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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The Monkey's Paw Questions on Symbolism

The Monkey's Paw

In "The Monkey's Paw," Herbert White exhibits a playful and skeptical attitude towards the paw, dismissing its supposed magical powers as superstition. Despite his sarcasm, he inadvertently prompts...

5 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

Mr. White in "The Monkey's Paw" is depicted as a dynamic, major character who undergoes significant change throughout the story. Initially skeptical of the paw's powers, his attitude shifts from...

13 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

The author of "The Monkey's Paw" leaves it ambiguous who appears at the door. It could be Herbert's decomposed body, suggested by the knocking's coincidental timing with the father's wish. However,...

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

Sergeant-Major Morris, a character in W.W. Jacobs's "The Monkey's Paw," views the paw as a dangerous and malevolent object, having experienced its harmful effects firsthand. He acquired the paw from...

13 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

Mrs. White's reference to The Arabian Nights in "The Monkey's Paw" has hidden significance. It alludes to the magical and exotic elements of the story, foreshadowing the consequences of the wishes....

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

The first hint that the monkey's paw is not a good thing comes when Sergeant-Major Morris tells the Whites that the first man who possessed the paw asked for death as his third wish. This is a clear...

2 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

The meaning and function of the monkey's paw in Indian culture is to show that fate rules people's lives and that anyone who interferes with it "does so at their sorrow."

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

The first man who made his three wishes in "The Monkey's Paw" used his third wish to wish for death. This ominous outcome foreshadows the disastrous consequences of using the monkey's paw, which was...

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

In "The Monkey's Paw," Herbert initially dismisses the paw's powers, joking about it despite his parents' interest. However, after seeing disturbing images in the fire, he becomes uneasy. Tragically,...

4 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

In "The Monkey's Paw," Sergeant Major Morris is a complex character whose reactions and actions reveal the ominous nature of the paw. His pale face and grave demeanor suggest fear and past trauma...

5 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

"The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs is a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and interfering with fate. The White family receives a cursed monkey's paw that grants three wishes, but each wish...

8 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

The monkey's paw adversely affects Mr. and Mrs. White's relationship by causing dissension and distancing them after their son's tragic death. Initially amicable, their relationship deteriorates as...

2 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

In W.W. Jacobs' "The Monkey's Paw," the monkey's paw symbolizes the power and danger of fate, emphasizing the futility of humans trying to control it. The White family, who use the paw to make...

2 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

In part 3, Mrs. White wakes up in the middle of the night and reminds her husband about his first wish. She asks him to wish for their son to return back to life. She naively believes that a second...

3 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

In "The Monkey's Paw," Mr. White makes three wishes using the cursed paw. First, he wishes for £200, leading to his son's death and the family receiving compensation. Second, he wishes for his son to...

4 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

The author's word choice in "The Monkey's Paw" reveals its sinister powers through Sergeant Major Morris's hesitant and ominous descriptions. Jacobs uses words like "offhandedly" and "ordinary" to...

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

Mr. White's hesitation and reaction to making his first wish in "The Monkey's Paw" demonstrate his initial skepticism and underlying fear. He is unsure about the paw's powers and feels a sense of...

2 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

Mr. White retrieves the monkey's paw from the fire after Sergeant-Major Morris discards it and makes three wishes with it. His first wish for 200 pounds results in his son Herbert's death, as the...

2 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

The text reflects imperialism and colonization through its portrayal of British fears and attitudes towards Indian culture. Set during British rule in India, it illustrates a xenophobic perspective,...

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

The first owner's wish for death in "The Monkey's Paw" stems from the overwhelming grief and horror caused by the consequences of his previous wishes. The paw's malevolent power led to such tragic...

2 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

Morris attempts to burn the monkey's paw to prevent harm from befalling anyone else. He knows the paw's spell, cast by an old fakir, demonstrates the power of fate and carries dangerous magic....

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

Immediately after the first wish, Mr. White claims the monkey's paw moved like a snake, suggesting it might have understood the wish. This incident creates ambiguity about whether the paw has magical...

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

In "The Monkey's Paw," the paw is described as a mummified monkey's paw, appearing ordinary yet unsettling. Sergeant-Major Morris, who introduces it to the Whites, explains it has magical powers due...

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

Initially, the Whites are skeptical of the monkey's paw legend in "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs, treating it as a fantastical story. However, after their son Herbert's death and the coincidental...

2 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

G. K. Chesterton's phrase "His horror is wild, but it is a sane horror" in "The Monkey's Paw" suggests that the horror experienced is rational and grounded in reality, rather than being a paranoid...

2 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

Morris gives Mr. White a magical monkey's paw that grants three wishes, though it comes with dire consequences. Despite Morris's warning to throw it away, Mr. White is persuaded by his son Herbert to...

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

In "The Monkey's Paw," Sergeant Major Morris is not explicitly described as a "very holy man." However, his association with the "holy man," the fakir who enchanted the monkey's paw, might imply a...

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

When Sergeant-Major Morris refers to the monkey's paw as "just a bit of what you might call magic," he is downplaying its significance to deter the Whites' curiosity. His reluctance to discuss it...

1 educator answer

The Monkey's Paw

Sergeant-Major Morris acquired the monkey's paw after its first owner used his final wish for death, implying disastrous consequences from his previous wishes. Morris, despite knowing this, took the...

2 educator answers

The Monkey's Paw

"The Monkey's Paw" suggests that while humans may be curious and tempted by shortcuts to success, they do not inherently seek them without consideration. The White family uses the paw out of...

1 educator answer