“Be careful what you wish for.” It is a very common warning we have all heard, since wishing our parents to disappear as a child. In “The Monkey’s Paw,” the White family learned that lesson first hand. Although they were a content, happy family (It seems to me I’ve got all I want,) the thought of having three wishes and the greed of that took over.
With the knowledge of the man before wishing for death as his final wish, Mr. White made his first wish. It was for 200 pounds. The wish for pounds seemed harmless, but money soon showed it was stemmed from all evil. The following day, the wish had arrived, but was no compensation for what it will cost to the White family. It costs them the life of their only son.
After ten days of mourning, Mrs. White came up with an idea. Instead of burning the paw, she thought to use it for another wish. She was to use it to wish for the life of her son back. Reluctantly, Mr. White abided, but soon after the fear sunk in. He was fearing the son he once loved will return in some form that was unknown. As the knock at the door grew louder, the panic stricken Mr. White grabbed the treacherous talisman, and mumbled his final wish under his breath. The knocking soon subsided.
While it was unstated what wish was muffled, I believe he wished for his son’s soul at rest. After Mrs. White opened the door that was so hastily being knocked on, there was no person living, dead, or deranged standing on the porch. There was nothing but a opened gate and a flickering street lamp. Mr. White’s final wish had come true.
Like most people, Mr. White had been stricken with greed, if only for a moment. He was forced to pay a hefty fine for that one lapse in judgment. The man, for the sake of his family and soul of his deceased son, made his final wish a selfless one. Mr. White, the content man from the beginning of the story, had destroyed the family he had loved. It is something that cannot be bought, even with all of the riches one can...