You Wish

You don't need wishes to be happy. This lesson is learned from the books The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs and The Third Wish by Joan Aiken. Although this is the overall lesson from the two stories, they have many differences. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast The Third Wish and The Monkey’s Paw. We will be comparing and contrast what the characters are wishing for and why, the third wish and the consequences, and the lesson or mood of the story. In the story The Monkey’s Paw,…

“Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it” is not only an age old phrase, but also the main idea of W.W. Jacobs’ short story, “The Monkey’s Paw”. In this short story, a fairly average family is introduced to a ‘magical’ monkey paw that has the power to grant any 3 wishes. However, when the family is warned that there are horrible consequences to wishing on the paw, they decide to use it anyways and it costs them. The story is filled with many symbols such as the way Mr.White plays the…

if they didn’t make the same three wishes the stories would be completely different. For example, if they didn’t make the wish to gain 200 pounds then their son would have never died, and the wife would have never pressured her husband to wish him alive again. In the text it says, “He raised his hand. ‘I wish my son alive again’”(The Monkey’s Paw, Jacob, line 350). This wish was very important to the story because it starts the building up of suspense in the story.…

Clyde--partners in crime. Dee and James weren’t always the jolliest kids in school, and they didn’t talk to many people. Well anyway, on the night of January 17, the two kids disappeared. There are many stories about how this happened. But, I’m here to tell you the one I know is true. Alright, let’s start in the morning of January 17. It was a warm, yet brisk morning. It was finally Friday and all the kids started to make plans…

Have you ever wanted three wishes? I did until I read these stories. The Three Wishes and The Monkey's Paw. Although these stories are different they share the same lesson, Wishes can be a blessing and a curse. In the monkey’s paw a monkey’s paw is used to grant wishes while in The Third Wish leaves were used. Mr.White received the monkey’s paw from an Army General and Mr.Peters received the leaves when he saved the king of the forest. The Monkey’s Paw was used three times while only two wishes…

regularly in the classic three wish narrative. The main theme of the story is the danger of wishing for more than you need. The white family has what they need because they have a comfortable home and happy loving family. However they use, the monkey’s paw to wish for a seemingly harmless desire to pay off their bills with 200 pounds. Although that seemingly harmless wish led to their son's death. Which led to more outlandish wishes where Mrs. White makes her husband wish to bring their son…

reacts impulsively in many instances, he acts before he has time to think in any situation. This becomes clear as his wishes for 200 pounds, knowing that Sergeant-Major Morris beseeched him not to use the paw because something bad happens with each wish. He realizes his mistake later, as the man from Maw and Meggins brings the news of his dead son. In W.W. Jacobs short story, “The Monkey’s Paw”…

Monkey's Paw The story “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacob takes place in a small house in the middle of nowhere. When the White family had a friend over from the war they find out about the monkey’s paw. One lesson the story has is wanting things you can’t have can have consequences. The monkey's paw has magical powers that give three men three wishes. “The first man had his three wishes… I don’t know what the first two were, but the third one was for death.” said the friend. This…

What would you do with a Monkey’s Paw if you had three wishes and didn’t know what the affects are after your wishes? In “The Monkey’s Paw.” by W. W. Jacobs, the Monkey’s Paw grants three wishes, but come out with consequences. Mr White goes through a struggle with a paw that has a spell on it by an old fakir. The White family faces big decisions throughout the story on what wishes they want. After an unfortunate death with there son Herbert, Mr. White is faced with a difficult decision to let…

The most successful out of the three versions of building up suspense in the Monkey’s Paw is the short story by W.W. Jacob. In other words, the short story captures the most vulnerable moments of life in story and then all of a sudden the mood changes into phycological. One piece of textual evidence is showing the mother is in relief, then is not “Thank God for that! Thank---”(Jacobs 5). This shows how her mood turns from hopeful to paralyzed. Mrs. White had wanted a feeling of happiness and it…