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The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs (1902)
The White family sits in their isolated home on a stormy night, playing chess and knitting while waiting for a guest. Sergeant-Major Morris arrives shortly and they drink and talk. With a little prodding, he tells the story of a shrunken monkey's paw that he owns. Supposedly, it can grant three wishes to three different people. So far, it has only been used by two.

Commentary

To introduce the story, Jacobs provides the following quotation:

“Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it.” – Anonymous

Jacobs makes excellent use of foreshadowing, imagery and symbolism to create atmosphere and build up to an exciting climax. He is also known for stories with a surprise ending and, as you may have guessed from the quotation, this one follows an often used theme of someone who, having been granted one or more wishes, experiences an unexpected (and in this case tragic) end result.

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Study Guide: Monkey's Paw Study Guide Close Reading Activity

Video

The Monkey's Paw (2011)

The gothic horror story faithfully adapted from W.W. Jacobs's 1902 masterwork.
On a wicked stormy night, near the foggy English Moors, the White family is visited by an old friend just returned from India. He entertains them with tales of his wild adventures and of the mystical talisman discovered in the dark jungle that was cursed to grant its owner three wishes. The family takes possession of this monkey's paw and not heeding the warnings of its black magic, the wishes they ask bring terrifying horror upon their lives.

SOURCE: Ricky lewis Jnr, posted on YouTube, Duration: 29:00 mins, URL: https://youtu.be/ugjegclLNhM