"The Monkey's Paw" is W.W. Jacobs' most famous story and is considered to be a classic of horror fiction. It first appeared in Harper's Monthly magazine in 1902, and was reprinted in his third collection of short stories, The Lady of the Barge, also published in 1902. The story has since been published in many anthologies, adapted for the stage, and made into films. "The Monkey's Paw" was well received when Jacobs first published it; the story garnered rave reviews from some of the most important critics writing at the turn of the century. The story was also very popular with readers.
Like O. Henry, Jacobs was famous during his lifetime for writing a particular type of story rather than for any particular work. Similar to O. …show more content…
The characters in the story are provided with easy methods of achieving what they wish for. However, each person who takes the easy way to success suffers greatly. Learning to accept what comes to us and work through our issues, rather than looking for a quick fix, constitutes the essential premise of this book. The moral of the story is that there is a price for everything, and sometimes, that price is steeper than initially expected.
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Sergeant Morris
Sergeant Morris is an old friend of John White and his family. The story begins with Morris' return home after spending many years in India. When Morris arrives, he provides a brief account of his adventures and sets the stage for the developing storyline. Mr. White shows extreme interest in the stories of Sergeant Morris and is enthralled with his accounts. The setting of India is relevant, as it provides an air of mystery and creates a feeling of surrealism and …show more content…
The Whites’ house is full of symbols of happy domesticity: a piano, knitting, a copper kettle, a chessboard, a fireplace, and a breakfast table. But the Whites repeatedly invite trouble into this cozy world. Sergeant-Major Morris—a family friend, seasoned veteran, and world traveler—disrupts the tranquility in the Whites’ home with his stories of India and magic and warnings of evil. He gives Mr. White the monkey’s paw, the ultimate token of the dangerous outside world. Mr. and Mrs. White mar the healthy atmosphere of their home again when they invite the Maw and Meggins representative inside, a man who shatters their happiness with news of Herbert’s death. The final would-be invader of the domestic world is Herbert himself. Mr. White’s terrified reaction to his dead son’s desire for entrance suggests not just his horror at the prospect of an animated corpse, but his understanding, won from experience, that any person coming from the outside should be treated as a dangerous threat to the sanctity of the