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Monkeys Paw

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The Monkey’s Paw
Stephen Croman
Strayer University
Professor Marshall
ENG115
July 15th, 2016

The Monkey’s Paw “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs is a short story in which the White family obtains the monkey’s paw, which is a supposed magical talisman, by a family friend in which the possessor acquires three wishes. However, with these wishes come consequences. Before obtaining the talisman their family friend, Sargent-Major Morris, told the family how he received it from the previous owner when they used their last wish for death. He also warned them of the mischief it caused by his wishes. He then threw the talisman into the fire in which Mr. White retrieved it. Against his better judgment, Sargent Morris fearfully instructed Mr. White how to make the wishes and to heed his warning about the supposed consequences. After a suggestion by his son, Mr. White wishes for money to pay off the house, the money comes from the company that his son worked for because he passed away in a horrible accident at work when he got caught in the machinery. A few days later a distraught Mrs. White wants Mr. White to wish him back to life, which he reluctantly does. Later in the night there is a knocking on the door and Mrs. White races to answer the door believing it is her son. As Mrs. White frantically tries to unlock the door, Mr. White fears that it is not his son at the door and uses his last wish to wish his son back to his final resting place. The knocking stops just as Mrs. White opens the door and finds no one there. The monkey’s paw causes one of the critical aspects of this story. In this short story, the author wants you to believe that something bad was going to happen if the White family used the three wishes that monkey's paw grants them when Sargent-Major Morris, the family friend, threw the talisman in the fire and said “I threw it on the fire. If you

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