The_Monkey's_Paw

Summary: “Monkey’s Paw” Metaphor and irony are used by the author W.W. Jacobs to tell the tragic tale of the White family who get exactly what they want through a wicked talisman in his short story, “The Monkey’s Paw”. At first, the father and his son are playing a game of chess where the dad puts his king in unnecessary peril. When the Sergeant Major first shows them the monkey’s paw—much like God in the story of Adam and Eve—tells the White family to throw it in the fire. The White’s decide to keep it anyway and they wish for 200 pounds. They get it through their son’s ironic death. The Adam and Eve metaphor comes more into play as the monkey’s paw quickly turns into the forbidden fruit with Mrs. White turning into Eve. Even though Mr. White originally tells his family that he has everything he wants, he still ends up pressured by his family to make wishes. With two wishes left, Mrs. White begs her husband to wish for their son to come back to life. She is expecting—just like a pregnant woman in this metaphor—her son’s rebirth. When Mr. White hears clawing and scratching at his door, he knows he has made the wrong decision in making that wish. Rushing to find the paw before his wife opens the front door, Mr. White says his last wish. When Mrs. White opens the door, she is greeted by a gush of wind. In the end, Mr. White finds out that wishing on the monkey’s paw is not all he thought it would be.