Using the story "Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs how the author creates fear and tension.
Using the story "Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs how the author creates fear and tension.
"Monkey's Paw" is a factual horror story with a lot of heightened action and emotion, which deals with mystery and death. The only thing that is seen is the drama within the house; this gives more tension and fear because you limits are you imagination. It is a short story therefore all the information has to be condensed as much as possible. The story was written during the nineteenth century, it is approximately 150 years old. It is about a monkey's paw that grants three wishes. In the story a family ask for their wishes however with each wish there were also consequences.
From reading the first paragraph, there is a clear contrast in the way the outside and inside conditions are described.
"Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly."
The conditions of the outside area are reminiscent of horror settings; it was night, cold and wet. The characters in the story however, are indoors with the blinds drawn (as if to separate the house from the outdoors) and the fire burning. This creates a cosy and calm mood at first since the reader thinks that the characters are in no danger although some readers may be wary of possible sinister happenings due to the 'horror story' style description of the outside land. It is when the old soldier first enters the story that you realise that this will be a story based on the feelings of suspense and fear.
"As the gate banged to loudly and heavy footsteps came towards the door".
This introduction to the new character builds tension by leaving you to wonder who it is that is trying to enter the house although it doesn't last quite long enough to evoke fear as well.
The author used a monkey's paw instead a dog's paw because in the nineteenth century a monkey was not an animal in which people saw everyday. A monkey back then was bizarre and mysterious. The explanation of the spell which was cast on the monkey's paw by a fakir really builds up the fear and tension. "He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow." This was the general message which the family should have taken into consideration.
When the sergeant major starts to explain what the monkeys paw is, the fear and tension begin to slowly take effect. First of all, it took a long time for the sergeant major to actually agree to explain what the monkeys paw is, this adds suspense and increases tension. When he actually starts to talk about the monkeys paw, he explains that "it's just an ordinary little paw dried to little a mummy". Because he mentioned it's been mummified, readers will instantly associate it with evil as mummies were always very evil and very frightening.
The sergeant major gave Mr. White advice about the monkey's paw, "Better let it burn," and "If you must wish ...wish for something sensible." The sergeant major's general advice is leave the monkey's paw alone. This gives us the sense of fear for the unknown. It shows the monkey's paw is not good and dread will come from it. Like all mystical stories there is always one person who does not believe and makes jokes about the situation. In this case the non believer is Mrs White, "Don't you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me?" This does alarm the sergeant major because the family don't realise the consequences of the monkey's paw.
The chords on the piano crashed to build up the tension, "A fine crash from the piano". This is a good way to create tension because it is unexpected therefore the family and the reader have a sense of fear. This crash from the piano was one of the frightening things that happen when the first wish was made. The second was the sudden cry from the old man from when the monkey's paw moved on his hand; "interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man" "it moved he cried." All these action are implications of terror ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
The chords on the piano crashed to build up the tension, "A fine crash from the piano". This is a good way to create tension because it is unexpected therefore the family and the reader have a sense of fear. This crash from the piano was one of the frightening things that happen when the first wish was made. The second was the sudden cry from the old man from when the monkey's paw moved on his hand; "interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man" "it moved he cried." All these action are implications of terror of the monkey's paw. They are all signs to inform the family to take the sergeant major advice and leave the monkey's paw. Another implication to this was more impersonal as only Herbert experienced it. Herbert was alone in the dark and he saw a face in the fire, "gazing at the dying fire, and seeing faces in it." This was all building up the tension, show that something was going to happen. It may have been the face of Lucifer he saw in the fire, "The last face was so horrible that he gazes at it in amazement. It got so vivid". This may've been the sign was him that he was going to die because he saw the face of the devil in a dying. The tension disappears because the next in the paragraph it is morning, and with all horror books or films daylight dispels the fear, "In the brightness of the wintry sun next morning as it streamed over the breakfast table, he laughed at his fears." The mood is back to same way it started, warm and cosy. It seems as if last night was a bad dream.
