The Monkey's Paw
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"The Monkey's Paw" is a horror
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
by English author W. W. Jacobs. It first appeared in ''
Harper's Monthly ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States. ''Harper's Magazine'' has ...
'' in September, 1902, and was reprinted in his third collection of short stories, '' The Lady of the Barge'', later that year. In the story, three wishes are granted to the owner of The Monkey's Paw, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with
fate Destiny, sometimes also called fate (), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predeterminism, predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often used interchangeably, the words wiktionary ...
. It has been adapted many times in other media, including plays, films, TV series, operas, stories and comics, as early as 1903. It was first adapted to film in 1915 as a British silent film directed by Sidney Northcote. The film (now lost) starred John Lawson, who also played the main character in Louis N. Parker's 1907 stage play.


Plot

Mr. and Mrs. White, and their grown son, Herbert, are visited by
Sergeant-Major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in th ...
Morris, a friend who served with the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. During dinner, he introduces them to a mummified monkey's paw. He explains how an old ''
fakir Fakir, faqeer, or faqīr (; (noun of faqr)), derived from ''faqr'' (, 'poverty'), is an Islamic term traditionally used for Sufi Muslim ascetics who renounce their worldly possessions and dedicate their lives to the worship of God. They do ...
'' has placed a spell on the paw, so that it will grant three wishes but only with hellish consequences as punishment for tampering with fate. Morris, having had a horrible experience using the paw, throws it into the fire, but the sceptical Mr. White retrieves it. Before leaving, Morris warns Mr. White of what might happen should he use the paw. Mr. White hesitates at first, believing that he already has everything he wants. At Herbert's suggestion, Mr. White flippantly wishes for £200, which will enable him to make the final mortgage payment for his house; he then drops the paw, saying it moved and twisted like a snake. The following day, Herbert leaves for work. That night, a representative of Herbert's employer arrives at the Whites' home, telling them that Herbert has been killed in a terrible accident that mutilated his body. The company denies any responsibility, but tenders a bereavement payment to the family of £200. A week after the funeral, Mrs. White, mad with grief, insists that her husband use the paw to wish Herbert back to life. Reluctantly, he does so, despite great unease at the thought of summoning his son's mutilated and decomposing body. Later that night, there is a knock at the door. As Mrs. White fumbles at the locks in a desperate attempt to open the door, Mr. White becomes terrified and fears that the thing outside is not the son he loved. He makes his third and final wish. The knocking stops, and Mrs. White opens the door to find that no one is there.


