MONKEYS PAW By William Wymark Jacobs Theme Fate ruled people's lives," Those who tamper with fate

"did so to their sorrow. INTRODUCTION W.W. Jacobs was a prolific writer. Jacobs is known for his deft, economical scene-setting and his neat, logical plots, two characteristics which are easily visible in "The Monkey's Paw.The story feature macabre elements. The play It transpires that the cottage owned by the Whites has been purchased on installment basis and a sum of 200pounds remains to be paid A friend Sergeant major Morris visits them and tells them of dried monkeys paw that he has which has the power to grant three wishes, each to three people, but with a rider that after the fulfillment of the wishes, those three people would have cause to wish that they had not been granted the wishes Though skeptical initially, they end up buying the paw out of curiosity

Despite the warning issued by the sergeant, Mr. White on the advice of his son Herbert, asks for a grant of 200 pounds towards payment of the final installment on the purchase of their cottage Herbert leaves for his night duty The uncanny coincidence is that the very same night Herbert meets with an accident

The next morning when the Whites are waiting for Herbert at breakfast, a man in black arrives to inform them about the tragic, fatal accident Herbert had met with He hands them a sum of 200 pounds that Herberts employer firm had sent as compensation for the loss of their son The whites are shocked and dismayed to discover the sergeants warning come true They wished they had not experimented with the fateful paw

They are in a state of total disarray, suddenly Mrs white recalls that the monkeys paw had still the power to grant two more wishes She demands her husband to seek for the wish and restore her sons life

Hesitatingly he asks the monkeys paw to restore his sons life but is frightened of the dire consequences of going counter to the forces of fate and natural order In a state of mental shock and confusion Mr White accedes to his wifes plea to wish his son alive again This is once again in contravention of the natural scheme of things where death marks an irrevocable finality of ones physical existence

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Mr. White, finally asks for the grant of the third wish and wishes for his sons peace and eternal The incessant knocking at the door stops The monkeys paw can grant wishes but at the same time spell disaster

The Fakirs action was intended to show that fate ruled the world and if one attempts to subvert it he pays dearly for his mistake The paw thus is a source of temptation. It tempts man to wish for things against the preordained schedule drawn by fate so that he courts disaster The play deals with the supernatural which is dreaded but at the same time fascinating to the readers Expressions Fate ruled people = everything is cut and dried from the beginning. There was no getting away from it. Life is to be lived according to the rules laid down or pre- ordained by fate. To go counter to it is to violate the codes of life for which one may suffer severe consequences Character Sketch Herbert Most sceptical of the three about the power of the MP Ironically he becomes its victim at the end

Represents the force of reason that demands empirical evidence to validate irrational beliefs and superstitions Mocks at fate and teases his father to seek a grant of 200 pounds Sceptical about the efficacy of the MP Pokes fun at the fakir, unaware of the impending tragedy Meets with a fatal accident

His mocking nature is a cruel joke against himself Mr. White Before the paw A credulous person, feeble minded comes across a satisfied, complacent homebody He seems to be cozily settled in his old fashioned countryside home dotes on his only son Herbert A man with a calm disposition, good temperament

Gets tempted to the lure of easy money being fickle minded is tempted to ask for a wish Succumbs to the greed of acquiring wealth instantly Curious about the paws magical powers Fascinated and captivated by the power of having more Lure of easy money ensnares him in the web of greed Becomes inquisitive In the bargain he loses his son whom he loves so much This shatters and devastates him.

Learns about the dreadful consequence of the wish The change He learns not to temper with his fate Becomes god-fearing, matured, rational, serious Manages his hysterical wife Accepts that fate rules people Believes in supernatural Fears to go against the law of nature Realizes that everything is cut and dried from the beginning Reluctant to reuse the paw to bring his son alive in fear of the consequences he may suffer

Understands that one cannot mess with the pre-ordained scheme of things Mrs. White: Mrs. White comes across as hospitable and a pleasant housewife who is living a comfortable existence. She is shown as a god fearing person who is a staunch believer of the supernatural When Sergeant Morris shows them the monkeys paw, Mrs. White looks at it eagerly but then turns back in disgust paw She appears to be a timid and frightened person who wants her husband to stay away from the as the play proceeds, we get an insight into another facet of her persona

She is very hopeful and anxious after her husband makes the wish

When she sees Mr. Sampson outside the house, she secretly harbours the hope that he had come with the two hundred pounds they had wished for When she realizes that she has lost her son Herbert, she loses control over her senses Towards the end she behaves like a typical mother She is aggressive and desperate to get her dead son back to life She forces Mr. White to wish for their son to come back alive She gives the appearance of a pathetic figure who is devastated.