The visitor gives the family and the reader a very suspicious feeling. He is outside the gate trying to decide whether he should come to the door or not, "She was watching the mysterious movements of a man outside, who, peering in an undecided fashion at the house, appeared to be trying to make up his mind to enter." There is also a sense of fear because of the way he is dressed, "she noticed that the stranger was well dressed, and wore a silk hat of glossy newness." This was obviously related to the wish they made for £200. Tension is developed with the stranger's actions, "Three times he passed the gate, and walked on again. The forth time he stood with his hand upon it", this give a fear of the unknown. Mrs White does not know who this stranger is, and what he wants and neither do the readers. When we hear what has happened to Herbert we believe that the monkey's paw is magical and we wonder what else may happen in relation to it. When the parents realise that Herbert has died that's when the tension and fear has risen to the maximum. Both parents react differently. The mother is hysterical, "laid her trembling old hand upon his." and the father is just stunned, "Caught in the machinery, repeated Mr White in a dazed fashion," The anticipation has come to an end, the son's death was the trigger for the tension and fear.
A week after the death of Herbert, Mrs White thought of a way to bring her son back to life. The lead up to her idea was frightening and filled with tension bought about by suspense. Mrs White's husband was sleeping when; "The paw!" she cried wildly. "The monkey's paw!"
Her idea was to bring her son back to life by using the second wish. This idea gave her hope and this upped the pace of the story and made things move with more urgency. The increase in pace of the story is especially apparent since the page before had been very slow with the messenger being so diffident. The tone was now hopeful and the pace frantic. When Mrs. White first thinks of the idea that she hopes will bring her son back to life, she cries out; "The paw!"
But her husband, having already seen his son's state after he had died, was afraid that the paw would bring Herbert back to life in the shreds that he was left in after the accident. This made him very negative towards his wife's plan. This contradiction carried on for enough time to make lots of tension; "go and get it and wish," cried his wife, quivering with excitement. The old man turned and regarded her, and his voice shook. "He has been dead ten days, and besides- I would not tell you else, but- I could only recognise him by his clothing. If he was too terrible for you to see then, how now?"
If you look at the quotes taken above, you can see that Mrs. White was quivering in excitement while Mr. White's voice shook, I presume that this was from fear. The contradiction in their attitude is very dramatic and the tension lifts enormously while they continue to argue. Mr. White's fear actually helps scare the audience especially since his wife is wining the argument and this means that the reader can imagine Herbert rise from his grave in unrecognisable physical form. As the argument continues, I think the reader may start to be afraid of Mrs. White because her husband does and this can pass on to the readers; 'even his wife's face seemed changed as he entered the room. It was white and expectant and seemed to have an unnatural look upon it. He was afraid of her.'
The above excerpt from the story shows Mr. White was indeed afraid of his wife and this adds to the fear for the reader too who will be wondering if she is somehow being controlled by the paw. After Mr. White made the wish on behalf of his wife, the tension disappears as the drama decreases. As the wish doesn't show its effect straight away, Mr and Mrs. White lose hope and they go to sleep, this decreases the tension built up previously when they were arguing.
The tension starts again when the old man's match went out for no reason, "At the foot of the stairs the match went out". The old man is inside, standing on the foot stairs so there is not any wind in the house to blow the light out. This is frightening because, suddenly there is darkness which is always a source for fear, so again the tension starts to build up again. At the same time the old man attempt to strike another match there was a sudden knock on the door, "And he paused to strike another; and at the same moment a knock, so quiet and stealthy as to be scarcely audible, sounded on the front door." Again there is the fear of the unknown, the knock suddenly happens in the middle of the night. Good language is used to create fear. The knocks repeated three and each time the knock grew louder, "A third knock sounded through the house." This time the knock was loud enough to be heard almost around the house, and then the forth knock," A loud knock resounded through the house." This time knock was so loud it got Mrs. White attention that was upstairs. The writer uses good use of vocabulary to build up the tension as the knock grew louder. When the mother says "I forgot it was two miles away," we get the horrible image that Herbert has woken from his grave and has walked two miles to the house. We get this image because Herbert had been taken to the cemetery and we know that the cemetery is two miles away," The whites buried their son in the cemetery two miles away."
