The Monkey's Paw: A Superstitious Tale

The Monkey’s Paw Short Story by W.W. Jacobs • Introducing the Short Story • Literary Analysis: Mood • Reading Skill: Identify Type of • Narrator • Vocabulary in Context

INTRODUCING THE SHORT STORY Are you SUPERSTITIOUS? Many people say they aren’t superstitious. But those same people might own a lucky charm or get nervous on Friday the 13th.

INTRODUCING THE SHORT STORY Are you SUPERSTITIOUS? Usually these superstitions are harmless, but sometimes they can interfere with a person’s life. In the selection you are about to read, curiosity about the power of an unusual object brings unexpected consequences.

INTRODUCING THE SHORT STORY Are you SUPERSTITIOUS? DISCUSS What kind of superstitious behavior do you or people you know believe in? In a small group, brainstorm a list of common superstitions. Then discuss which you think are harmless, and which might cause problems or interfere with someone’s life. Share your findings with the class.

Mood Moodis the feeling or atmosphere the writer creates for the reader. There are as many moods as there are emotions—cheerful, gloomy, anxious.

Mood Writers create mood through • the choice of setting,including • time and place • imagery—descriptions that appeal • to the reader’s senses • conversations between characters As you read “The Monkey’s Paw,” notice how the story makes you feel and which words or passages make you feel that way.

Identify Type of Narrator You have learned that a narrator is the voice that tells a story. A third-person narrator is not a character in the story, but, rather, an outside voice. Now you will learn that a third-person narrator may be objective or subjective.

Identify Type of Narrator An objectivenarrator reports events in a factual way, without sharing any characters’ hidden thoughts or feelings. A subjective narrator recounts events with a character’s thoughts, feelings, and observations.

Identify Type of Narrator As you read “The Monkey’s Paw,” try to determine whether it is told by an objective narrator or a subjective one. Use a chart like the one shown below to record the narrator’s observations. Event Narrator’s Description

W. W. Jacobs(1863-1943) Although W.W. Jacobs wrote mostly comic stories, he is best-known for his horrifying tale The Monkey’s Paw. Jacobs grew up among sailors and dock-workers on the banks of the Thames River in London where he set many of his humorous stories. As an adult, he worked as a bank clerk, a job that bored him, and he wrote in his spare time. He worked at the bank for nearly twenty years before he was able to quit and earn his living as a full-time writer. Jacobs wrote dozens of short story collections and a number of plays. TheMonkey’s Paw was first published in 1902.

BEFORE READING Read the title and peruse the story. Make a based on what you see as to what the story might be about. prediction

If you had three wishes what would they be? Write your three wishes.

Trade with the person to your right You are an evil genie Grant the first wish, but be as mischievous as possible. You must grant the wish but you don’t want them to like what they get

Trade with the person to your right You are an evil genie Grant the second wish, but be as mischievous as possible. You must grant the wish but you don’t want them to like what they get

Get your paper back. Read how your wish was granted. Do you still want your third wish?

compensationn. something, such as money, received as payment credulityn. a disposition to believe too readily faten. a power that is thought to determine the course of events grimacen. a facial expression of pain or disgust periln. danger resignationn. acceptance of something that is inescapable

The Monkey's Paw: A Superstitious Tale