“The Monkey’s Paw”

…a story that endures

Admit it: You've made a wish or two in your day. Don't pretend you haven't
wished on a shooting star, some birthday candles, a four-leaf clover, a dandelion,
or in a prayer. We all do it. What are your wishes? List three.

As we grow up, we're often told that wishes can come true. Just think
about the dreamy Disney theme song: "When you wish upon a star, it makes no
difference who you are/ anything your heart desires/ will come to you." We are
encouraged to dream big and wish for our hearts' desires.

In "The Monkey's Paw," wishes do come true, but there's a catch. These
wishes are granted with dark, scary magic that involves no Disney happily-ever-
afters. This is one of those "be careful what you wish for" stories. It makes us
think about everything we've wished for in the past, and everything we might
wish for in the future. Instead of making us feel more desperate for a new smart
phone, though, by the end of the story, we're feeling like our life if is pretty darn
good as it is. Saving up for a phone the old-fashioned way sure seems a lot better
than wishing on a cursed monkey's paw.
 Anticipation Guide for “The Monkey’s Paw”
1. Think about it: Have you ever felt a bit dissatisfied with your life? Y N
Have you ever wished that something in your life would magically change – no hard
work required? Provide an example and describe how and why you wished things would
change:
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2. What is fate? Do you believe in it? Provide an example to support your response.
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3. What are some symbols, objects, or behaviors that people use for luck? Do you have any
lucky charm?
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4. If you were granted three wishes, what would you wish for (You can’t wish for more
wishes)?
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5. People who believe in luck are superstitious. Do you believe in any of these
common superstitions (events that can lead to good or bad luck)? Check the ones you
believe in:
o Break a mirror = 7 years bad luck
o Black cat crosses your path = bad luck
o Walk under a ladder = bad luck
o Spill salt = bad luck (throw it over your left shoulder to undo bad luck)
o Lucky Rabbits foot = good luck
o Knocking on wood = good luck
o Opening an umbrella inside = bad luck
 The Monkey's Paw"
Vocabulary

placidly adv.– pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet or undisturbed:
placid waters.
amiably adv. – having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities; affable: an
amiable disposition.
desirous adj. – having or characterized by desire; desiring: desirous of high political office.
condoled v.t. – to express sympathy with a person who is suffering sorrow, misfortune, or grief
(usually fol. by with): to condole with a friend whose father has died.
rubicund adj. – red or reddish; ruddy: a rubicund complexion.
proffered v.t. – to put before a person for acceptance; offer.
doughty adj. – steadfastly courageous and resolute; valiant
fakir n. – a Muslim or Hindu religious person or monk commonly considered a wonder-worker.
jarred v.i. – to have a harshly unpleasant or perturbing effect on one's nerves, feelings,
thoughts, etc.: The sound of the alarm jarred.
presumptuous adj. – unwarrantedly or impertinently bold; forward
fancy n. – a caprice; whim; vagary: It was his fancy to fly to Paris occasionally for dinner.
doggedly adv. – persistent in effort; stubbornly tenacious: "I won't let you share my dessert! I
won't! I won't!" the toddler said doggedly.
talisman n. – anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human
feelings or actions.
enthralled v.t. – to captivate or charm: the performer's grace and skill enthralled her audience.
maligned v.t. – to speak harmful untruths about; speak evil of; slander; defame: to malign an
honorable man.
antimacassar n. – a small covering, usually ornamental, placed on the backs and arms of
upholstered furniture to prevent wear or soiling; a tidy.
dubiously adv. – of doubtful quality or propriety; questionable: a dubious compliment; a
dubious transaction.

shamefacedly adv. – 1) modest or bashful, 2) showing shame: shamefaced apologies.

