The Monkey's Paw
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "The Monkey's Paw" | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. W. Jacobs |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror, Short story |
| Publication date | September 1902 |
"The Monkey's Paw" is a horror short story by author W. W. Jacobs. It was published in England in 1902.
The story is based on the famous "setup" in which three wishes are granted. In the story, the paw of a dead monkey is a talisman that grants its possessor three wishes, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with fate.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The story involves Mr. and Mrs. White and their grown-up son, Herbert. Sergeant-Major Morris, a friend of the Whites who has been part of the British Armed Forces in India, leaves them with the monkey's paw, telling of its mysterious powers to grant three wishes, and of its journey from an old fakir to his comrade, who uses his third and final wish to wish for death.
Mr. White wishes for 200 pounds. Their son is killed by machinery at his company, and they get compensation of 200 pounds.
Ten days after they bury Herbert, Mrs. White, almost mad with grief, asks her husband to wish Herbert back to life with the paw. He is very reluctant, but does so. After a delay there are knocking sounds on their door. Mrs. White fumbles at the locks in an attempt to open the door. Mr. White knows, however, that he cannot allow their son in, as his appearance will be too horrific; he was mutilated by the accident (Mr. White had been required to witness and identify the body), and had been dead and buried for more than a week. He wishes his third wish; that Herbert be dead again. The knocking stops. Mrs. White opens the door to find no one there.
The moral of the story is contained in this description of the paw: '"It had a spell put on it by an old fakir," said the sergeant-major, "a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow"'.
[edit] Versions in other media
 |
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009) |
- A one-act play was first performed in 1907.
- There were numerous film adaptations in the silent era, as well as a 1933 talkie, a 1948 British remake, a Nepalese adaptation called Kagbeni released in 2008 and more recent film versions.
- An updated version of the story was featured in a 4/19/1965 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Other TV adaptations were created for Suspense (5/17/1949 and 10/3/1950), Great Mysteries (11/10/1973), and Great Ghost Tales (7/20/1961).
- "The Monkey's Paw" was adapted as a radio play in 1980 as part of the CBC radio drama series Nightfall, available for free at iTunes, as part of the "Old Time Radio Thrillers" podcast.
- Texas Radio Theatre Company recorded a radio play version by Tim Wardell and Richard Frohlich in front of a studio audience in 2003.
- Three opera versions have been created: One composed by Carlo Martelli in 1991, one by composer Stephen J. Grieco and premiered at Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center in 1996, and one by composer Jonathan N. Kupper in 2008.
[edit] Variations, parodies
A great number of novels, stories, movies, plays and comics are variations or adaptations of the story, featuring similar plots built around wishes that go awry in macabre ways, occasionally with references to monkey's paws or to the story itself. (See list)
It is also frequently parodied on television shows, and comic books.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
 |
Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
