The Monkey's Paw Foreshadowing

How can the thrilling Monkey's Paw story be similar to the petrifying Hitchhiker story? how can they be different ? we can compare and contrast both stories according to various examination ,such as in the writers style in the plot and his/her use of words, techniques used to make suspense , the way they tell the story ,the type of narrator ,and the way they end .

First of all, a perfect way to compare both stories is by the style of the plot and the use of words. Jacob's use of words such as "mangled," "seized," "groped," and "'unwholesome" present an extremely cruel atmosphere. While in The Hitchhiker Lucile Fletcher includes sentences that create an enormously harsh mood such as when Adams says" I've got to speak quickly. At any minute

the link may break. This may be the last thing I ever tell on earth - the last night I ever see the stars."

Secondly, another weighty difference between both stories, is the techniques used in them.

In general, throughout "The Monkey's Paw," Jacobs relies on foreshadowing, irony, and sensory imagery to tell his story and make it effective. In The Monkey's Paw ww Jacobs uses foreshadowing as his main literary device. Such as Sergeant Major Morris clearly indicates that he is afraid of The Monkey's Paw. For instance, his teeth chatter against the glass. Then when he tells the Whites that the previous owner had his first two wishes granted but his third was for death, Morris hints at the danger connected to The Monkey's Paw. Which foreshadows that something bad will happen. While in The Hitchhiker by Lucile fletcher, Literary devices such as foreshadowing, plot twists and cliffhangers are used expansively in order for her story to stimulate the reader's moods giving them a high level of anticipation ultra-sharp expectation, doubt, astonishment, nervousness and/or Actioners and suspense Horror, and adrenaline-rush. Lucile Fletcher also uses radio play and dialogue and stage directions in her

story.

Thirdly, the way both stories are told is different. In which The Monkey's Paw story is a short story, while The Hitchhiker is a radio play. "The Monkey's Paw" is a Gothic short story. This sub-genre of Romanticism aims to use the darker aspects of reality and add specific elements that would strengthen their role in the story for the purpose of mood. While the theme of The Hitchhiker is death coming to claim what is rightfully his. The Hitchhiker is a ghost story. An ordinary driver is on a cross-country trip (Brooklyn to California) and encounters a hitch-hiker who is continuously turning up, it then deals with Adams's efforts to shake The Hitchhiker off. What Adams doesn’t realize is that he is dead, and that he was involved (and killed) in a car accident on the first day of the journey and The Hitchhiker is Death.

Fourthly, an important difference between the story is the type of narrator used.

"The Monkey's Paw" is narrated in the third person(Omniscient). The narrator is like a spider on the wall inside the Whites home, conveying and commenting on the events taking place there, but never joining in on any of the action. The narrator keeps explanation to the least, giving us just sufficient information to piece things as one. He never tells us more than is unquestionably essential. For example, he could arise right out and tell us whether the paw has enchanted powers. He could tell us precisely what happened to Herbert, and if it actually was him banging on his parents' door. He can even tell us what Mr. White's ultimate wish was. But he doesn't. This storyteller wants us to use our decorative imaginations to answer these and other queries on our own. The third-person narrator can even see inside the characters' heads and observe their thoughts, making him omniscient (he knows everything). For example, what the narrator states allows us to get inside Mrs. White's head:" Mrs. White was very happy at the expense of her husband's credulity. All of which did not prevent her from scurrying to the door at the postman's knock, nor prevent her from referring somewhat shortly to retired sergeant-majors of bibulous [drunken] habits when she found that the post brought a tailor's bill. ". while in The Hitchhiker's story ,Adams is the narrator and he is a subjective narrator and a subjective

narrator is generally unreliable because he/she is in the story, and can only speak to his/her experience within it.

Fifthly, a great way of comparing both stories is by the way they end. The Monkey's Paw story ends with a cliffhanger which lets your imagination work on the end .Edgar Allan Poe was the master of this horror technique, and it still works today. Let's say the author describes what he thinks is the most terrible thing anyone can imagine; if a reader is not depressed, the effect is lost and the story fails. If, however, he leaves the awfulness to his readers' imaginations. While the story The Hitchhiker ends in a surprising way in which the readers and Adams himself discover that he died on the first day of his trip on the Brooklyn bridge. This ending surprises the readers and lets them think of the millions of possibilities of who Adams is , who The Hitchhiker is , and how was he able to communicate to a living person ( Mrs. Whitney) , and who that girl is…

In a nutshell, both The Monkey's Paw and The Hitchhiker story have various similarities and differences such as in the writers style in the plot and his/her use of words, techniques used to make suspense , the way they tell the story ,the type of narrator ,and the way they end the story. The Monkey's Paw and The Hitchhiker would be effective in readers in many countless ways!