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Mistake In The Monkey's Paw, By W. Jacobs

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Have you ever made a mistake so bad and so dire that the consequences following affected everyone around you for years to come? Hopefully, you have never made a mistake this severe, however in the short story, “The Monkey’s Paw”, by W.W. Jacobs, a man named Mr. White made a mistake just like that. In the story, a decorated Sgt. Major visits Mr. White, his wife, and son and tells them about an enchanted monkey’s paw that can grant them three different wishes. Despite the warnings of the Sgt. Major, he wishes for two hundred pounds, which was found as compensation money for his son’s death, causing the family distress and great suffering. After his son died, Mrs. White tries to use the paw to wish him back to life to no avail. Her husband …show more content…

White is at fault for the awful things that happen to his family. In the beginning of the story, the Sgt. Major describes to the three the properties of the paw and attempts to pitch it into the fireplace, however, Mr. White instantly retrieves, saying, “...give it to me.” Afterwards, the Sgt. Major warns Mr. White profusely against usage of the paw, telling him it’s cursed and wreaks havoc. Despite his numerous warnings, Mr. White still keeps the enchanted paw for himself. Since he actually took the paw even though he was advised against it shows that Mr. White was the root cause of the misfortune to befall the …show more content…

White caused his son’s death, many people who have read “The Monkey’s Paw” may believe that Sgt. Major Morris was to blame for the family’s misfortune; this however, is completely untrue. An argument to support this claim may be that since the Sgt. Major was the one to bestow the cursed paw upon the family and even instructed Mr. White on how to activate it, he was the root cause of the trouble. Quite contrary to this belief however, the Sgt. Major tried to throw the paw into the fireplace and profusely advised against using it. Despite the influences of the Sgt. Major, it is ultimately Mr. White’s fault for the disaster caused by the

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