The Monkey's Paw Cover Image

Assay Pages

Tone in The Monkey's Paw

A Light-Hearted Beginning: The story'due south tone begins with a stormy night, just within the Whites' firm it'southward warm and welcoming. As the story progresses, the weather becomes progressively unpleasant and darker as well. The descent is gradual rather than immediate.

Repetition as Warning: Furthermore, a sense of ominousness is created by the repeated warnings from Morris about the dangers of using the paw, especially the alert that anybody who has used the mitt has subsequently regretted information technology.

A Suspense-Filled Conclusion: Every bit something approaches the Whites' door later in the story, the tone is 1 of suspense, as readers wonder what exactly is on the other side of the door. Coupled with that is Mr. White'southward sense of urgency as he struggles to make his final wish.

Tone Examples in The Monkey's Manus:

I.

🔒 ten

"The last face was and then horrible and so simian that he gazed at it in amazement...." See in text(I.)

The adjective "simian" means "monkey-similar." Mr. White's vision of a monkey'southward face in the flames doesn't bode well for him. Information technology suggests that the manus'southward power to grant wishes is real and that perhaps they should take listened to Morris'south warnings. However, in that location is also a rational caption for Mr. White's visions: he'southward up late and has been drinking, and then he's susceptible to seeing horrible things in the burn.

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"A fine crash from the piano greeted the words, interrupted past a shuddering cry from the former man. His married woman and son ran toward him...." See in text(I.)

These lines leave readers in suspense, wondering what caused the crash and if Mr. White is okay. In this fashion the tale'due south suspense benefits from the distant narrative voice, allowing readers to brand discoveries at the same time as the characters.

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"He darted round the table, pursued by the maligned Mrs. White armed with an antimacassar...." See in text(I.)

W. W. Jacobs does non entirely abandon his humorist roots; this moment of slapstick comedy where Mrs. White chases her son around the house with an "antimacassar"—a noun which means a "clothing roofing to forestall staining on the dorsum of a chair"—is a stark dissimilarity to the darkness in the rest of the story.

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"four pairs of hands for me?"..." See in text(I.)

Notice how Morris's reaction contrasts with the others'. While they joke about fiddling things to wish for, he knows the truthful power of the paw. Once readers learn the paw'southward method of granting wishes, they can see the dark sense of humor in this line and why Morris reacts and so strongly.

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"If y'all go on it, don't blame me for what happens. Pitch it on the fire again like a sensible homo."..." See in text(I.)

This Morris'south final warning to the Whites. Recall the chess game earlier: Mr. White carelessly puts his chess pieces in danger, not realizing that he has made a mistake until besides late. A "sensible" human, rather than a reckless one, would go rid of the hand, but Mr. White is likewise reckless to consider that option at this time. Morris'due south argument here serves to remove him from all blame of whatever happens, showing that he believes in the hand's power and genuinely fears information technology.

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""I don't know what the showtime two were, but the third was for death...." Meet in text(I.)

What's left out of Morris's retelling is not as important as what remains. The man'due south beginning two wishes don't matter; all that is necessary to know is that they did non brand him happy, so he chose to wish for death. Again, the tone of conversation effectually the hand is ane that sparks both curiosity and a sense of menace.

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"the way that middle historic period is wont to regard presumptuous youth. "I accept," he said, quietly, and his blotchy face whitened...." See in text(I.)

Observe how Morris is situated in a position of experience while Herbert represents youthful inexperience. Information technology is clear that whatsoever Morris remembers, it causes him swell distress, which contrasts to the smart curiosity of Herbert. Whatever the paw's powers, it clearly changes people for the worse, setting an ominous tone and foreshadowing the consequences of using the mitt'due south powers.

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""Well, information technology'southward just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps," said the sergeant-major, offhandedly...." Encounter in text(I.)

This line is a little tongue-in-cheek. Morris's "offhanded"—significant "casual"—way of bringing up magic suggests that he non only has seen quite a lot of magic during his fourth dimension in India only also that information technology's now a mundane event to him. Though he tries to sound casual about the monkey's paw, the Whites are intrigued by it after his admission that it'due south magic. It could be argued that Morris deliberately piques the family's interest, only readers have no insight into his motivations. The tone shifts, then, from wonder at the exotic to curiosity nigh the paw's powers.

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"of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-fashion places to live in..." Run across in text(I.)

Mr. White's outburst shows both his dissatisfaction with his current state of affairs and sets the stage for a desolate come across with horror. Because of the family unit's isolation, they are across easy accomplish of aid in example of whatsoever emergencies—now a classic horror trope.

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"Without, the dark was common cold and moisture, but in the pocket-sized parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the burn burned brightly. ..." See in text(I.)

This opening judgement sets the tone for the outset office of the story: although exterior the night is dark and stormy, inside the family is warm and safety together. Protected from the elements, they are able to thrive, content with one some other's visitor.

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II.

🔒 1

"In the brightness of the wintry sunday adjacent morning every bit it streamed over the breakfast tabular array he laughed at his fears. ..." See in text(Two.)

The day exterior is beautiful in dissimilarity to the stormy weather of final night. In the low-cal of twenty-four hour period, the paw's power seems nonexistent. The tone is now one of lightness rather than the ominous atmosphere of the previous day. At this point, the manus and its magic concord no sway over the Whites' habitation.

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Iii.

🔒 6

"But her husband was on his hands and knees groping wildly on the floor in search of the manus...." Encounter in text(Iii.)

A inaugural has begun: Can Mr. White discover the paw and wish the corpse away earlier Mrs. White lets it inside? The tension and tone of urgency is at its peak here.

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"don't let it in,"..." See in text(Three.)

Discover Mr. White's choice of pronoun: "it" instead of "him." This word pick betrays his fearfulness. He truly believes that on the other side of the door is a mangled, reanimated corpse, not his son. This adds to the suspense of the scene, as married man and wife argue about what to do about the knocking.

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"The candle-finish, which had burned beneath the rim of the mainland china candlestick, was throwing pulsating shadows..." See in text(3.)

The atmosphere is growing increasing creepiness and suspenseful: the candle is burning out, the air is getting colder, and sinister shadows are flickering on the walls. As the Whites wait for Herbert to reappear, the environment reflects Mr. White's growing unease.

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"Even his wife's face seemed changed as he entered the room...." Meet in text(Three.)

Call up how in the first section Mr. White saw the burn morph into terrifying faces. The repetition of a formerly comforting image—a fire, a loving wife's face—changing into something terrible contributes to the threatening tone bearing downwardly on him.

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"a firm steeped in shadow and silence...." See in text(III.)

Like the previous two parts, the business firm's temper is described in the first sentence. With Herbert gone—the Whites' only child and the source of much of their happiness—there is no joy left for them to come home to. This sets the tone for the rest of the department: unhappy and dark.

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"resignation--the hopeless resignation..." See in text(III.)

The repetition of "resignation," specially paired with "hopeless" in the second repetition, conveys the opposite of what the give-and-take "resignation" really ways. Hither, information technology's as if repeating the word might make accepting what happened easier, just at the same time pairing the word with "hopeless" expresses just how difficult and seemingly impossible the task truly is.

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