The Monkey's Paw: Getting What You Wish For (James)

    The short story "The Monkey's Paw" was written by W.W. Jacobs, in 1902. It follows the White family, after they invite Sergeant-Major Morris to their house for dinner. Sergeant-Major Morris, who had recently come back from military service in India tells the Whites about a mummified monkey's paw he acquired there. The magic paw, which was enchanted by an old fakir grants 3 wishes to anyone gets it. After Mr. White spends the evening convincing the Sergeant-Major to give him the paw, and eventually he gives in, but not before warning the White family that "he [the fakir] wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who tried to change it would be sorry". 

    After the Sergeant-Major leaves, the White family jokes about the paw, believing what the Sergeant-Major said to be a fib. Eventually, they jokingly wish for 200 dollars, enough to pay off their house. However, when Mr. White makes the wish, he is startled when he feels the paw move in his hand. His wife and son tell him it was just his imagination. 

    The next day, the money hasn't appeared, and so the son Herbert goes to work as normal. However, in the evening a stranger comes and informs Mr. and Mrs. White of tragic news. Their son was killed in a freak work accident, and the company offers to provide compensation to the Whites. The amount? 200 dollars.

    After the funeral (which I imagine would have to be a closed casket one), the couple cry over the loss of their only son. After a few days, Mrs. White suddenly remembers the paw and forces Mr. White to use his second wish to bring Herbert back to life. At first, he refuses, knowing that his actions will have consequences, but eventually he relents to his wife's pleas. Soon they start to hear knocking coming from the door and Mrs. White rushes to open it, while Mr. White tries his best to stop her, knowing what awaits outside will not be pleasant. As his wife starts to unlock the door, Mr. White comes up with a last ditch effort. He frantically searched for the paw, and after finding it makes his final wish. The knocking stops, and the street is empty.

    This short story explores themes of fate and consequences of your actions. On my edition of the story, I have the quote “Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it.” and it couldn't be more true. The message of this story is very clear: every action has consequences, and that you shouldn't mess with fate. The monkey's paw in this story serves as an example of this. Even though the Whites do get their wish of 200 dollars granted, they end up losing something much more valuable. Blindsided by grief, Mrs. White could have easily made an grave mistake by opening the door, she was saved Mr. White's quick thinking. The author leaves it to the reader to imagine what would have happened if Mrs. White was able to let Herbert in.

    This short story is categorized as a "horror", but it definitely serves more purpose than just a quick adrenaline rush. It teaches a valuable lesson about the consequences of one's actions. Through its exploration of fate and the consequences of thoughtless desires, the story serves as a reminder of the dangers of messing with forces beyond us. "The Monkey's Paw" is a timeless story, that teaches the importance of thinking twice and accepting fate. I highly recommend you this short horror story, there are free online pdfs and is an amazing read.