illustration of an open-faced monkey's paw with a skull design on the palm

The Monkey's Paw

by W. W. Jacobs

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Conflict in "The Monkey's Paw"

Summary:

"The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs presents several conflicts, primarily man versus the supernatural, as the Whites contend with the cursed talisman that grants wishes with dire consequences. The story features external conflicts, such as Mr. White versus Sergeant-Major Morris and Mr. and Mrs. White's differing views on using the paw. Internal conflicts also arise, particularly Mr. White's moral struggle. The resolution occurs when Mr. White uses his final wish to reverse the effects of previous wishes, ending the supernatural threat and leaving the family in grief.

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In "The Monkey's Paw," what types of conflict are present and can you provide examples?

In "The Monkey's Paw" there are both external and internal conflicts.

  • External conflicts

There is a conflict between Mr. White and Herbert with Sergeant-Major Morris. The sergeant brings the monkey's paw to the Whites home, yet he does not want to let Mr. White possess it. After speaking of the three wishes--talking about the third wish he causes his teeth to tap against the glass from which he drinks--he throws the paw into the fireplace. But Mr. White retrieves it from the fire.

After he grabs the monkey's paw, the sergeant-major tells White, "if you must wish...wish for something sensible." However, there is alarm in his voice. But, Herbert White disparages the tale of the monkey's paw. Later he is rather flippant about the paw, pretending to be horrified and fearful of it when his father says that the sergeant major did not want to take any money...

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for the monkey's paw. Then, Herbert jokes,

"Why, we're going to be rich, and famous and happy. Wish to be an emperor, Father, ...then you can't be tossed around."

This is a flippant statement made by Herbert, who certainly seems to challenge fate.

Another external conflict exists with Mr. and Mrs. White against the mangled Herbert who has been caught in the machinery at work so that the Whites would be awarded £200 for their first wish. The poor, disfigured Herbert returns when Mrs. White demands the second wish that her boy return without stipulating that he be restored to his original health. Then, when they hear the hideous sounds of the resurrected Herbert, the Whites must use their third wish in order to wish Herbert back into the grave.  

  • Internal conflicts

When he wishes for £200 that will pay off the mortgage on the house, Mr. White is rather nervous. He jumps when the paw seems to have moved in his hand. "A silence unusual and depressing settled upon all three." Soon the parents of Herbert retire for the evening.
Herbert remains, gazing into the fire where he sees some horrible faces. One is so horrific that Herbert reaches for water to douse the fire. As his hand grasps the paw, he wipes his hand with a little shiver.

The next day, the Whites are still a little uncomfortable with what has transpired the night before. Mrs. White remarks, "The idea of our listening to such nonsense! How could wishes be granted in these days."

Mr. White says with a rather worried voice,

"Morris said the things happened so naturally...that you might, if you so wished, attribute it to coincidence....the thing moved in my hand; that I'll swear to."

Unfortunately, Mr. White's fears are well-founded as the next day a representative from Maw and Meggins informs the Whites that Herbert has been killed in the machinery at work, and the settlement is £200. Devastated by this news, Mrs. White suggests that night that maybe they should use their second wish to bring Herbert back to them.
Frantically, Mrs. White insists, so Mr. White makes the wish. Herbert does return, but not in the way they expect, forcing them to use their third wish to return poor Herbert to his grave.

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What is the resolution of the conflict in "The Monkey's Paw"?

The denouement or resolution of a story is the way the story turns out--the conflict is solved in some way, and the story ends. In "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs, we read about Mr. White, who despite warnings from Sergeant Major Morris, fishes the "magical" monkey's paw out of his fireplace and makes a wish for enough money to pay off his house. His son and wife tease him, but both are anxious to find out if his wish will actually work.

Sadly, for all of them, it does work. Herbert, the son, is killed in a terrible work accident, and Mr. and Mrs. White are given exactly the amount of money for which they had wished. Later, Mrs. White begs her husband to wish Herbert alive, and despite his misgivings, Mr. White does. He quickly realizes that Herbert will not be the same son they had before the accident, and in the resolution, when the Whites hear a loud knock at the door, Mr. White frantically makes one last wish--to put Herbert back in his grave.

The knocking ceased suddenly, although the echoes of it were still in the house. He heard the chair drawn back, and the door opened.

A cold wind rushed up the staircase, and a long loud wail of disappointment and misery from his wife gave him courage to run down to her side, and then to the gate beyond. The streetlamp flickering opposite shone on a quiet and deserted road (Jacobs 17).

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What is the resolution in "The Monkey's Paw"?

The resolution at the end of "The Monkey’s Paw" is left ambiguous. After Mr. White’s first wish accidentally results in the death of his son Herbert, Mrs. White forces him to wish that Herbert was alive again. In the final moments of W. W. Jacobs’s short story, Mr. White uses his final wish, and the knocking at the door goes away. When he opens it, no one is there, and we learn that “The streetlight opposite shone on a quiet and deserted road.” "The Monkey’s Paw" works through themes of fate and causality, and the lack of clear resolution at the end emphasizes these themes.

