Discussion Topic
The point of view in "The Monkey's Paw" and its impact on the story
Summary:
"The Monkey's Paw" is told from a third-person omniscient point of view, which allows the narrator to describe the thoughts and feelings of all characters. This perspective enhances the suspense and horror by providing insights into the characters' fears and anticipations, while also maintaining a sense of foreboding and inevitability throughout the story.
What is the point of view in "The Monkey's Paw"?
"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs is written in the third person point of view. We can tell this because of the pronouns the narrator uses throughout. If he/she used the pronouns "I, me, we, and us," in the narration of the story (dialogue is usually in first person no matter the point of view of a story), we would know the point of view is first person. But when the narrator uses "He, she, they, them," as Jacobs does, the point of view is third person. This particular narrator would be considered an objective narrator. He/she tells us the story of "The Monkey's Paw" as a neutral observer. The narrator is not a person from within the story, but someone on the outside.
"The matches fell from his hand. He stood motionless, his breath suspended until the knock was repeated. Then he turned and fled swiftly...
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back to his room, and closed the door behind him. A third knock sounded through the house" (Jacobs 15).
You can see here that the narrator is just reporting what he/she observes. This is what an objective narrator does. "The Monkey's Paw" is written in third person objective point of view.
The story is written in third person. Is the narrator omniscient? I would say from the outset that that would seem to be the case; the narrator seems to know what is going on inside the heads of the parents and the son. It is less clear that the narrator has the same access to the thoughts of the sergeant-major. What I begin to suspect is that the sergeant-major is a kind of proxy for the narrator, and the narrator is a kind of con man: all this business about the Monkey's Paw can't be true, can it? And the narrator, with the sergeant-major, are serving this story up with straight faces. It is as if the reader is in the same position as the man and his son: dare we believe it? So call the point of view, 3rd person trickster!
The point of view is 3rd person limited. This means that there is an outside narrator who is telling the story, and not one character him or herself (that would be 1st person POV). The "limited" part means that although the narrator is "above" the story, the story still focuses on following one person only. In the case, the focus is on Mr. White, and readers see the story through his eyes.
The story is told from the point of view of an anonymous, third-person narrator. The narrative thus stands outside the main characters and relays what happens to them. This kind of narration is contrasted with first-person narration, in which characters tell their own story directly.
The usual advantage of third-person narration is that it provides a wider perspective than any of the characters could; indeed, it is often referred to as ‘omniscient’, or all-knowing. This method of narration means that the writer can use such techniques as 'foreshadowing', or hinting at what is to come, as with the chess game in which Mr White is described as putting his pieces ‘into sharp and unnecessary perils’. This hints at how he will later endanger his family with his unnecessary wish for more money.
However, in spite of this supposedly omniscient narration, quite a lot is left unexplained and unrevealed in this story. We can guess, for instance, that it is the dead Herbert who knocks on the door in answer to his parents’ summons, but we are not told this for sure. When the door is finally opened, there is nothing much to see:
The street lamp flickering opposite shone on a quiet and deserted road.
Like Herbert’s parents, we are left merely with this tantalising glimpse of a dark and empty road at the end of the story, rather than with solid answers.
Indeed, although the story is technically given in the third person, the perspective appears essentially limited to what the Whites themselves know and experience. We are not given any outside information about the whole business of the monkey’s paw; we only learn what the Whites themselves learn. The narrative does not really allow us to see beyond the confines of the Whites’ home.
By telling the story from the third-person limited point of view, Jacobs is able to allow the characters to keep their internal thoughts to themselves. In doing so, he allows the reader to create them on their own.
Rather than describe the thoughts that Mr. White goes through as he considers the tale told by the Sergeant and whether or not he ought to wish using the monkey's paw, Jacobs allows the reader to reconstruct the thought process in their own heads, arguably far more effective than simply outlining it for the reader.
By recounting the conversations without the thoughts behind them, Jacobs far more effectively links the reader to the themes of greed and the inability to follow good advice sincerely given. It is easy for the reader to imagine Mr. White wishing for the money that he eventually gets but only after the death of his only son. It is easy to connect the horror of the mangled boy's body being re-animated and returning to the house and the desperate love of the mother that pushes her to disregard caution and good sense in wishing him back to life.
By using the third person limited voice, Jacobs crafts a far more effective story with these themes.
What is the point of view in "The Monkey's Paw?"
To start with, we can tell that the point of view in “The Monkey’s Paw” is some sort of third person point of view. We know this because the narrator in this story constantly refers to the characters by name and by pronouns like “he” and “them.” This shows that the story is not being narrated in the first person.
There are different types of third person points of view. The point of view depends on how much the narrator “knows.” If the narrator can only “know” what they can see, the point of view is third person objective. Sometimes, however, the narrator knows more than he or she can see. The narrator knows what people are thinking or feeling. If the narrator knows this, but only about one character, the point of view is third person limited omniscient. However, if the narrator has access to the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters, the point of view is third person omniscient.
In “The Monkey’s Paw,” the point of view is third person omniscient. The narrator does not use their omniscience very often, but it is there. For example, at the beginning of the story, we know why Mr. White talks about how the wind is blowing. He does that because
He had made a serious mistake and wanted to distract his son’s attention so that he wouldn’t see it.
The narrator could not know this without having access to Mr. White’s thoughts. Later, we see that the narrator knows what others are thinking as well. The narrator knows what Mrs. White thinks during the day after Mr. White wishes for the money. We are told that “she didn’t believe that the talisman could grant wishes” but that when the postman came to the door “she was disappointed that it was only a bill.” From these passages, we can see that the narrator has access to the thoughts of more than one character. Therefore, the point of view in this story is third person omniscient.
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