“THE MONKEY’S PAW”
W.W. Jacobs
THE BASICS
In your notes, briefly explain each of the plot elements in the
story.
Exposition
Conflict(s)
Inciting incident
Rising action
Climax
Crisis
Falling action
Denouement
THEME
A theme is an author’s view/commentary on a
specific idea or topic.
Think of it as a mathematical equation:
topic/idea + commentary = theme
IS IT A THEME?
The friendship that develops between two students in English class
While friendships can encounter significant difficulties, in the end they
prove to be beneficial to all people involved.
Love
It is possible for people to not care about the character flaws of others
if they love them enough.
THEME IN “THE MONKEY’S PAW”
What do you think the theme of “The
Monkey’s Paw” is?
Explain, using at least one piece of textual
evidence, why you think this is the story’s
theme.
TERMINOLOGY
DICTION: word choice; typically single words
SYNTAX: sentence structure; look at rate,
rhythm, punctuation, repetition, and sentence
length
MOOD: the emotional atmosphere of a scene
(think of the opening of a horror movie)
WHAT IS THE MOOD OF THIS PASSAGE?
HOW DO DICTION AND SELECTION OF DETAIL ESTABLISH THIS MOOD?
“That’s the worst of living so far out,”
bawled Mr. White, with sudden and unlookedfor violence; “of all the beastly, slushy, out-ofthe-way places to live in, this is the worst.
Pathway’s a bog, and the road’s a torrent. I don’t
know what people are thinking about. I suppose
because only two houses on the road are let,
they think it doesn’t matter.”
TERMINOLOGY
Suspense
Go to the wiki and read the document
“suspense explanation.” Once you have read
the document, write down a 1-2 sentence
definition of suspense.
HOW OR WHY WOULD EACH OF THESE ELEMENTS HELP CREATE SUSPENSE?
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Focus on a sympathetic character
Keep the stakes high: characters should have a lot to lose
Showing rather than telling
Foreshadowing: patterns that lead the reader to expect something.
Create a dark, ominous tone (through setting, isolation, language choice, foreshadowing
etc)
Symbolism: eg the curse on the monkey’s paw/ black for death
Give the character dilemmas
Use time constraints (eg ticking bomb)
Have a flawed main character (creates worry in the readers)
Withholding information from the reader
Drop hints as to what’s coming
Delay – taking the focus away from the main story at a crucial point - creates frustration
but is very effective
Lull your reader into a false sense of security then shock them/ or create false alarms
How do setting and mood help to
create suspense in the beginning of
the story?
Examine the opening image of the
family as well as the description of the
weather and the home’s location.
HOW DOES JACOBS’S LANGUAGE (DICTION, SYNTAX, AND SELECTION
OF DETAIL) IN THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN SERGEANT-MAJOR
MORRIS AND THE WHITES SHOW THAT THE MONKEY’S PAW IS
“EVIL”?
Reread the conversation from pages 15 and 16 (starting
with “‘Sergeant-Major Morris,’ he said, introducing him”
and ending with “enthralled fashion to a second
instalment of the soldier’s adventures in India”).
Make two columns in your notes. On one side, write
down the textual evidence; on the other side, explain
what the evidence implies. (examples on next slide)
SAMPLE TWO-COLUMN NOTES
T E X T UA L E V I D E N C E
E X P L A NA T I O N
“Nothing,” said the soldier hastily
Because he speaks “hastily,” or
quickly, it is clear that he does not
want to talk about the paw, which
implies that he has something to
hide.
“this visitor from distant parts”
Because he comes from far away,
there is an air of mystery
surrounding the Sergeant-Major.
IN A FEW SENTENCES, EXPLAIN HOW JACOBS’S LANGUAGE IMPLIES
THAT THE STRANGER HAS BAD NEWS. BE SURE TO INCLUDE
TEXTUAL EVIDENCE.
She brought the stranger, who seemed ill at ease, into the
room. He gazed at her furtively, and listened in a preoccupied
fashion as the old lady apologized for the appearance of the
room, and her husband’s coat, a garment which he usually
reserved for the garden. She then waited as patiently as her sex
would permit, for him to broach his business, but he was at first
strangely silent.
“I—was asked to call,” he said at last, and stooped to pick
a piece of cotton from his trousers. “I come from Maw and
Meggins.”
While Mrs. White apologizes for the mess in her kitchen, the
stranger is “preoccupied.” There is something on his mind,
probably whatever news he is there to announce, and his being
distracted by his news shows that it is something significant.
Combined with other details, it is clear that it is unpleasant.
When it is time for the stranger to talk to the Whites, “he was at
first strangely silent,” implying that he is nervous about what he
has to say since he cannot come right out and say it. Instead, even
though he goes to their home with the express purpose of telling
them this news, he is hesitant to do so.
The stranger begins talking to the Whites, saying, “‘I—was asked
to call.’” His hesitation, indicated by his interrupted syntax, shows
that he does not want to speak and that he is nervous, again
implying that he has something unpleasant to say.
WRITING ABOUT THE STORY
Go to the wiki and download "The
Monkey's Paw" Sample Suspense Paragraph
and Writing Assignment.
Read the model paragraph and complete
activity 1.