Mr. White’s first two wishes appear in the story in the form of dialogue, and thus the reader knows precisely what he has asks for. With the first wish in particular, we are able to analyze the chain of cause and effect: we can see how his wish for 200 pounds brings about the death of his son.

With the final wish, this dynamic is reversed: we see the first signs of his wish (its effect), but we do not know what he has asked for. Morris tells the White family that the paw was designed to show the power of fate and teach a lesson to those who try to challenge it. The first wish certainly supports this idea, and the final line of the story reveals an unnerving degree of isolation. We know that their son is not there, and given the cursed origin of the paw, we can assume that another tragedy probably awaits the White family. Did Mr. White wish for his son to go away, or for there to be no one outside his door? What if no one is left alive in the world except Mr. and Mrs. White? The ambiguity at the end draws attention to the risk of trying to control fate.

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What are the conflicts in "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs?

“The Monkey’s Paw” by  W. W.  Jacobs has an element of the supernatural wound throughout the plot.  The point of view of the story is third person with the narrator imparting the thoughts of the major character.  The main characters are Mr. White, the protagonist; Mrs. White, the mother; and their son, Herbert.

The story’s conflict circulates around an ugly, monkey’s paw  [It seems to have a life of its own] that a visitor to the family brings to the house.  Obviously, the sergeant-major manipulates Mr. White, so he would buy the talisman from him. 

‘It had a spell put on it by an old fakir,’ said the sergeant-major, ‘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.  He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it.’ 

This is the crux of the story.  Mr. White faces the decision to buy the paw;  then, he must decide what he wants.  His first wish will lead to the destruction of his family. 

This is why the sergeant-major must be rid of the paw.  He knew the possibilities.  In fact, he warns Mr. White, when he mentions that the first man who had the paw wished for death as his last wish.  Using reverse psychology, the sergeant-major passes the paw to the next unwitting victim: Mr. White.   

The conflict then comes from Mr. White debating within himself: Should he use the paw and if he does use it, for what should he wish?

The old fakir spell begins and another conflict ensues: Man versus the supernatural world. The fakir knew that man could not resist the ability to wish for the materialistic things of the world.  So he played a trick on each of the owners.  Each wish would add to the horror of the previous wish. 

Mr. White’s first wish--A seemingly benign wish for $200 pounds

Mr. White’s second wish—After discovering the death of his son, he is given $200 pounds. The son had been extremely mangled in the accident that killed him. Herbert has been dead for ten days.  Mr. White knows that this is a terrible decision. After his wife begs him to make the wish and against his better judgment, Mr. White wishes for his son to come back to life.  The conflict is almost unbearable for the protagonist.

Mr. White’s third wish—He hears a knock at the door.  Mrs. White wants her husband to open the door that is bolted.  The knocking becomes more and more aggressive.  Mr. White’s fear is palpable.

He heard the creaking of the bolt as it came slowly back, and at the same moment he found the monkey's paw, and frantically breathed his third and last wish.

Facing the unknown and horrific possibilities of his son returning to his family, Mr. White wishes Herbert back to the grave.

Mr. White faces his conflict. Knowing the devastation for the mother who will see her son after ten days in the grave, he completes the cycle. He makes the wish, losing his son forever.

Acknowledging the old fakir’s truth. Mr. White reaches the climax of the story: man must not interfere with destiny.  If he does, he will suffer the consequences.

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Denoting the singular protagonist of W.W. Jacobs' "The Monkey's Paw" can be challenging. Some readers may identify Mr. White as the protagonist, and others may identify the pair (both Mr. and Mrs. White) as the protagonists. Depending upon the specific identification of the protagonist, the answers to the question posed changes. 

If one identifies Mr. White as the protagonist, the central conflict he faces is giving in to his wife's request to wish for the return of their deceased son. Mr. White worries that the passing of 10 days and the fact that their son's body was mangled may not prove his return to be promising. Yet, he gives in to his wife and makes the wish. Later, as knocking on the door begins, Mr. White wishes away his son. Internally, Mr. White knows that wishing for his son's return may not be a good thing, yet the love he possesses for his wife persuades him to give in to her wishes. 

If one identifies the pair as the protagonist, using the talisman (the Monkey's paw) in the first place sets itself up as the main conflict. Both Mr. and Mrs. White are unsure about making any wishes. The warning provided by the sergeant proves to worry them enough. 

Regardless of defining the protagonist, conflict truly exists within the story. Mrs. White desires her son's return so much that she is willing to face whatever horrors his return brings. On the other hand, Mr. White knows that the son's return cannot be what is best. He goes against his wife's desires and wishes their son away at the last moment. 

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