Fate

The short story “Monkeys Paw,” by W.W. Jacobs, begins with a small family waiting for their guest to arrive to their home. Soon the guest, a former sergeant, enters the house and narrates his adventures to Mr. White, Mrs. White and their son Herbert. The subject of a magical paw is brought up. Mr. White inquires the soldier about this monkey’s paw, and soon he finds out its some sort of a magical talisman. This paw is supposed to prove that fate rules everyone’s life and those who try to interfere with it will pay. It will grant three wishes to three different men. Mr. White asks for the talisman and the sergeant agrees because he’s had his three wishes. When the sergeant leaves, Mr. White holds the talisman and wishes for something simple, just to see if it works. He wishes for two hundred pounds and sees that nothing happens so he goes to bed. The next day everyone forgets about the paw, thinking it was just a fairytale. Herbert goes to work after breakfast. When its dinner time, Herbert has not arrived. A man knocks on the door and informs them that Herbert has died. Mr. and Mrs. White are shocked. The man keeps on and says that because of Herbert’s service in the factory, they will receive a small sum; two hundred pounds. Ten days later, Mrs. White has the idea to use another wish and wish his son alive again. Mr. White refuses because he’s terrified about the idea. But he Mrs. White convinces him to, and he does. Hours later there’s a knock in the door and Mrs. White runs to the door but before she opens the door Mr. White gets the paw and wishes his last wish. When Mrs. White opens the door there is no one outside.

This story uses plenty of imagery to make the story more pleasant to read. Imagery in this story uses personification to make the story more interesting to read.

“He sat alone in the darkness, gazing at the dying fire, and seeing faces in it. The last was so horrible and so simian that he gazed at it in amazement. It got so vivid that, with a little uneasy laugh, he felt on the table for a glass containing a little water to throw over it”

Jacobs uses personification on the fire, it gives it the characteristics of a human, like it had a life of its own. Jacobs uses imagery to appeal to the sense of sight. He describes the sight of the fire and how it looks.

"That's the worst of living so far out," balled Mr. White with sudden and unlooked-for violence; "Of all the beastly, slushy, out of the way places to live in, this is the worst. Path's a bog, and the road's a torrent. I don't know what people are thinking about. I suppose because only two houses in the road are let, they think it doesn't matter."

This reveals a lot about Mr. White’s personality, mainly because he has a bad temper. Also Mr. White never sees the bright side of things, he only looks at the negative side; he is pessimistic and complains a lot about what he does not like.

After all, this story is very interesting and outstanding story. This story contains imagery that make it more fun to read, and a awesome and very meaningful message about fate ruling in our lifes and those who try to interfere will pay. All these components help make the story wonderful and interesting to read.