, argumentative) and think about the evidence they found. (Depending on the grade level, teachers may want to review tudents’ evidence charts in some way to ensure accuracy. ) From here, students should develop a specific thesis statement.

This could be done independently, with a partner, small group, or the entire class. Consider directing students to the following sites to learn more about thesis statements: http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/545/01/ OR http://www. indiana. edu /-wts/pamphlets/ thesis_statement. shtml. 5. Students compose a rough draft. With regard to grade level and student ability, teachers should decide how much scaffolding they will provide during this process (i. e. modeling, showing example ieces, sharing work as students go). 6. Students complete final draft. Sample Answer: While Mrs. White does not initially appear to be an assertive character in W. W.

Jacob’s short story, “The Monkey’s Paw,” her actions throughout the narrative prove that she did indeed interfere with fate and was definitely responsible for the sorrows that befell her family. Her curiosity led to the family being even more curious. Had she brushed the mystic of the paw off as insignificant, perhaps her husband would not have pursued the mystery. Mrs. White peppers Sergeant- Major Morris with questions such as “Monkeys Paw? ” “what is there special about it? ,” “did you really have three wishes granted? ,” “and has anybody else wished? ” Her insatiable curiosity probably influences her husband to actually wish upon the paw. With every curious question Mr. White also became more curious.

As a result Herbert reacted with off-handed remarks which almost seemed to be a challenge to prove the paw had no mysterious value. Had Mrs. White not been so curious perhaps Herbert would have ignored the paw completely and just enjoyed the stories. Once the Whites receive the news of their son’s tragic death, and the company’s ironic compensation of E200, Mrs. White becomes overwhelmed with grief and shrieks. After a week of sleepless nights, Mrs. White realizes that there are two remaining wishes on the paw. Her insistence, on page for her husband to “Wish! ” for their son to return from the dead is evidence that she has taken the role of interfering with fate at any cost.

Had she been more practical and accepted her son’s death as a coincidence she would never have acted on her thought to wish him back to life. She blatantly berates her husband, which she had not previously done, when she shouts, “You’re afraid of your own son!. ” Mrs. White is responsible for the sorrows hat befall her family in this story. Mrs. White instigated the continued curiosity with her questions. She then showed she believed in the power of the paw when she allowed the man from Herbert’s company in to the house, assuming he was someone who was going to provide them with the E200 for which they had wished. Finally, her most selfish and damning act was in wishing her dead son alive.

Had she not interfered with fate to begin with, and had she not wished her son alive in the end, the horrors of that final night would have never happened. Additional Tasks “The Monkeys Paw’ illustrates that no good can come from testing fate. The conclusion of this story is open to individual interpretation. Students will continue the story from the point of the door opening. The continuation will serve as a new conclusion to the story and should be written in the same tone of “The Monkeys Paw. Answer: Students will determine what the third wish is and write a new conclusion to the story. Students should use descriptive language in the new conclusion.

Note to Teacher While asking students to make predictions is not a focus of the text-dependent questions, teachers may encourage and guide students to make predictions hroughout the first reading of “The Monkey’s Paw”. Name “The Monkeys Paw’ Date 1 . What does it mean that Mr. White was “amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it? ” 2. What does Mr. White mean by, “l should hardly think that he’d come tonight”? 3. Explain what the sergeant major means when he states, “it’s just a bit of what you might call magic. ” 4. Why does the sergeant major say, “Better let it burn”? 5. Read the last two paragraphs of Section 1. How does Herbert’s attitude toward the paw shift after his experience with the fire?