p. 31
Author 411
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W.W. Jacobs
(1863-1943)
Lived in London, England
House was near docks, and he wrote about tales he
heard from sailors
 His stories are about everyday life disrupted by strange
and fantastic events
 The Monkey’s Paw is his most famous
 This story is unlike his other writings, he wrote mostly
humorously
Read British background of India
 P. 31
 Did astonishing things
 Ornate temple and artwork
 New food
 Unfamiliar beliefs
 Dreadful diseases
 Poisonous snakes
 Mysterious cults
Think-Pair-Share
 Think of a time when you have disagreed with a friend
about something they believed to be true. How did
you come to an agreement, or verify who was right?
 Possibly by looking it up? Book, internet, ask a teacher
or parent
 Look for ways the characters explain the truth behind
the events in the story
Anticipation guide
 One should be content with his or her life as it is.
 People should not play games with fate.
 You should never be afraid to be the master of your
own destiny.
 There is not such things as a free lunch.
Vocabulary
 P. 30
 Grave
 Maligned
 Credulity
 Furtively
 Apathy
 Opressive
The story
 About an eerie object arriving in England from India
 India was a British colony from 1700’s until 1947
 Lots of information and misinformation came from
British soldiers about India’s culture
 India was represented as mysterious and of the
supernatural
Big Question
 Is there a difference between reality and truth?
 In “The Monkey’s Paw”, a family learns the truth
behind a mysterious monkey’s paw. Use this sentence
starter to help you develop your ideas about the Big
Question:
 People may try to verify the truth by ______________.
 While you read look for explanations the characters
offer to explain the truth behind the events in “The
Monkey’s Paw.”
After reading, reflect…
 The point of this story was prediction, prior knowledge
 You writing assignment:
 Make a prediction for your life. This needs to be
separated into four paragraphs, (an introduction, two
body paragraphs, and a conclusion)
 You audience will be you, in future years, so this is
informative as well as entertainment.
 You have 20 minutes to begin this writing assignment.
 Think about where you will be, what you will be doing
for a profession, who will be around you, etc.