Essay Writing Guide for W.W. Jacob's The Monkey's Paw
Question: Discuss the theme of W.W. Jacob's "The Monkey's Paw," being sure to utilize
examples of foreshadowing, symbolism, and situational irony.
Step #1
Restate the question into a topic sentence.
Step #2
Locate in the story specific quotes that will serve as your examples or
proofs of foreshadowing, symbolism, and situational irony.
Step #3
Begin writing your response or essay by making a statement like this:
Jacobs uses foreshadowing in a couple of places early on in his story that
contribute to the ironic ending. For example, " . . . . . . "
Step #4
Continue what you are doing in step #3 as you work your way through
proving your understanding of foreshadowing, symbolism, and situational
irony in this specific short story.
Step #5
Write a conclusion that wraps up the author's overall theme.
Step #6
Read the story aloud to yourself, making sure you have written good
sentences with correct punctuation and quotes.