THE MONKEYS PAW

1.
What did Mr. White wish for while holding the monkeys paw?
Did his wish come true? Comment on the uncanny coincidence.
Inspired by Morris who taught Mr. White the manner in which to
wish and encouraged to wish to the accompaniment of slow music
by son Herbert, a shaky Mr. White wished for 200. His wish was
granted and he got 200 but the way it came about was uncanny.
Mr. White would have been very happy had the amount not come or
for that matter had he not wished at all. The company sent Mr.
Sampson their lawyer to offer a compensation of 200 for the
accidental death of his only son, Herbert.
2.
The Monkey's Paw has all the elements of a horror story.
Discuss.
It is a macabre story. When Mr. White gets the
possessed monkey's paw, it trembles in
his hands. Then coincidentally their son dies in an
accident. The horrifying part comes
after this, when Mrs. White asks makes the second
wish and the door bangs incessantly.
Everything is left to the reader's imagination and
gives rise to horrifying mental images.
3. Discuss the suitability of the title, The Monkeys Paw.
Title suitable. Plays a pivotal role, serves as the element of
interest and surprise, its
supernatural nature lends
to the theme and is sustained till the end, plays a predominant
role in the mobility, settings and consequences. (These points
must be supplemented with relevant references from the play)
4. Attempt a character sketch of Herbert.

Ayoung man, representative of the modern generation. Herbert is

scientific, not superstitious, has a wonderfully balanced
relationship with his parents.
5. What was the motive of the Indian fakir in placing a charm on
the monkeys paw? How does it affect the lives of the three
people who came in contact with it?
His aim was to prove that fate ruled peoples lives. The paw
causes havoc in the lives of the first owner, Major Morris and
the White couple.

I wont! I wont! My hands are clear of it. I threw it

on the fire. If you keep it,
dont blame me whatever happens.

a) Name the play and the author.

1
The Monkeys Paw by W.W. Jacobs
b) Who says these words and to whom?
1
Sergeant Morris to Mr. White
c) What does it refer to? Why does he throw it into the fire?
2
The Monkeys Paw; He wanted to get rid of it as he realized that
the paw was a precursor of ill luck.
d) In what way do his words of caution come true?
1
The paw brought a lot of misery to the White family. They lost
their only son.

1. How far do you hold Sergeant Morris responsible for the

destruction of the White family?

Because of the paw he had had his share of unfortunate

coincidences in life. Action of giving the paw to Mr. White is
suggestive of his being a sadist. During the course of the play,
he flings the paw into fire telling My hands are clean of it.
He could have done so earlier too. It appears that he did it
deliberately to raise the curiosity in Mr. White. He keeps
telling now and then that he wont give to Mr. White when he
really intends to give and becomes successful in doing so.
AGAINST
Destined for the Whites to be ruined, so despite several
warnings, Mr. White shows interest in keeping it. The fakir who
had put the charm in the paw also had told that there was no
escape from fate.
2. What was the second wish made on the monkeys paw? Why was it
made? What was the result?
The second wish was to get dead Herbert come back to life
because he died in an accident and his mother wanted him back
alive They could hear a knocking on the door which became
increasingly louder and almost broke their door down. This
incident disturbed their peace of mind and emphasized their
feeling of loss and sorrow.
3.

Mr. White: Ay, I had a bad night

Mrs. White: It was the storm I expect

Was Mr. Whites sleep disturbed because of the storm? Give
reasons for your answer.
Answer in 80-100 words.
- No, because Mr. White had been expecting his wish for 200
pounds to be fulfilled
- had been anxious, tense and excited
- had been waiting for something unexpected to happen
- had felt the paw move in his hands
- was fearful / apprehensive about the outcome of the wish

OR
Yes, with a suitable justification.
4.
The sergeants effort to convey the fakirs message to Mr.
Whites family was half-hearted or else he could have saved the
tragedy. Comment.
The sergeant appears to be the devils advocate since he did not
give a stern enough warning and could have certainly averted the
damage if he hadnt carried the paw to the Whites house in the
first place.
5.
Identify and explain the irony of this statement, Oh Dad,
if you had only cleared the debt
Herbert, the son is the only one who is able to come
up with an idea to actually use the
paw. He says that the paw
could be used to wish for 200 pounds which they needed to clear
the debt on the house. It is significant that Herbert says that
such an action would make the white family quite happy. It is
ironical that it is the same Herbert who meets his death and
that too while talking about the paw. This in turn leads to a
sense of doom pervading the entire white household. Also, the
200 pounds provided as compensation for Herberts death did
serve as a constant reminder to the Whites family about the
terrible consequences of their action. That will just do it
gives the impression that it is all that the family would need
to make their lives perfect; instead it is the same wish that
makes their lives miserable at the end.
6. Herbert describes the monkey's paw as 'stuff and nonsense'.
How does he pay for his comment? How is his father's reaction
different from Herberts reaction initially and soon after using
the paw?
Suggested answer
_ He loses his life when he is accidentally caught in the
machinery while pre-occupied with narrating his weird experience
that evening.

_ Father at first inquisitive, but after wishing feels paw

moving, sees faces in the fire becomes apprehensive and
fearful (later) of the power of the paw.
7. What is the contradiction between the second and third wish
made by Mr. White in the play, 'Monkey's Paw? Why does he make
the two wishes?
The second wish was that their son should come alive, and the
third was that their son should rest in peace. The second one
was made since his wife had forced him to do so, and the third
one, he voluntarily did since he knew that his wife would not be
able to bear the emotional consequences of seeing her son in
such a mutilated state.
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