How Does Jacobs Create Tension In The Monkey's Paw

W. W. Jacobs presents many examples of mystery and tension throughout his story, “The Monkey’s Paw”. Using different techniques and styles, Jacobs creates various tones which cause the reader to feel surprised and anxious.
In the opening of the story, Jacobs describes the night as “cold and wet”, but he also states the White family had their blinds drawn and the fire was burning. This shows the reader the family is, in a way, shut off from the world. They are cozy indoors, playing chess and bantering, while outside, the tone was not as bright. Jacobs creates mystery for the reader when the son, Herbert, suddenly states, “There he is.” The reader does not know who has arrived, thus creating tension. Another way the author displayed a mysterious tone was when he wrote Mr. White mentioning the monkey’s paw for the first time, causing the sergeant to hastily shoot down the topic. “‘What was that you started telling me the other day about a monkey’s paw or something, Morris?’ ‘Nothing,’ said the soldier, hastily.” The reader is left to wonder what the monkey’s paw is and why Morris wanted to

“(of the paw)...which betokened no great belief in its virtues.” This is foreshadowing later events in the story when the wish made by the monkey paw comes true. Jacobs adds onto the foreshadowing by writing the family making jokes about how the wish will come true the next morning. The quote, “She was watching the mysterious movements of a man outside…” leaves many questions in the reader’s mind. Neither the reader nor the character know who the enigmatic character is and what they are being introduced for. The author closes part two by telling the reader Mr. and Mrs. White were being given two hundred pounds for their son’s death. With the reader’s previous knowledge of Mr. White’s wish, they are left surprised by the turn of