Mrs White now asks a question to the soldier that to me every reader will ask “And has anybody else wished?’ persisted the old lady.” as the soldier has used up all his wishes. The soldier tells them yes there was a first person who had is three wishes but his third wish was that he dies “I don’t know what the first two were, but the third was for death.” this opens up your imagination by wondering how bad could it have got that he wished he was dead. In this process the soldier throws the paw in the fire but Mr White pulls it out of the fire “White, with a slight cry, stooped down and snatched it” this clearly shows that Mr White wants the monkey’s paw even when he has been told that there is a price to pay if you make a wish. Still Sergeant Morris tries to convince Mr White to let the monkey’s paw burn in the fire “Better let it burn,’ said the soldier solemnly” this suddenly creates an effect on the reader and forces it to ask a question that what is the worst that can happen?
Now we are in a situation where the soldier has left and the three people in the family are sitting in the same parlour of the villa thinking what they can wish for but realizes that they don’t really want anything but think that they can pay of the debt of the house which two hundred pounds and then Mr White wishes for two hundred pounds from the monkey’s paw. The setting of the scene is still in the small parlour room and even when Mr white is making a wish the mood is of laughter in the room as Herbert White is playing a couple of chords on the piano and is laughing “… as his son, with a solemn face, somewhat marred by a wink at his mother, sat down at the piano and struck a few impressive chords.” showing that Herbert was not taking it seriously at all, maybe cause he didn’t know what was going to happen in the expense of those two hundred pounds his father wished for.
At this point the wish has been made by Mr White and they all sit down again next to the fire smoking pipe and the weather is just getting bad to worst as it would in any horror story before a big thing occurs “They sat down by the fire again while the two men finished their pipes. Outside, the wind was higher than ever, and the old man started nervously at the sound of a door banging upstairs” this also shows that Mr White is getting a bit scared at this point. Mr White and Mrs White are now going to bed and as they are going Herbert makes a joke regarding the wish coming true “I expect you'll find the cash tied up in a big bag in the middle of your bed," said Herbert, as he bade them good night” showing that how little Herbert believes that the wish will come true. In the parlour which was full of fear and horror and the weather been so bad that Mr White managed to be scared the next morning is like “In the brightness of the wintry sun next morning as it streamed over the breakfast table” shows that the morning was normal and everything was normal and this also gives the reader a feel that everything is alright and nothing had happened at night as everything is normal and is as it should be on a normal day.
Before Herbert leaves for work in the morning he reminds the reader that there was a wish made last even if everything is alright in the morning and that it is still to come true. Herbert jokingly tells his parents “Well, don’t break into the money before I come back,’ said Herbert as he rose from the table.” showing that he still does not believe on power of the paw. The mother at his point is very positive and is expecting Herbert to come home with some more jokes in the evening after the tailors bill arrives at the house which Herbert has to pay “Herbert will have some more of his funny remarks, I expect, when he comes home,’ she said” shows that Herbert pays the bills and expects him to come home and pay this one as well but will he come home and pay the bill or will he even come home. This is building to what will happen later on the story but the reader doesn’t understand it as he/ she hasn’t read the full story yet.
At this point Herbert has gone to work and Mr White and his wife are as usual staying home entertaining each other by just talking and the main topic at this moment is the wish they made last night. At this point Mrs White also notices a strange visitor outside the house “ She was watching the mysterious movements of a man outside, who, peering in an undecided fashion at the house” this clearly tells there was a man outside the house who was looking closely at the house and also would have looked very suspicious to Mrs White. The stranger at the door was well dressed and because of that Mrs White connected him with two hundred pounds her husband had wished for as only a rich and a well dressed person would have that kid of money at the time “In mental connection with the two hundred pounds, she noticed that the stranger was well dressed and wore a silk hat of glossy newness.” showing that Mrs White mentally had connected him with the two hundred pounds they wished for at night. This is meant to be good news if gives them the money but you have to remember that there is a some kind of expense to pay for the wish and you have to wonder what that could be. Again the writer has kept the reader under suspense by introducing the visitor and connecting Mrs White with the wish leaving the reader wondering what is going to happen next. The stranger stopped three times at the door before entering in the door “Three times he paused at the gate, and then walked on again. The fourth time he stood with his hand upon it, and then with sudden resolution flung it open and walked up the path.” shows that stranger was not feeling comfortable with entering the house, maybe he had a bad news but Mrs White could only see the good news coming.
