The Monkey's Paw Theme

In the fictional short story, "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs, a theme is don't mess with fate. This theme is determined by pieces of evidence throughout the story. One story element is the story told by Sergeant-Major Morris about how he obtained the paw, through the death of a man. "I don't know what the first two were, but the third was for death. That's how I got the paw." Another element is Mr. White's first wish, wishing for money, which causes his son to die. "He was caught in the machinery..." "There was no reply' the old woman's face was white, her eyes staring, and her breath inaudible; on the husband's face was a look such as his friend the sergeant might have carried into his first action. The final piece of story elements