The Monkey's Paw By W. Jacobs: Literary Analysis

A closer look into “The Monkey’s Paw”, by W. W. Jacobs, indicates that life is of free will, opposed to fate. Mankind makes their own paths, and people make their own choices that will effect their future. In the story, a family gets a paw that gives them three wishes. The paw will gave them wishes at a cost, although it gave them everything they wished. For example, the Sargeant spent a deal of time explaining the consequences of the paw, and yet when the Sargeant tried to throw the paw on the fire, Mr. White “stooped down and snatched it off” by choice (Jacobs 266). This was his choice, and was not influenced by any kind of other force. It was his fault that he snatched it from the fire, which would eventually lead to the latter events.