Discussion Topic
Mrs. White's initial opinion and reaction to the monkey's paw
Summary:
Initially, Mrs. White is skeptical about the monkey's paw, considering it to be a silly superstition. She dismisses its supposed magical properties and does not take it seriously until later events unfold, leading to tragic consequences.
What was Mrs.White's initial opinion about the monkey's paw? When does her opinion change?
When Sergeant-Major Morris initially explains to the White family that the ominous monkey's paw has magical powers, Mrs. White dismisses the novelty as ridiculous and says,
Sounds like the Arabian Nights...Don't you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me?
Mrs. White does not believe in its powers and makes a humorous comment to her husband about wishing upon the talisman. Tragically, Mr. White wishes for two hundred pounds, and Herbert dies in a work accident the next day. In part two, Mr. and Mrs. White receive news that Herbert has died and learn that they will be given two hundred pounds as compensation for his tragic accident.
In part three, Mrs. White recalls her husband's wish for two hundred pounds and experiences a transformation regarding her belief in the magic monkey's paw. Mrs. White believes that the magic monkey's paw actually works after she connects the...
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wish to the reward following Herbert's death. She then demands that her husband wish for Herbert to come back to life. Despite the fact that Herbert has been dead for ten days, Mrs. White instructs her husband to wish him back to life, which is exactly what he does. Fortunately, Mr. White manages to make the third wish, for his son to return to the grave, before his wife can open the door to see her son's corpse.
What was Mrs. White's initial reaction in "The Monkey's Paw"?
At the beginning of the story, Mr. White inquires about Sergeant-Major Morris's magic monkey paw, and Morris proceeds to elaborate on the ominous talisman. Sergeant-Major Morris explains to the White family than an old fakir placed a spell on it to prove that fate ruled people's lives; he casts a foreboding atmosphere around the paw by saying that its first owner's last wish was for death. After Morris throws the monkey's paw into the fire, Mr. White retrieves it, and Morris warns him about the consequences of wishing upon it. Morris then explains how to use the monkey's paw, and Mrs. White replies,
Sounds like the Arabian Nights . . . Don't you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me?
Mrs. White proceeds to laugh at her joke, and Morris warns her husband once again to make a sensible wish, before leaving. Mrs. White's comments and demeanor reveal that she finds the story regarding the monkey's paw to be ridiculous and far-fetched. She does not take Morris seriously and finds the entire story humorous. As the story progresses, Mrs. White's entire outlook on the monkey's paw changes; she is forced to believe in its powers after the tragic death of her son.