The Monkeys Paw

“Be careful what you wish for”, a common phrase I am sure many people have heard throughout their lives. W.W. Jacob’s takes this phrase and writes his short story The Monkeys Paw around this phrase. We all wish for something extraordinary out of life, Hell, even I have my occasional “God, I wish…” ; but as we all know “ask and thee shall receive” is easier said then done. Jacobs interpetation of wishing is similar to alchemy in which the first law known as the law of equivalent exchange, which states “Human kind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain something of equal value must be lost.” This is the main premise of the story in which everything that is wished comes with a horrible cost. It’s probably just