Transcript The Monkey’s Paw”

“The Monkey’s Paw”
By
W.W. Jacobs
Part I
The night was cold and wet.
 The wind is howling outside.
 Inside the house was a warm fire in the
fireplace.
 Mr. White and his son are playing chess.
 Mrs. White is calmly knitting.
 Sergeant Major Morris knocks at the door.

Part I
Sergeant Major Morris speaks about India
and shows the Whites the monkey’s paw.
 A fakir put a spell on the monkey’s paw,
allowing three people to have three
wishes each.
 The fakir wanted to show that fate ruled
people’s lives.
 Those who interfered with it or tampered
with it did so to their sorrow.

Part I
Sergeant Major Morris mentions that he
was granted three wishes but he refuses
to talk about them
 He points out that the first owner was
granted three wishes also.
 While the Sergeant Major Morris forgot
what the first two wishes were for, the
third wish was for death.

Part I
Sergeant Major Morris reveals that he was
able to get the monkey’s paw from the
first owner.
 He tells the Whites that he thought about
selling it but that it had caused enough
mischief already.
 When asked if he would like to have
another three wishes, the Sergeant Major
replies that he doesn’t know.

Part I
Suddenly he threw the monkey’s paw into
the fire.
 Mr. White retrieves it from the fire despite
the fact that Sergeant Major warns him to
let it burn.
 He tells Mr. White to hold it up in the air
and make a wish if he wants, but Mr.
White is warned again to let it be.

Part I
The Whites make a joke of it when Mrs.
White mentions that they should wish that
she had four pairs of hands.
 Sergeant Major Morris tells them that they
need to wish for something sensible if
they’re going to wish for anything.
 Mr. White gives the Sergeant Major a small
sum for the monkey’s paw even though
the sergeant major again warned him to
throw it away.

Part I
After the sergeant major left, Mr. White
wishes for two hundred pounds.
 A fine crash from the piano greeted the
wish followed by a loud outcry from Mr.
White.
 Mr. White explained that the monkey’s
paw moved and that it twisted in his hand
like a snake.

Part I
In spite of the eager anticipation, the
money never appeared.
 Outside the wind howled even higher.
 The old man jumped at the sound of the
door banging upstairs.
 An unusual and depressing silence fell
upon all three and lasted until they went
to bed.

Part I
The son remarks that he doesn’t see the
money and that he bets he never will.
 He mentions that they should expect the
cash tied up in a big bag in the middle of
their bed with something horrible on top
of the wardrobe watching them as they
pocket their ill gotten gains.

Part II
The family appears to be a jovial mood
the following morning.
 It is winter, but the sun is shinning.
 The monkey’s paw is carelessly pitched on
the sideboard.
 Speculation is that all old soldiers are full
of wild tales that simply aren’t true.
 Nevertheless, Morris told the Whites that
the things wished for might happen so
naturally that they could be attributed to
coincidence.

Part II
Herbert White, the son, leaves for work.
 Mrs. White checks the mailbox in eager
anticipation of the two hundred pounds.
 She notices the mysterious movements of
a man who appeared to be attempting to
make up his mind about entering.
 The fourth time, the man walked through
the gate and walked up the path.

Part II
He was invited into the house by Mrs.
White.
 The visitor announces that he is from Maw
and Meggins, the firm Herbert works for.
 He informs them that there has been an
accident, but that Herbert “isn’t in any
pain.”
 Mrs. White suddenly realizes that Herbert
is dead.

Part II
Herbert was caught in the machinery and
killed.
 He could not be truly identified except the
by clothes he was wearing.
 While the company claimed no liability,
they awarded the old couple two hundred
pounds.
 Mrs. White shrieked in terror.

Part III
Herbert was buried in the new cemetery
two miles from the house.
 The couple no longer spoke to one
another, but they remained in hopeful
expectation that something else would
happen.
 A week later, Mr. White awoke to find that
his wife was out of the bed.

Part III
He invited her back into the bed, saying
that she would get cold.
 She replied that it was colder for her son.
 She began to cry but remembered the
monkey’s paw which was in the parlor.
 She wanted to go get it and make another
wish that Herbert were alive.
 Mr. White told her that she didn’t know
what she was saying.

Part III
The old man informs her that Herbert had
been dead for ten days now and the body
wouldn’t be recognizable.
 In addition, the body was beyond
recognition when Herbert was killed.
 The man wanted to know how she would
recognize him now if he came back.
 He went downstairs and retrieved the
monkey’s paw.

Part III
The old woman commanded him to wish
their son back to life.
 The old man made the wish.
 Watching the shadows reflecting from the
rim of the china candlestick onto the
ceiling, the old man grew apprehensive.
 When nothing happened, the old man
breathed a sigh of relief and returned to
bed.

Part III
They returned to bed.
 Later the old man got up, striking a
match, went downstairs.
 As he paused to strike another match, he
heard a faint knock at the door.
 While the second knock was louder, the
third knock could be heard throughout the
house.

Part III
As the old woman rushed down the stairs
heading to the door, her husband stopped
her and tried to prevent her from opening
the door.
 She escaped from him and ran to the door.
 The old man frantically called out for her
not to open the door.

Part III
The husband followed, calling out to her
as she hurried downstairs.
 He heard the chain rattling and the
bottom door bolt slowly drawn from the
socket.
 There was constant banging echoing
throughout the house as the husband
frantically searched for the monkey’s paw.
 Finding it, he made the third wish.

Part III
The door opened and a cold wind rushed
up the staircase.
 The wife screamed a loud wail of
disappointment as he rushed to her side.
 They went to the door and saw a street
lamp and its reflection on a quiet,
deserted road.
