Literary Analysis Essay on The Monkey's Paw

Introduction

Every choice that a person makes has a consequence. At times we make choices due to the nature of the situation or by trial-and-error. The consequences of these choices may either be positive or negative. It is, sometimes unfortunate that we can never reverse the consequences as a result of our actions. This paper seeks to rewrite the short story, "The Monkey's Paw" from Mrs. White's perspective.

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'The Monkey's Paw' is a short story of how some choices can have adverse consequences. The story begins on a cold and wet night when Mr. White and his son, Herbert are playing chess in the living room (Jacobs, 1914). Mr. White seems anxious for he is expecting a guest but feels that the weather conditions are unfavorable and his guest might not make it. Moreover, he seems distressed about their current living situation which is unsatisfactory. Mrs. White consoles her husband with the thought of winning in the next round.

After a short while, the guest, who is a retired sergeant-major, arrives and starts narrating about his experiences (Jacobs, 1914). He mentions something that fascinates his audience about a magical paw. The paw has the power to grant wishes to three people. When their guest displays the monkey paw, Mrs. White looks at it with contempt. She doesn't seem to be impressed by the story surrounding it. Her husband and son, however, are fascinated by what the paw is allegedly capable of doing.

When her husband fancies the idea of making a wish, Mrs. White suggests that he should wish for her to have four arms (Jacobs, 1914). It is quite clear that she does not believe that the paw had any powers, but she jokes about having four arms. Maybe she feels overwhelmed by her duties, hence, four arms would be an advantage. They would make it easier for her to work around the house.

When Mr. White finally makes the wish and suggests that he had seen the monkey's paw move, Mrs. White cannot take any of it (Jacobs, 1914). She thinks that her husband is just imagining things as he is excited about the paw. She cannot understand why her husband had to take the paw from the retired sergeant-major as it doesn't seem to add any value to their lives. Finally, they all retired to bed after failing to witness any outcome from the paw.

The following morning marks a fateful day to the Whites (Jacobs, 1914). Mrs. White recounts the previous night's events with a bit of sarcasm. She cannot understand why they all believed in the story narrated by their guest. Moreover, she feels that all retired soldiers have something in common, a lack of sensibility. She finds humor in her husband's credulity and the retired sergeant's drunken nature.

The arrival of a stranger to their house after a short while dampens her spirits. She had noticed the stranger standing undecidedly outside their door and she let him in (Jacobs, 1914). The uneasy behavior of the stranger gives her the impression that something is wrong. As the stranger starts talking, it dawns to them that something had happened to their son. At first, Mrs. White gets the impression that he is fine but later realizes that their son was dead. When the stranger announces that the company had offered two hundred pounds as compensation, Mrs. White shrieks at the thought that the monkey paw's magic had indeed worked.

After the burial of their son, the Whites life became gloomy and unyielding (Jacobs, 1914). After a week of mourning and silence, Mrs. White can no longer contain herself. She remembers the monkey's paw and urges her husband to wish for her son's life. Even though her husband doesn't agree to her sentiments, she is adamant about it and forces him to make the wish. Despite the fear of seeing his mutilated son's body again, he doesn't think that the wish would be granted. However, his fears cannot dampen the hopes that his wife has of seeing her son once again.

Later, the sound of someone knocking at their door creates a frenzy in their house (Jacobs, 1914). Mrs. White is excited and strongly believes that her son is alive again, while her husband is filled with fear. At this point Mrs. White believes that the monkey paw's magic had worked and she would see her son. Unfortunately, before she is able to open the door, Mr. White reaches out to the paw and makes the last wish, that his son would die, never to be seen again.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the short story is an illustration of what choices can do. Mr. and Mrs. White lost their son in an unexpected way. The flow of events may have seemed like a coincidence to a sensible person, but to the Whites, magic had decided their fate.

Reference

Jacobs, W. W. (1914). The Monkey's Paw. Modern Short-stories, 377.