Comment on the mobility of the play. Mobility in a play is very necessary and the Monkeys Paw by W.W Jacobs amply exhibits it. The plot, the characters and the location along with the atmosphere gradually evolve throughout and end on a disturbing note. The story begins in a simple English household where the characters are engaged in a pleasant conversation over tea. However, the plot turns magical and mysterious with the introduction of the Monkeys paw resulting in Mr. White succumbing to the temptation of easy money. Later it becomes horrifying with Herberts morbid death and Mrs. Whites hysteria to bring back her son alive. The location and the atmosphere move parallel to the story. The play moves from drawing room to cemetery, from windy atmosphere to a stormy night. The element of magic and mystery transforms into suspense going towards morbidity and ending with a macabre. The ingredients of the supernatural happening support the suspense very well. The flow is also seen in the characters who not only move physically but evolve gradually.

1.

The Monkeys Paw is a mysterious story. Discuss.

When Mr. white wished for 7200 pounds to pay off his debt he felt as if the paw had moved andwriggled like a snake in his hand. Later just before going to bed he felt that h had seen faces in the fire. The night Herbert died was a stormy night which further highlights the mysterious plot as both Mr and Mrs White tossed and tumbled in bed. When Mr White wishes his son alive the candle is extinguished and the room becomes dark. When Mrs. White looks out of the window the road is lonely and there is not a single living creature on it. Further the location of the cottage is such that it is located at the cemetery. The climax of the play is when Mrs. White think Herbert is knocking at the door while Mr. white is groping in the dark searching for the paw. No sooner does mrs. White manage to unlock the door than Mr. White wishes his son dead and at peace. Mrs. White finds nothing but still air and moonlight outside. 2. How does the story depict horror and suspense?

The Story monkeys paw by William Wymark Jacobs depicts a thriller and a horror story. The story is full of horror in the way it is structured and described. The mysterious nature of the paw that suddenly twists when in Mr. Whites hand or the fact that Mr White sees faces in the fire creates a eerie atmosphere. The candle blowing out and the stormy night are all effects that make the story haunting The setting of the play and the transition of the play from a pleasant to a stormy night, the suspense behind the magic of the monkeys paw add to the horror along with the secret disclosed by Sergeant

Morris and his warning. As the play progresses the author has used the suspense behind Mr. Whites first wish to create drama by killing Herbert. The last scene at the isolated countryside house is set during the midnight when the lights go off as Mrs. White wishes her son back alive. The candle blowing out and the stormy night are all effects that make the story haunting. The fear feeling generated by Herberts unfortunate death reaches its zenith when there is knocking at the door. The mentioning of the cemetery and Herbert returning from death creates much horror which settles down when Mr. White maturely demands Herberts peaceful death. The play ends at a disappointing note but throughout the play, the writer has used the magic of the monkeys paw and the wishes as elements of horror. 3. The story states that if one goes against the laws of nature, one may have to face the consequences. The monkeys paw is a play written by William Wymark Jacobs. The story revolves around a mysterious paw that grants three wishes but has its own terrifying consequences. The monkeys paw had a spell put upon it by an old fakir to show that fate ruled the world and that everything was cut and dried from the beginning and we should not try to revert it. The monkeys paw granted three wishes but has its own terrifying consequences. The monkeys paw had a spell put upon it by an old fakir to show that fate ruled the world and that everything was cut and dried from the beginning and we should not try to revert it. The monkeys paw granted three wishes which would come true as if they were a coincidence if thought of so but would make the wisher regret his wish. The death of Mr. Whites son and the two hundred pounds reaching the Whites at the cost of their sons death makes the story darker and proves the mystery. The return of Herbert from the dead as Mrs. White hears his knocks on the door at night and the chaos that causes Mr. White to wish for his sons death and his soul to rest in peace are evidence that the paw lives up to its horrifying past where a fakir put a spell on it to say something that turns out to be the hidden message in the story everything is ruled by fate. CLASS TEST 1. How does a warm household transform into a house in shambles? (4)

2. With the grant of his last wish, Mr White has sealed all hopes of Herberts return to life. There is nothing to look forward to in life except emptiness and darkness. As Mr. White, write a page in your diary, about how you wished you had never wished in 150 words. 3. What is the conflict in the play?

4. The sergeant warns the Whites about experimenting with the Monkeys paw saying that fate ruled people, that everything was cut and dried from the beginning. Explain. (4) 5. Sergeant Morris visit marks the beginning of events which eventually culminate in the destruction of a happy and cheerful household. Elaborate. (4) 6. 7. What does the Monkeys Paw symbolize? (2) What is meant by a macabre? (2)By S!