The Monkey's Paw

“‘That’s the worst of living so far out,’ bawled Mr. White, with sudden and unlooked-for violence; ‘of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst.’”

Mr. White makes clear how he feels about his home. Such feelings will illustrate why he desires change and would use something like a monkey’s paw to achieve it.

“‘It had a spell put on it by an old fakir,’ said the sergeant-major, ‘a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it.’”

Sergeant-Major Morris provides a clear description of the paw’s purpose and parameters but also warns the Whites about its origins. As the story unfolds, the question of what fate is and what the consequences are of trying to control one’s fate come to be of the utmost significance.

“He took the paw, and dangling it between his forefinger and thumb, suddenly threw it upon the fire. White, with a slight cry, stooped down and snatched it off. ‘Better let it burn,’ said the soldier, solemnly.”

In the strongest rejection of the paw Morris can illustrate to the Whites, he throws it into the fire. Mr. White’s refusal to let the talisman burn despite Morris’s warnings foreshadows that the Whites will suffer sorrow for trying to change fate—as the holy man wanted to demonstrate.