W. W. Jacobs
 Title: “The Monkey’s Paw”
 Author: W. W. Jacobs
 Genre: Short Story
E
 Protagonist – the character the reader is
supposed to relate to and empathize with (the
character who advances the plot)
 Antagonist – character/force in conflict with
the protagonist
 Who are the protagonist and antagonist in Jacobs’
“The Monkeys’ Paw”?
 Atmosphere: the mood of a story
 Jacob’s creates an eerie and ominous
atmosphere in the beginning of “The
Monkey’s Paw” by describing an isolated
house on a flooded road. The weather is
stormy, cold, and unfriendly for travelers.
 Foreshadowing: hints and/or clues as
to what is going to happen next
 Instances of
foreshadowing occur in
“The Monkey’s Paw” when the sergeant
is reluctant to speak of the monkey’s
paw, and when he says the last man to
handle the paw had wished for his own
death.
 Suspense: the sense of anticipation a reader
gets when reading
 Jacobs’ uses foreshadowing in the short
story to create a feeling of suspense.
Suspense is also created in the short story
through the use of repetition. The reader
understands that after the first wish is
granted that there will be two more wishes
that will also come true.
 Irony: when what occurs is not what is
expected
 There are many instances of verbal irony in
“The Monkey’s Paw”
 When Herbert says “Well, I don’t see the money
and I bet I never shall” (page 33) his statement
becomes verbally ironic because he actually does
not get to see the money, though his comment at
the time is meant only as a statement of disbelief
over the supernatural powers in the monkey’s paw.
 Another instance of verbal irony is when
Herbert states “And how could two hundred
pounds hurt you, father?”(page34)
 This statement is ironic because the two
hundred pounds devastates Mr. White – He
gained the money only at the expense of his
son’s death.
 Theme: the underlying universal message in
a work of literature
 What is the theme of “The Monkey’s Paw”?
What do you think W. W. Jacob’s is trying to
relate to the reader about fate?