Monkey's Paw Fate

W.W Jacobs, author of countless tales, is well known for his comedic and horror genre stories. “The Monkey’s Paw” is his most popular horror story with various critical essays analyzing each detail Jacobs presents. A majority of these essays present the theme of fate and its dire consequences when meddled with. This story perfectly embodies the saying, “Be careful what you wish for,” because fate does not abide by one’s rules. Fate is seen as a supernatural phenomenon unable to be controlled by man; “Much of the story’s horror devises from its depiction of fate as a mechanism indifferent to human whims and ambitions,” as Stepfan Dziemianowicz explains. This is what causes it to be a supernatural phenomenon because no matter what an individual does, fate is unaltered. Other critics suggest fate is a very important concern in comedic and tragic plays or stories that can result in terrible consequences if interfered with by the main character (Mowery). …show more content…
W.W Jacobs foreshadows such an event through Mr. White while playing chess who likes “putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary danger” (W.W Jacobs). Such unusual movements foretell the position Mr. White will put him and his family in later on. A guest visits the home of the Whites, Sergeant Major-Morris, and tells of his adventures abroad while also discretely talking about a unique object, a monkey’s paw. The paw represents a “disruption of equilibrium” in the natural order that turns the plot of the story interesting