credulity n. – willingness to believe or trust too readily, esp. without proper or adequate
evidence; gullibility
marred v.t. – to damage or spoil to a certain extent; render less perfect, attractive, useful, etc.;
impair or spoil: That billboard mars the view. The holiday was marred by bad weather.
ill-gotten adj. – acquired by dishonest, improper, or evil means: ill-gotten gains.
prosaic adj. – commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative: a prosaic mind.
betokened v.t. – to give evidence of; indicate: to betoken one's fidelity with a vow; a kiss that
betokens one's affection.
frivolous adj. – characterized by lack of seriousness or sense: frivolous conduct.
attribute v.t. – to regard as resulting from a specified cause; consider as caused by something
indicated (usually fol. by to): She attributed his bad temper to ill health.
coincidence n. – a striking occurrence of two or more events at one time apparently by mere
chance: Our meeting in Venice was pure coincidence.
avaricious adj. – characterized by avarice; greedy; covetous
disown v.t. – to refuse to acknowledge as belonging or pertaining to oneself; deny the
ownership of or responsibility for; repudiate; renounce: to disown one's heirs; to disown a
published statement.
scurrying v.i. – to go or move quickly or in haste.
at the expense of n. – at the sacrifice of; to the detriment of: quantity at the expense of quality.
bibulous adj. – fond of or addicted to drink.
resolution n. – a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
apparel n. – clothing, esp. outerwear; garments; attire;
broach to mention or suggest for the first time: to broach a subject.
resignation n. – an accepting, unresisting attitude, state, etc.; submission; acquiescence: to
meet one's fate with resignation
apathy n. – absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.

shudderingly adv. – trembling or quivering with fear, dread, cold, etc.

scarcely adv. – barely; hardly; not quite: The light is so dim we can scarcely see.
audible adj. – capable of being heard; loud enough to be heard; actually heard.
resounded adj. – uttered loudly: resounding speech.
appealingly adv. – evoking or attracting interest, desire, curiosity, sympathy, or the like;
attractive.
fusillade n. – a general discharge or outpouring of anything: a fusillade of questions.
reverberated v.i. – to reecho or resound: Her singing reverberated through the house.
 “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs
~ Literary Analysis: Foreshadowing and Theme

Part 1 Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a writing technique that authors use to build suspense in a story. Often times
it is easier to spot after you have actually finished reading the story and look back at some of
the details that might have “hinted” at the outcome. W.W. Jacobs uses foreshadowing in “The
Monkey’s Paw.” Explain why each of the following story events is an example of
foreshadowing.

1. Mr. White makes a major mistake in his chess game with his son. Unfortunately, he doesn’t
realize his mistake until it is too late.
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2. Sergeant-Major Morris tells the Whites of a man who wished for death as his third wish using
the monkey’s paw.
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3. Sergeant-Major Morris shows nervousness when Mrs. White jokes that her husband wish for
extra pairs of hands for her.
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4. When Mr. White wishes for two hundred pounds, the monkey’s paw moves in his hand “like
a snake.”
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5. After Mr. White wishes for two hundred pounds, Hebert says that he doesn’t see the money
and he bets he never will.
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 “The Monkey's Paw”
Questions for Reflection
Directions: Read and reflect on the following questions. Take the time to think about your
response and carefully and thoughtfully respond in complete sentences. Write answers on a
separate piece of paper. You will be marked on grammar, neatness, creativity, reflection and
how well you respond to the question in relation to the story. USE EXACT QUOTES FROM THE
STORY TO SUPPORT YOUR RESPONSES. You can earn up to 2 points per question.

1. The question you've been waiting for all your life: If you were given three wishes, what
would you wish for? Remember, be smart about this and give it plenty of thought. You
don't want to make the same mistakes the Whites do.

2. Why doesn't anybody ever wish for unlimited wishes? Are there any ways that wish
could backfire?

3. Do you think Mr. White's second wish came true? We never see an undead version of
Herbert in the story, we only hear someone knocking on the White's door. Can you think
of any other explanation for the sound?

4. If you were in Mr. and Mrs. White's position, would you wish for Herbert to come back
to life? Why or why not?

5. Is Sergeant Morris an untrustworthy guy? Is he trying to make Mr. White want the
cursed paw? Look back at the story and use quotes from the text to support your
answer.

6. This story helped horror-master Stephen King develop some of the plot elements and
major themes that would win him a worldwide audience. Does the story inspire you to
write a story of your own? What would you change? In what time period would you set
it? What might your main character wish for?