When the strange visitor entered the house he seemed like something was wrong “She brought the stranger, who seemed ill at ease, into the room.” he just shows that he is not comfortable with the situation which again puts suspense into the readers mind as what news has this visitor got and what is he going to say if any because when Mrs White apologizes for her room looking messy he just stood there and listened to her “He gazed at her furtively, and listened in a preoccupied fashion as the old lady apologized for the appearance of the room” showing that he is very quiet and is probably busy with how he is going to deliver the news to Mrs White. By keeping the visitor quiet the writer keeps the suspense in the readers mind and makes the reader keep on reading to find out what is he going to say. Mrs White stays quiet as she can and waited for him to talk about his business and why is he here. The stranger at the time of speaking gets hesitant after a couple of words he stops again and buys himself time to think more about what he is going to say “I was asked to call," he said at last, and stooped and picked a piece of cotton from his trousers. "I come from Maw and Meggins.” he hesitates but then introduces himself again by telling the he comes from “Maw and Meggins”.
As Mrs White hears “Maw and Meggins” she suddenly starts to get worried because Herbert works for “Maw and Meggins” and in those an employer would not come to your house unless something was wrong “The old lady started. Is anything the matter? she asked breathlessly. Has anything happened to Herbert? What is it? What is it?” Totally showing her mother love for Herbert. Mr White who was a person who didn’t like loosing and is a person who some kind of complains a lot now is turning into a person who is taking over his wife’s role in been the nice one and his wife is turning into the person who he was “Her husband interposed. There, there, mother, he said hastily. Sit down, and don't jump to conclusions” some what trying to calm her down and making it easier for the visitor to tell the problem “You've not brought bad news, I'm sure, sir and he eyed the other wistfully.” this gives a feel that Mr White knows what the news is himself but is just trying to get his wife into the mental mind that she can except it better than she probably would if she isn’t in the mental mind.
The visitor started talking again “I'm sorry -’ began the visitor” he says it in a quiet tone and then Mrs White also replies but in a higher tone then him “Is he hurt?” showing the care for her son. The visitor again in a low tone but gave her the answer which will probably calm her down “The visitor bowed in assent.”Badly hurt, he said quietly, but he is not in any pain” to the mother seeming to say that he will be alright but it really is that he is hurt and has died which enables him not to feel anything “Oh, thank God! said the old woman, clasping her hands. Thank God for that! Thank” shows that she has taken it the other way but soon enough she assures the meaning of the words and there is a long silence in the small parlour room, “She broke off suddenly as the sinister meaning of the assurance dawned upon her and she saw the awful confirmation of her fears in the other's averted face. She caught her breath, and turning to her slower witted husband, laid her trembling old hand upon his. There was a long silence” this is the time when Mrs White realises she has lost her son but and has forgotten all about the wish and what the sergeant major said the first law of the wish was. As a result of that she doesn’t know what she has lost to get something.
Then the visitor describes what really happened to Herbert “He was caught in the machinery, said the visitor at length, in a low voice” this incident would have not been anything new to Mr White as he would have known the health and safety in the factories at the time. Now the visitor is going to say what he really came to say “The firm wished me to convey their sincere sympathy with you in your great loss, he said, without looking round. I beg that you will understand I am only their servant and merely obeying orders.” showing the sympathy from the company and there concern regarding his death. There was silence between the pair still and the visitor went on saying “I was to say that Maw and Meggins disclaim all responsibility, continued the other. They admit no liability at all, but in consideration of your son's services they wish to present you with a certain sum as compensation.” at this point Mr white leaves his wife’s hand and probably realises what the soldiers said in connection to the wish and suddenly is in a state of shock because he has really killed his son for two hundred pounds and he wants to confirm with the visitor how much compensation he is going to get as well jus t to make sure “Mr. White dropped his wife's hand, and rising to his feet, gazed with a look of horror at his visitor. His dry lips shaped the words, How much?” and the visitor replied “two hundred pounds” this is the bit any father will not like to hear that at the cost of two hundred pounds his son had been taken away and he will never play chess or joke around with him again ever.
After the shock and now going to bed Mrs White is lying down in the bed giving the feel to the readers that that is nearly the end they have lost their son on the expense of two hundred pounds and now they will destroy the monkey’s paw and live there life as long as they could but are they going to or has Mrs White got other plans.
