Symbols are everywhere. Take the American flag for example. It symbolizes perseverance, bravery, and justice. The flag reminds people of the fight for freedom, through being symbol. Not only are symbols like this in schools, workplaces, and homes, but also in “The Monkey's Paw”, by W.W. Jacobs. In this short story, Mr. White, a man living with his son and wife, takes a monkey's paw out of a fire after it was thrown away by a sergeant who despised it. This paw is supposed to give Mr.White three wishes, but each wish comes with an unexpected consequence. Similar to the symbol of the American flag, symbolism in “The Monkey's Paw” gets the reader predicting, develops characters and their actions, and develops the theme.
First, the symbol of the …show more content…
The monkey's paw is a symbol of greed. Mr. White taking the monkey's paw even after being told to “‘pitch it on the fire like a sensible man’”(Jacobs 3) is his first greedy action. Mr. White seemed genuinely happy with what he had, even stating, “‘It seems to me I’ve got all I want’”(3). But still he gets pulled into wishing for two hundred pounds by Herbert who tells Mr.White, “‘If only you cleared the house, you'd be quite happy, wouldn't you!’”(3). Even the content, such as Mr.White in the beginning, are lured into the monkey's paw by greed, and due to that, they suffer great consequences. After they make this wish for money, something extremely materialistic, they find that Herbert died because he was “‘caught in the machinery’”(5). They then gain the two hundred pounds as a “certain sum as compensation” (5). The family gains the money, but in the process, they lose their beloved son. This is where the theme begins to develop. As Mr.White and his family experience this greed for the money through the monkey's paw, a symbol of the greed itself, the idea that consequences come when actions are driven by avarice, arises. Each time an action is made out of greed, the trend of the consequences following them continues. The monkey's paw is the “greater force” that is inferred to be causing all of the events to be happening. Another example where a person is greedy is where Mrs.White wants her son back, even though she knows he is dead. Mr. White even explains to Mrs. White that he “‘...could only recognize him by his clothing. If he was too terrible for you to see then, then how now?’”(6). By this, she knows that she would not even be able to recognize her own son, but greed still boils up inside of her as she cries for her husband to “‘WISH’”(6) because she wants her son
First, the symbol of the …show more content…
The monkey's paw is a symbol of greed. Mr. White taking the monkey's paw even after being told to “‘pitch it on the fire like a sensible man’”(Jacobs 3) is his first greedy action. Mr. White seemed genuinely happy with what he had, even stating, “‘It seems to me I’ve got all I want’”(3). But still he gets pulled into wishing for two hundred pounds by Herbert who tells Mr.White, “‘If only you cleared the house, you'd be quite happy, wouldn't you!’”(3). Even the content, such as Mr.White in the beginning, are lured into the monkey's paw by greed, and due to that, they suffer great consequences. After they make this wish for money, something extremely materialistic, they find that Herbert died because he was “‘caught in the machinery’”(5). They then gain the two hundred pounds as a “certain sum as compensation” (5). The family gains the money, but in the process, they lose their beloved son. This is where the theme begins to develop. As Mr.White and his family experience this greed for the money through the monkey's paw, a symbol of the greed itself, the idea that consequences come when actions are driven by avarice, arises. Each time an action is made out of greed, the trend of the consequences following them continues. The monkey's paw is the “greater force” that is inferred to be causing all of the events to be happening. Another example where a person is greedy is where Mrs.White wants her son back, even though she knows he is dead. Mr. White even explains to Mrs. White that he “‘...could only recognize him by his clothing. If he was too terrible for you to see then, then how now?’”(6). By this, she knows that she would not even be able to recognize her own son, but greed still boils up inside of her as she cries for her husband to “‘WISH’”(6) because she wants her son