Literary Analysis Of The Plot Of The Monkey's Paw

The intriguing and malevolent plot of the play The Monkey’s Paw has many twists and turns. At the beginning it goes from a jovial mood to a solemn and disheartening environment. The many props onstage greatly established that the play was set in the late 1800’s, when Britain colonized India. This includes the fireplace, where the Sergeant Major’s wife tries to burn the paw. The wood stove used was clearly of an older model, which would have been relevant in the late 1800’s. This and many other props created the setting and era of which the play occurred. The characters portrayed by the actors were Mrs. and Mr. White, Herbert White, Sergeant Major Morris’ wife, and the representative from the company where Herbert worked. Herbert’s character …show more content…
White was the mother of Herbert and the husband of Mr. White. When Mrs. Morris came to their home she was overjoyed to see her lifelong friend after many years separated. When she was told the story about the monkey’s paw she did not believe it and dismissed it as a fairy tale, even though Mrs. Morris’ character was very serious about it. After Mr. White wished upon the paw for 200 pounds, the atmosphere seemed happy. Then when Mrs. White found out her son had died and she became very distraught for the rest of the play and mentally unstable. She would make decisions such as forcing Mr. White to wish her son back to life. She and her husband would argue about Herbert and the monkey’s paw. At the time when her son came back she wouldn’t listen to reason and wanted to see her son. Even after Mr. White had told her that it would cause her more pain to look at her mutilated …show more content…
White may have been the most rational character in the story. When tragedy stuck he remained stoical and in control of his emotions. Even when he was pressured into wishing his son back he had a solution. When he came face to face with his mutilated son he ducked quickly inside which created a feeling of fear for the audience. He also managed to lock the door and wish on the paw before his wife could even open the door. Without him the story wouldn’t have been the same and there may have been no story to tell at all.
The adaptation of the story to the play was quite successful. In the story, the sergeant was still alive and visited the White’s home. In the play the sergeant’s wife Mrs. Morris, played the same role as Mr. Morris had in the book and they advocated for the monkey’s paw and warned the Whites of the dangers of the monkey’s paw. Also in the story the ‘rules’ of the paw state that only three men can wish upon the paw, while in the play the sergeant’s wife says that three separate persons can wish upon