William Wymark Jacobs The Monkey's Paw And The Toll-House

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The life and works of William Wymark Jacobs The ideas and subjects expressed in William Wymark Jacobs’ works are a reflection of his life and times. When Jacobs was a kid, he would play by the docks; this time by the docks is where he would formulate his ideas for his stories. All of his masterpieces, originated in his childhood. These masterpieces include “The Monkey’s Paw” and “The Toll-House.” In these stories, there are many parts that connect to his life and times. The short story “The Monkey’s Paw,” one of his most well known pieces, was written in 1902. “The Monkey’s Paw” is about a family that is non wealthy. This family wants to be wealthier and they stumble upon a monkey’s paw. The monkey’s paw gave them three wishes. Mr.White uses the first wish for money to pay off the mortgage, just like poor people want money(Beers 105). When Jacobs was young, this was how he would grow up when he lived in his childhood home. “That’s the worst of living so far out,” bawled Mr.White, with sudden and unlooked-for violence; “of all the beastly, slushy, …show more content…

“The Toll-House” is a short story about a group of people that visit a “haunted” mansion for the night. A man named Meagle suggested the idea. Everyone but one of the group members had died; In the end the house had taken its toll. The toll was suppossed to portray the death of Jacob’s parents. One of the characters in the stories died like Jacob’s parents(Dave 1). Jacobs grew up in a somewhat poor home like the homes in “The Monkey’s Paw” and “The Toll-House.” In these short stories, the homes weren’t very expensive and in “The Toll-House” it wasn’t kept up. The house in “The Toll-House was portrayed to show a cottage that Jacob’s family occasionally visited. “Occasionally, the family would spend a holiday at a cottage near Sevenoaks, Kent, or visit relatives in the countryside of rural East Anglia in eastern

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