The Monkey's Paw Symbolism

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The stories of Joyce Carol Oates "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" and William W. Jacobs "The Monkey's Paw" have several different degrees of symbols and themes that warn the characters of emitted danger or bad outcomes in their stories that can be mirrored of each other. In, these stories the characters do not follow the warnings from these symbols and themes from the clues that are presented to them. From these terrible choices that are decided, they find themselves in situations that could have been avoided, but they did not proceed with. My analysis of these symbols and themes will demonstrate what they are and show the obvious of what to look for. So, let us begin on this analysis and see how the symbols and themes could have …show more content…

Connie went to pick the phone up "the telephone was clammy and very heavy and her fingers groped down to dial but were too weak to touch it. She began to scream into the phone, into the roaring."(Oates 8) Because did not make that call she had lost all hope. She gave up on herself and gave into Arnold Friend's demands. The phone was the last hope she had for the conclusion of the terrible warning to escape her possible death. The other story "The Monkey's Paw" by William W. Jacobs also demonstrated symbols and themes that warnings bad outcomes are coming if not taken the signs. The symbols and themes that are going to be analytical are the chessboard game monkey paw, and the gentle men's warning to not use it. The beginning of the story starts with the father and son playing chess. The father's rash determination to distract the son, so he could try and win is one example of poor choice …show more content…

Oates's Connie was a pretty, flirtatious, naive young girl who flaunted herself without any concern of what bad outcomes could happen. Oates had an idea of how to prepare young women from being aware of their situation, so they would not draw too much attention on themselves. In the case of Connie, she was not careful, and because of her unselfish awareness she was abducted and possibly taken to her death. Now with Jacobs characters in the "Monkey's Paw", they were desperate to gain an advantage in life by making 3 wishes. Jacobs was trying to convey that sometimes when something is too good to be true that it probably is not. Jacobs characters did not follow the wariness and in the process they lost their son. I feel that if you are not cautious and do not prepare or grab to surreality usually resorts into more harm than good. For those two situations, that was the outcome. One should be aware of what going on in life. If there are warnings of a series of events put in front of them take the threats as a clue and walk away or go where it is

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