The Monkey's Paw Symbolism

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

warned the characters of inadequate distinctive outcomes.
The story by Oates "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" is the first subject of this analysis. The character in the story is Connie she is a young and attractive girl who is trying to find herself in a sexual manner. The story tells about how Connie loved to brush her long blond hair. She has obsessed her hair and her beauty. The story states, ""Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you? You think you're so pretty?" she would (her mother). Connie would raise her eyebrows at these familiar old complaints and look right through her mother, into a shadowy vision of herself as she was right at the moment. She knew she was pretty."(Oates 1) By, having this kind of attitude she was too naive to realize by flaunting your looks someone might take notice that could be a possible threat to her existence.
There is a part of the story where she would go to the shopping plaza with her friends not caring in the world of who is watching. There is a part where a boy in a gold painted jalopy with a flying saucer on the side of the car would try to get her to take a ride in it. She totally blew him off on this note "She drew her shoulders up and sucked in her breath with the pure pleasure of being alive, and just at that moment she happen to glance at a face just a few feet from hers. It was a boy with shaggy hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold." "Connie slit her eyes and turned away, but she couldn't help glancing back and there he was still watching her."(Oates 1) This moment showed her wanting to seduce this boy with her hard to get moves while tempting him in a sexual way. This being another symbol with the gold car and the teasing a boy could show that if you cause the situation with a total stranger could cause a conclusion that would be bad for a young girl.
The part of the story where her parents are going to church and a cookout was next sign of a situation that could have been avoided. She was more worried about washing her long beautiful hair and letting it dry while being alone is another bad example of poor choice making. Because she committed this act she put herself in harm's way. Since, the gold car pulled into her driveway of the boy she had teased. The car had two symbols on it that could perceive effects of something bad is going to happen. The flying saucer symbolized that she going on a trip and not coming back. The numbers secret code 33,19,17 could have some reference to Judges and Genesis in the Bible, but no real good reference were found. The gold jalopy defiantly was a sign of a time where Connie was going on a ride and not coming back.
The last symbol was the phone that had the opportunity to call the police and save herself.

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

making.
" 'Listen to the wind,' said Mr. White. He had made serious mistakes and wanted to distract his son's attention so that he wouldn't see it."(Jacobs 1) By trying to distract his son was a definite sign of dreadful decision making on his part.
The monkey's pay was introduced next when the man came to visit his old friend. The man explained how the paw gave three wishes just like a genie would. He warned if not taken lightly consequences would happen. "The first man had his three wishes, yes. I don't know what the first two wishes but the third was for death."(Jacobs 2) By telling this story of how the man had made two wishes and then wish for his death was a really good sign not to take the paw at all. As human nature goes thought if something can get an advantage we will take the risk.
The monkey paw is a good symbol of possible good luck and bad luck. In South America, many tribes used the paw of small monkeys for good luck rituals. Some used as offerings to their Gods and some were used to make Totems and Spiritual Potions. The case in this story thought is it can be good luck, but it takes away something else to balance out the universe. The monkey paw is one of those ominous signs that if you take the easy way out of your situation. The individual outcome could be worse than them starting out.
The two stories mirror each other in the case of not monitory their situations they will have terrible after-effects.

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

safe.