Phillips 2
David Phillips
Mrs. Spencer
AE English 10A, Period 2
17 September 2012
Twisted Fate
Throughout history people have attempted to change fate to fulfill their future. In the story “The Monkeys Paw”, by W.W. Jacobs, the whites family simple life is dramatically changed when they do not listen to wise advice about the magical monkeys paw. With the hope of making their lives better by wishing for money, the white family quickly learns that the gains do not weigh out the repercussions. The whites ignore important advice shown through foreshadowing by neglecting fate and having a ungrateful attitude shown through dramatic irony and shocking suspense.
Throughout the story, Jacobs foreshadows the whites demise due to their ungrateful attitude and ignorance of fate. When the white family ignores advice from the sergeant, it seems that a tragic event will occur. While the sergeant introduces the paw, he warns that the last wish upon the paw was death (51). The white family was very careless to not take heed of the sergeant’s wise words as most reasonable people would. The white family proves their disrespect for fate by neglecting the wise words of the sergeant. Also when Mr. White moves his chess piece into unnecessary perils, making a fatal decision, it signifies that later in the story he will again make a fatal decision (50). Mr. White’s lack of common sense puts his family at a tragic risk. Mr. White ignores the power of fate by not understanding its true power and risking his entire families lives. As the white family progresses, their ignorance and disrespectful attitude towards fate becomes increasingly worse.
While Mr. White continues to ignore fate, Jacobs shows his decisions become quite ironic. When Mr. White makes the wish upon the paw for two hundred pounds, he ends up getting the money as compensation for his son’s death (52). Mr. White once again shows his ignorance towards fate by neglecting wise advice and taking a huge risk. It is ironic that the money Mr. White wished for came due to the death of his son. After the sergeant tells Mr. White “the last wish upon the paw was death”, Mr. White’s last wish ends up being death (53). Mr. White neglected the words of the wise sergeant and unfortunately ends up wishing for his son’s death. The irony is connected here because after the sergeant explains that the last wish always seems to be death, Mr. White wishes for death as his last wish. As Mr. White takes the risk of using the paw, he ends up regretting the ironic outcomes.
Through description like “the dark eerie night”, Jacobs signifies suspense in the White Families home. While Mr. White and Herbert enjoy a game of chess, he dark and spooky night screamed as a fusillade of knocks rattled the door (52). Here Jacobs introduces Sergeant Major Morris with a very scary image. The fusillade of knocks connects to the message, fate should no be altered, by introducing us to the owner of the monkeys paw. After altering fate by making a fatal wish for two hundred pounds, the monkey’s paw suddenly begins to spastically shake (52). The paw moving signifies the wish had come true and that Mr. White had altered fate. The suspenseful and spastic movement of the paw relates to the message because it begins the drastic changes that happen due to neglection of fate and ignorance of listening to wise advice. Jacobs uses suspense when introducing Sergeant Major Morris and after making wishes upon the paw.
The aftermath of the tragic events that affect the white family conveys the consequence for being greedy as was expected by the onset. These horrific ordeals demonstrate Jacobs use of foreshadowing, irony, and suspense to portray his reasoning towards the importance of understanding ones actions and how fate should not be disturbed. When the disastrous events that Jacobs foreshadows comes to fruition, it is clear tampering with fate leads to the demise of the white family. Similarly, the suspenseful mood reflects the cursed life the White family is bound to live. As society deems wealth and fame as more important aspects of life, it is vital to understand what is truly important in life.
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