“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 unlooked for violence; “of all the beastly, slushy, out-of the-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.

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HOW OR WHY WOULD EACH OF THESE ELEMENTS HELP CREATE SUSPENSE?

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 TEXTUAL EVIDEN C E

“Nothing,” said the soldier hastily “this visitor from distant parts”

EXPLANATIO N

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.

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.