In W.W. Jacobs' chilling short story "The Monkey's Paw," the White family makes three wishes, each with unforeseen and tragic consequences, demonstrating the perilous nature of supernatural intervention.
The Three Wishes of the White Family
The Whites, after acquiring the mystical monkey's paw, use its supernatural powers to grant three distinct wishes, each of which brings a horrifying twist to their lives.
The Perilous Desires
The wishes made by the White family are directly tied to their desires for fortune and, later, for the undoing of the tragic outcomes.
- Wish for Money: Mr. White's initial wish was for a specific sum of money – two hundred pounds. This wish was granted, but with a terrible cost: their son, Herbert, was killed in a work accident, and the compensation they received for his death was precisely the amount they had wished for. The money arrived, but it was stained with grief.
- Wish for Their Son's Return: Overwhelmed by grief and urged by Mrs. White, Mr. White used the second wish to bring their son Herbert back from the dead. This wish was made in the desperate hope of restoring their family, but the implied outcome was a reanimated, ghastly version of their son, not the living, breathing person they remembered.
- Wish for His Disappearance: Fearing what lay beyond the door when the reanimated Herbert arrived, Mr. White made the third and final wish: for his son to disappear. This wish was made out of sheer terror and a desperate attempt to undo the horrifying consequence of the second wish, and as the knocking stopped and the door opened to an empty street, it implied the wish was granted.
The table below summarizes the wishes and their immediate, often ironic, outcomes for the White family:
| Wish Number | Wish Made | Immediate Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | For two hundred pounds | Son dies in an accident; compensation equals the wished amount. |
| 2 | For their son, Herbert, to return from the dead | Herbert seemingly returns as a reanimated, terrifying entity. |
| 3 | For their son to disappear | Herbert vanishes, leaving behind an empty, grief-stricken home. |
These wishes serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of tampering with fate and the unforeseen consequences that can arise when desires are granted by unholy means.
