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Why does Sergeant-Major Morris throw the paw into the fire and who gives it to Mr. White?
Quick answer:
In "The Monkey's Paw," Sergeant-Major Morris throws the paw onto the fire because he is aware of the dark side of the power that it holds. Nobody directly gives the paw to Mr. White. He retrieves it from the fire himself after Sergeant-Major Morris has thrown it into the coals.
Sergeant-Major Morris knows firsthand the disastrous effects of wishing upon the evil monkey's paw, which is why he throws it into the fire. From the moment Mr. White brings up the monkey's paw, Morris attempts to avoid the conversation and is reluctant to discuss it. After Mr. White presses Morris to talk about the paw, he eventually describes how an old fakir placed a spell on it to prove that
fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow.
Morris mentions that the paw's first owner eventually wished for death. By including this startling detail, Morris subtly warns Mr. White about the paw's wicked power before suddenly tossing it into the fire.
Morris recognized that Mr. White might be reckless enough to wish upon the paw and attempted to spare his friend the trouble by destroying the evil talisman. Tragically, Mr. White does...
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not heed Morris's warning or respect his gesture by retrieving the paw from the fire. Since Morris threw the paw into the fire, it would be unfair to say that he gave Mr. White the paw. Morris did not even want to discuss the paw, let alone give it to his friend.
After Mr. White saves the talisman, Morris tells the old man not to hold him responsible for anything that happens and encourages Mr. White to destroy the evil paw at once. Sadly, Mr. White's curiosity gets the best of him, and he proceeds to wish for two hundred pounds, which results in his son's tragic death.
Why did Major Morris advise burning the paw, and why did Mr. White save it?
Major Morris already knows the way the Monkey's Paw works as he has seen the results of making wishes on it. He saw the first man wish for death with his third wish and he is open about his desire that he'd never seen it. He "solemnly" tells Mr. White that he "better let it burn." Once Mr. White snatches it out of the fire, Major Morris again suggests that he ought to "pitch it on the fire like a sensible man."
But Mr. White has not seen these consequences first hand. He cannot understand the terror that awaits and feels more of what his wife does about how it seems like "Arabian Nights," something exciting with great possibility. Despite the fact that he has "all [he] want[s]," he cannot throw away the opportunity the paw represents. He even recounts that Major Morris told him a third time that he ought to throw it away before he left but Mr. White simply couldn't do it.
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