Many factors of similar and diverse characteristics are common between Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat, and W.W Jacobs The Monkey's Paw. Poe and Jacobs use more of an old, matured form of writing. For instance, the first word in The Monkey's Paw is without. In today's use of language, without is used as a form of possession. If I was going to use without, it would be in the sense that I am without an object, such as my book for class, or a passport at an airport, etc. However, Jacobs used it to explain
William Wymark Jacobs was a short story author. His most popular work was “The Monkey’s Paw.” The story starts off on a dark, stormy night with Mr. White and his son, Herbert White playing chess, while Mrs. White was knitting by the fire. Sargeant-Major Morris arrives at the White’s house and he tells his life story of him being the army for twenty-one years in India. He shows them this monkey’s paw that will grant three wishes to three different people, but whoever wishes on it will be hurt in the
The literary elements in The Monkey’s Paw are subtle but nevertheless they can be found if you know where to look. The author begins by setting the scene on a night that is “cold and wet” (Jacobs 2302), the use of these adjectives sets a dreary tone. Furthermore cold, wet nights are often used in literature during times of conflict for the characters and in the case of The Monkey’s Paw it could be seen that it implies an unpleasant future for the White family. However the characters are unaware