The Monkey's Paw

“The Monkey’s Paw” explores questions of fate and shows what happens to one family that wishes for something beyond their current life and circumstances. Jacobs wrote several other horror stories, but “The Monkey’s Paw” best illustrates his sharp crafting of story, a balance of succinct dialogue and narrative with themes of psychological dread and supernatural consequences.

Jacobs uses descriptive language and provides an eerie atmosphere with many strange sounds, sights, and sensations throughout the story. The descriptions of the cold night, the flickering candlelight, and the knocks at the end of the story offer strong imagery that builds the world of the horror story. The story blends these descriptions with powerful dialogue and narration while remaining a rather easy read. The story moves along quickly, and the plot unfolds with a steady forward momentum. The pacing is complemented by a growing sense of dread and curiosity about what might happen next. The story also achieves increased urgency in the final paragraphs when Mrs. White struggles to open the front door to a potentially monstrous Herbert back from the dead, and