What Are The Three Wishes In 'The Monkey'S Paw'?

2025-06-27 08:29:55 195

3 Answers

Ruby
Ruby
2025-06-29 23:48:41
In 'The Monkey's Paw', the three wishes are a classic example of 'be careful what you wish for'. The first wish is for two hundred pounds, which the White family receives after their son Herbert dies in a factory accident—the money comes as compensation. The second wish is Mrs. White's desperate plea to bring Herbert back from the dead. The horror comes when they hear knocking at the door, realizing their mangled son might be outside. Mr. White's third wish, made in sheer panic, is to undo the second one. The paw grants all three, but each comes with brutal consequences, showing how greed and grief can twist fate.
Claire
Claire
2025-07-03 13:28:54
The Monkey's Paw' is a masterclass in horror, and its three wishes are the core of its chilling message. The first wish seems harmless—money to pay off the house. But the way it arrives, through their son's gruesome death, turns it into a curse. The second wish is pure emotional desperation. Mrs. White can't bear her loss, so she demands Herbert's return. The awful suspense of that final scene, with the knocking and the reader imagining what's on the other side, is unforgettable. Mr. White's third wish is the only smart one—he stops the horror before they have to face what they’ve summoned.

What makes these wishes terrifying isn’t just the consequences, but how ordinary they seem at first. The paw doesn’t invent elaborate punishments; it uses the family’s own desires against them. The money isn’t stolen—it’s legally given, just tainted by tragedy. Herbert’s return isn’t a zombie fantasy; it’s left ambiguous enough to let your imagination run wild. The story’s power comes from its simplicity: three wishes, three irreversible mistakes, and the lesson that some forces shouldn’t be messed with.
Quincy
Quincy
2025-07-02 14:03:20
W.W. Jacobs' 'The Monkey's Paw' uses its three wishes to explore human nature. The first wish is straightforward—financial security. The Whites don’t ask for millions, just enough to ease their burdens. But the paw twists it into a nightmare, linking the money to Herbert’s death. The second wish is raw grief in action. Mrs. White doesn’t care about consequences; she wants her son back. The knocking sequence is one of literature’s most effective horror moments because it plays on fear of the unseen. The third wish is pure instinct—Mr. White acting to protect his wife from the horror he’s unleashed.

What fascinates me is how each wish reflects a different human flaw. The first is greed (even if modest), the second is denial of death, and the third is cowardice—the fear to face what you’ve created. The paw doesn’t just grant wishes; it exposes the darkest parts of the people using it. The story’s brilliance is in making the reader wonder what they’d wish for—and whether they’d be any wiser than the Whites.
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