The Monkey's Paw Foreshadowing Essay

“The Monkey’s Paw, ” a clever and mischievous intertwinement of suspense and mystery, creating sparks of action, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the end. But how did W.W. Jacobs do it? Well, there were multiple key aspects he took into consideration, like tension, when a conflict hasn’t been solved, and suspense, the feeling of mystery or not knowing what is going to occur as the plot continues. However, one of the most critical aspects he used in different scenarios was foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is little hints the author gives to hint the reader of what may happen along the plot. The author can foreshadow events in a clear or vague manner. In the story, the author, W.W. Jacobs, used foreshadowing in many different scenarios, but the most clear and critical foreshadowing used was when Mr. White, a character in the story, first receives the paw. Another key foreshadow point is when he has to make his second wish because of his circumstances. There were a variety of moments the author used foreshadowing, but those two scenarios were the most crucial and critical.

The man who gives Mr.

White the paw says the last owner’s wish was death. This is foreshadowing that the paw is dangerous.This should have been a huge red flag for Mr. White, beginning to cause tension, interesting the reader and making him or her eager to know Mr. White’s decision and effects it will have. As stated in the story, “ "The first man had his three wishes, yes," was the reply. "I don't know what the first two were, but the third was for death. That's how I got the paw." ” This is where the conflict is beginning to unfold. This is one of the few ways the author creates tension to interest the

reader.

When his son dies, he is given his wish, which is the money he wanted. This foreshadows that he shouldn’t wish for anything else and he should stop using it. As said in the story, The Whites' get the money from Herbert's factory after he is accidentally pulled into a machine and mangled to death. This leaves the reader wondering if Mr. White will make another with even with the horrible event that occurred, making them want to read until the very end to see what happens. This is one of the author’s clever ways of foreshadowing, creating more tension as the plot continues.

Foreshadowing is hints the author uses to hint the reader future events that may occur. W.W. Jacobs, the author, uses foreshadowing in two key points. Those key points were the beginning when he receives the Monkey’s Paw and when he makes another wish. W.W. Jacobs did an amazing job of creating moments to foreshadow future events. But how did he do that? Foreshadowing!