Essay Who Is To Blame For The Monkey's Paw

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Who is at fault for the miseries caused by The Monkey’s Paw? The story is about a situation between a family and an old friend of the father. While the father’s friend, Sergeant-Major Morris, was visiting, the father, Mr. White, ended up taking the monkey’s paw that Sergeant-Major was planning on disposing of. After being warned that wishing on the paw has consequences, Mr. White still wished for two pounds. The wish resulted in Mr White’s son, Herbert, dying, and the remaining Whites receiving the 200 pounds as compensation. Seeing as Mr. White was the one who wished, Mr. White is to blame for the series of events that occurred. Some might say that Herbert is to blame for the series of events that occurred because he kept pushing his father …show more content…

Herbert was continuously telling his father to wish for greedy things. Although Herbert was pushing his father to wish, Mr. White ultimately decided to take the paw out of the fire and make the wish. Mr. White said, “As I wished, it twisted in my hand like a snake” (Jacobs 3). Mr. White was warned of the consequences that the paw would bring, but still decided to save the paw from destruction and keep it to himself. When Sergeant-Major Morris was visiting he said, “Better burn [the paw].” Even though he was warned of the problems, Mr. White insisted that he should take the paw instead of Sergeant-Major disposing of it. “...give it to me” (Jacobs 2) is what Mr. White told Sergeant Major. Despite knowing the potential problems, Mr. White “stooped down and snatched it off the fire”(Jacobs 2). Mr. White was the person who held the paw and made the wish. “‘I wish for two hundred pounds,’ said [Mr. White] distinctly”(Jacobs 3). Mr. White wished on the paw when he could’ve just disposed of it. After wishing on it, he claimed the paw, “twisted in [his] hand like a snake”(Jacobs 3). Although having many opportunities to get rid of the paw, or just not wish on it, he still goes through with the

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