Suddenly Mrs White shouts “The Paw!’ she cried wildly” and Mr White in a hurry “He started up in alarm. Where? Where is it? What's the matter?” he thinks his wife is scared of something and asks her what’s wrong as he doesn’t know his wife’s plans. Mr White has already had a shock and now he is getting another one and he realises his wife is been stupid with trying to wish again with the paw after what happened and tells her to go to bed and to calm down “Her husband struck a match and lit the candle. Get back to bed, he said, unsteadily. You don't know what you are saying.” Mr White clearly has no idea of what is wrong with his wife and tells her to stop all of it now and just go to sleep but she replies “We had the first wish granted, said the old woman, feverishly; why not the second” Mrs White is just trying to convince her husband to get the paw and wish for Herbert again. Mr White goes and gets the monkey’s paw for his wife and his wife persuades him to make the wish “Wish! She cried, in a strong voice… Wish! repeated his wife” Mrs white really wants her son back and asks her husband to wish as he had taken the monkey’s paw from the sergeant major. All of this setting has now put the horror back into the readers. The writer has also used a good way of getting the horror back by just when Herbert dies calming the situation down and forgetting about the monkey’s paw and then suddenly bringing voice and the monkey’s paw into the story again to make to lively and keep the reader attached to the story. Mr White is now about to make his second wish “He raised his hand. I wish my son alive again” Mr White has now made the wish and the all the readers are waiting for it to come true.
Mr and Mrs White is now waiting silently for the wish to come true lying down on her bed “Neither spoke, but both lay silently listening to the ticking of the clock” this shows that the situation is calm again in the house and all that happened has now turned quiet again. At that point they are lying down in the bed the bed and there is a noise which Mr White goes to check for assurance and as he is in the stairs the matches fell from his hand and spilled in the passage and he heard a knock which was quiet at first but then stared to get a bit louder. Mr White after hearing the knocks went back to his room and closed the door in a hurry in case his wife hears anything. Now this is really horror for the readers and is a lot of suspense to who is at the door and why is he not opening the door as well. There is going to be a third knock on the is sounding all through out the house “He stood motionless, his breath suspended until the knock was repeated. Then he turned and fled swiftly back to his room, and closed the door behind him. A third knock sounded through the house” this is horror for the readers and for Mr White as to what Herbert will look like but Mr White has already worked it out.
Mrs White is now heard the knock and questions her husband to what the noise is “What's that? Cried the old woman, starting up” and Mr White comes up with the most obvious rely at the time “A rat, said the old man, in shaking tone a rat. It passed me on the stairs” as the rats were more likely to be in you house then to be outside your house at the time. Mrs White sits up on bed listening hears another louder knock and at that point “It’s Herbert! she screamed. It's Herbert!” she replied to her husband. Mr White can’t let her got to the door as he doesn’t want his wife to see Herbert in the state he is in. Some what trying to fight her way through Mr White says “It's my boy; it's Herbert! she cried, struggling mechanically. I forgot it was two miles away. What are you holding me for? Let go. I must open the door” this is truly motherly love for her son who was only two miles away from her. Mr White was still holding his wife back as the knocks were coming in one after one “There was another knock, and another” building of horror for the readers.
Mrs White fights her way out of Mr White and runs down the stairs to open the door for her son to get in showing her motherly love but Mr White just in time finds the monkey’s paw and makes his last and final wish and the door opens of the house with great disappointment from Mrs White “He heard the chair drawn back and the door opened. A cold wind rushed up the staircase, and a long loud wail of disappointment and misery from his wife” this was a great disappointment for his wife and he realises that.
At this point the story ends with a the horror finished and a silence around the street and the couple standing on the gate “The street lamp flickering opposite shone on a quiet and deserted road” this is the end setting and the atmosphere wish is very quiet and silent.
“The Monkey’s Paw” would have been an effective story in its time because this story has making of any good horror story that the audience of today will enjoy as well. I think this is because this story right at the start it shows a warm and friendly setting to the audience in the parlour of the White’s but still shows some tension to the audience. The weather at the start also gave a feel of tension because nearly all the good horror stories are set in wet and stormy weather conditions which build up the tension. Also in the story you get to unexpected visitors who change the mood of the story and direction in which the story is going. These visitors also make introduce the story and the way things are going to work out i.e. Sergeant Major Morris introduces the paw and he also tells that there will be price to pay for the wish and then the manager of “Maw and Meggins” tells the White’s that the price paid for the wish is your son, Herbert.
“The Monkeys Paw” also would have been successful at its time because it was written as a simple story involving everything that would have been normal at the time i.e. the rats in the house were common at the time and that feel was put in the story. This gave a feel to the audience of the normal things at the time and it also showed the audience that this is not all work of imagination of the writer.
Humza Sheikh
