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The Monkey's Paw Essay

512 Words3 Pages

W. W. Jacobs, the author of the short story "The Monkey's Paw," uses setting to convey a spooky atmosphere. The story starts off with "Without, the night was cold and wet," which indicates that there is a storm outside. It sets the story's setting in a gloomy and depressing atmosphere. The story takes place on a rainy night, with wind howling outside and rain hitting the windows. The storm increases the feeling of isolation from other people and creates a further sense of discomfort, as if nature were collaborating with the evil forces at work. The tension is increased by the dramatic storm descriptions. Additionally, it is nighttime, and horrible things tend to happen at night due to the darkness outside. The Whites discuss having to wait for Sergeant Major Morris due to their remote location and lack of nearby neighbors. This signifies that even if something bad were to happen, no one would know due to the fact that there are no neighbors nearby to know what happens. …show more content…

W. Jacobs, creates an ominous atmosphere by using symbolism. Life is represented through chess in "The Monkey's Paw." People who take excessive risks in life will perish; those who play a daring, dangerous game of chess, for instance, will lose. When the story begins, Mr. White and Herbert are playing chess by the fire, and what happens in the game happens in the story. As Mr. White plays chess with Herbert, he takes unneeded risks with his king. As he continues to play, he realizes that he has made a fatal error that is deadly in chess. Mr. White's risks and errors when playing chess represent his risks and errors when wishing on a monkey's paw. The result of all these errors led to Herbert's death, similarly to how his mistakes in chess led to his king's

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