The Monkey's Paw Essay
“The Monkey’s Paw”:
The Horror Genre
The chilling story “The Monkey’s Paw,” by W.W. Jacobs, is a fictional horror story in which the author’s message to the reader is you have to be careful what you wish for. The story is about a family who was presented with a magical paw that has the ability to grant three wishes. With each wish, although seemingly harmless, resulted in severe consequences. The author builds suspense, tension, and fear through the setting, plot, and the events that occur. Setting, suspense, and fear make “The Monkey’s Paw” a good horror story. The setting of “The Monkey’s Paw” has common elements of the horror genre. The story starts out on a cold, wet night with the wind howling in the background. A family is in a small parlor of Laburnum Villa where it is warm and cozy, and a fire burns brightly. The family is oblivious …show more content…
White insists that her husband use the magic of the paw once more to wish their son back to life. Mr. White says it is wicked and foolish to wish their son back to life because he fears the sight of his son’s mutilated body. The author continues to build fear and suspense when the couple is waiting for something to happen. The house was eerily quiet as Mr. White tried to light a match. At the foot of the stairs, the match went out just as there was a knock at the door. Could it be the mutilated body of their dead son? As Mrs. White opens the door, fear overcomes Mr. White and he desperately grabs the monkey’s paw and utters the third wish. The door opens to a cold rush of air and emptiness. Setting, suspense, and fear are all key components that make up a good horror story. The author of “The Monkey’s Paw” keeps the readers engaged in the story through descriptive details of the setting and building suspense by keeping the readers guessing what will happen next. The author is able to relay to his readers the ill effects of making wishes based on greed through the elements of this horror
The Horror Genre
The chilling story “The Monkey’s Paw,” by W.W. Jacobs, is a fictional horror story in which the author’s message to the reader is you have to be careful what you wish for. The story is about a family who was presented with a magical paw that has the ability to grant three wishes. With each wish, although seemingly harmless, resulted in severe consequences. The author builds suspense, tension, and fear through the setting, plot, and the events that occur. Setting, suspense, and fear make “The Monkey’s Paw” a good horror story. The setting of “The Monkey’s Paw” has common elements of the horror genre. The story starts out on a cold, wet night with the wind howling in the background. A family is in a small parlor of Laburnum Villa where it is warm and cozy, and a fire burns brightly. The family is oblivious …show more content…
White insists that her husband use the magic of the paw once more to wish their son back to life. Mr. White says it is wicked and foolish to wish their son back to life because he fears the sight of his son’s mutilated body. The author continues to build fear and suspense when the couple is waiting for something to happen. The house was eerily quiet as Mr. White tried to light a match. At the foot of the stairs, the match went out just as there was a knock at the door. Could it be the mutilated body of their dead son? As Mrs. White opens the door, fear overcomes Mr. White and he desperately grabs the monkey’s paw and utters the third wish. The door opens to a cold rush of air and emptiness. Setting, suspense, and fear are all key components that make up a good horror story. The author of “The Monkey’s Paw” keeps the readers engaged in the story through descriptive details of the setting and building suspense by keeping the readers guessing what will happen next. The author is able to relay to his readers the ill effects of making wishes based on greed through the elements of this horror