The father knows that it is Herbert outside, but he has realised that Herbert will look like the same as when he died, and he died in machinery so he must look torn and cut and this is a week after Herbert's death, so Hebert has already started to decomposed. This is why he is does want Herbert in the house, "But her husband was on his hands and knees groping wildly on the floor in search of the paw." However the wife is so wholly excited she hasn't even thought of the consequence of the wish, "The bolt, and 'she cried loudly. 'Come down I can't reach it.' She just wants to open the door and let her son in. In this scene there are so many activities going on. At the same when both parents are hurrying to do what they want to do, the knocks of the corpses continues," A perfect fusillade of knocks reverberated through the house". The writer uses very good vocabulary to keep increasing the fear and tension. The father finally gets the monkey's paw and wishes for his son to go back to his grave, "he found the monkey's paw, and frantically breathed his third and last wish." As soon as the wish was made the knocking stopped, "The knocking ceases suddenly, although the echoes of it were still in the house." This gives the readers a sense of relief and the tension started to decline. When the door opened and there was no one there, the tension was at a minimum however the anticipation was at the maximum because there was still the fear of the unknown. The reader would feel relieved because the corpses has gone but still wonder what may happen to the monkey's paw in the future.
I think that this story provides an excellent use of language that produces the effect of fear and tension. The structure of the piece also plays some part of the effect as the story builds upon information you have just read. Also the rise and fall of tension that there is in the short story adds to the atmosphere of the story. In addition through the effect of suspense the reader is left to think of possible outcomes that could happen. For example the morning after the old man makes his wish for 200 pounds.
"Herbert will have some more of his funny remarks, I expect, when he comes home". After reading that sentence, I instantly realised that something would happen to Herbert, I just didn't know what. I expect many readers will also latch on to this false assurance and they will be left in suspense to find out if something horrific will really happened. Some possible outcomes you are left with are that his arm is chopped off or a part of his body. You tend to leave death at the back of your mind. The following event is one of the best sections of the story. It becomes more and more apparent as you read on that something terrible has happened to Herbert. Nothing makes it more obvious then when the messenger from 'Maw and Meggins' hesitates to enter the house. Also the fact we did not know the messenger was from 'Maw and Meggins' also adds to the suspense as we are left with other possibilities. His actions are accounted by the author with great detail. The messenger (known at the time as a stranger) was not sure whether or not to enter the house and was ill at ease, as if he were afraid of something. All of this is indicated during the text adding to the suspense formed within the text. When the messenger entered the house he is extremely reluctant to tell Mrs and Mr White what he knows. By now though, the reader will have worked out what this messenger has to say. By putting all the clues together you can guess that something has happened to Herbert at work. When the messenger beaks the news, I was not surprised or shocked, in fact I believe that it decreased atmosphere given but then the author went in to detail of Mr and Mrs White's reaction, increasing the fear and tension once more. Then the messenger gives them the statement "I beg that you understand that I am only their servant and merely obeying orders". When I read this I thought to myself "Oh! He is going to say it! That's wrong!"
He says "I was to say that Maw and Meggins disclaim all responsibility."
" They admit no liability, but in consideration of your son's services they wish to present you with a sum of compensation" up until this point everything is expected but when you hear "sum of ..." you begin to think as you read on but you set it aside until Mr White says "How much?" and just before you read it you know the answer "Two Hundred Pounds" you STOP! You fall back in disbelief. You awake in shock, you pause. You just think "WOW"
In my eyes a beautifully constructed scene, it left me wanting more so I read on. The book uses suspense to keep interest of the reader, to leave him/her guessing of the possible outcome. I would recommend this short story to anyone. It is one of the best short pieces I have read. My sincere appreciation to W. W Jacobs for writing this well written and compelling short story, it is a very well told story.