Adaptations

The story has been adapted into other media many times, including: * On 6 October 1903, a one-act play opened at London's
Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...
, starring Cyril Maude as Mr. White and Lena Ashwell as Mrs. White. * A 1907 British stage adaptation by Louis N. Parker starred John Lawson.Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). ''Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era''. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 158. . * A 1915 British film version was directed by Sidney Northcote and starred John Lawson (who was in the 1907 stage play). * A 1919 British silent film (director unknown) is known to have been made but is now considered lost. * ''The Monkey's Paw'' (1923 film) was a British film directed by
Manning Haynes Horace Manning Haynes (born: Lyminster, Sussex – died 3 March 1957, Epsom, England) (often credited as H. Manning Haynes) was a British-born film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and ...
and starred
Moore Marriott George Thomas Moore Marriott (14 September 1885 – 11 December 1949) was an English character actor best remembered for the series of films he made with Will Hay. His first appearance with Hay was in the film '' Dandy Dick'' (1935), but he ...
, Marie Ault, and Charles Ashton. * A 17 July 1928 British radio adaptation was based on the 1907 play. * ''The Monkey's Paw'' (1933 film), an American film with screenplay by Graham John and directed by
Wesley Ruggles Wesley Ruggles (June 11, 1889 – January 8, 1972) was an American film director. Life and work He was born in Los Angeles, California, younger brother of actor Charlie Ruggles. He began his career in 1915 as an actor, appearing in a doz ...
(his last film with RKO), starred C. Aubrey Smith,
Ivan Simpson Ivan F. Simpson (8 February 1875 – 12 October 1951) was a Scottish film and stage actor. Life and career Simpson was born on 8 February 1875 in Glasgow, Scotland, and went as a young man to New York City, where he worked for four dec ...
, and Louise Carter. The film was considered lost until pictures from it were posted online in 2016; the existing copy is dubbed in French. * A 28 May 1946 episode of the
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
series ''Appointment with Fear''. * ''The Monkey's Paw'' (1948 film), a British film with screenplay by Norman Lee and Barbara Toy. * A 16 December 1958 episode of the British radio series ''Thirty-Minute Theatre,'' starring Carleton Hobbs and Gladys Young''.'' * A 1961 Mexican film version called ''Espiritismo'' (released as ''Spiritism'' in the US), directed by Benito Alazraki and starring Nora Veyran, Jose Luis Jiminez, and Jorge Mondragón. * "The Monkey's Paw – A Retelling" aired on American television on 19 April 1965 in season 3, episode 26, of ''
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...
'', starring Leif Erickson, Jane Wyatt, and
Lee Majors Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. He portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley on the American television Western series '' The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin on the American television sc ...
. * An episode of the 1970s British television series '' Orson Welles Great Mysteries''. * The 1972 horror film ''
Deathdream ''Deathdream'' (also known as ''Dead of Night'' or ''The Night Andy Came Home'') is a 1974 horror film directed by Bob Clark and written by Alan Ormsby, and starring Richard Backus, John Marley, and Lynn Carlin. Filmed in Brooksville, Florida, ...
'' directed by
Bob Clark Benjamin Robert Clark (August 5, 1939 – April 4, 2007) was an American film director and screenwriter. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was responsible for some of the most successful films in Canadian film industry, Canadian film history such ...
was adapted from the story as an allegory to the Vietnam war by screenwriter Alan Ormsby. * An 11 July 1980 episode of the Canadian
CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
series '' Nightfall''. * The 1983 novel ''
Pet Sematary ''Pet Sematary'' is a 1983 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. The novel was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and adapted into two films: one in 1989 and another in 2019. Background In 1979, King was wr ...
'', by American author
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
, was reportedly inspired by the story. * A 17 January 1988 BBC Radio adaptation by Patrick Galvin, presented as part of '' Fear on Four''; rebroadcast individually as a Halloween special on 31 October 1993. * A half-hour televised special broadcast on the UK's
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
in 1988, directed by Andrew Barker and starring
Alex McAvoy Alex McAvoy (10 March 1928 – 16 June 2005) was a Scottish actor known for his roles as Sunny Jim in the BBC Scotland adaptation of Neil Munro (writer), Neil Munro's Para Handy stories, ''The Vital Spark'', and as the teacher in Pink Floyd's m ...
and Patricia Leslie. * The 1991 pilot episode of the TV series
Are You Afraid of the Dark? ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' is a children's horror anthology television series created by D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel. The original series aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from August 15, 1992 to February 3, 1996, and also o ...
("The Tale of the Twisted Claw") parodies the story. * A 1991 episode of the TV series ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' (" Treehouse of Horror II", Season 3 Episode 7) has members of the Simpsons family making wishes using a cursed monkey's paw. * A 1993 episode named ''Taveez'' of the Indian television series '' The Zee Horror Show''. * A 2001 episode of the TV series ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...
'' ("
Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama, based on the novel by Judy Blume * '' ...
", Season 5 Episode 17) involves a plot line revolving around Buffy's younger sister, Dawn, using a magical spell to resurrect their recently deceased mother. The episode's climax shows Buffy hurriedly attempting to open their front door, while another shot seemingly shows their mother's feet walking toward the house. At the last moment, Dawn undoes the spell and Buffy opens the door to no one. * A 2004 adaptation as a radio play narrated by
Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a career spanning more than sixty years, Lee became known as an actor with a deep and commanding voice who often portrayed villains in horr ...
in 2004 as part of the BBC radio drama series ''Christopher Lee's Fireside Tales''. * A 2008 Nepali film, '' Kagbeni'', is a loose adaptation of the story. * A 2011 short film adaptation directed by Ricky Lewis Jr. is available to watch on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. This short film ends with the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. White, a different ending than the original story. * A 2013 American film version with screenplay by
Macon Blair Macon Blair (born 1974) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, comic book writer and actor known for his roles in the films '' Blue Ruin'' (2013) and ''Green Room'' (2015), as well as his directorial debut ''I Don't Feel at Home i ...
, and directed by Brett Simmons. * A 2017 American opera, ''The Monkey's Paw'', by composer Brooke deRosa, and produced by Pacific Opera Project.


See also

*
Rabbit's foot In some cultures, a rabbit's foot is carried as an amulet believed to bring good luck. This belief is held by people in a great number of places around the world, including Europe, Africa, Australia and North and South America. In variations of th ...
*
Unintended consequences In the social sciences, unintended consequences (sometimes unanticipated consequences or unforeseen consequences, more colloquially called knock-on effects) are outcomes of a purposeful action that are not intended or foreseen. The term was po ...
* Hand of Glory *
AI alignment In the field of artificial intelligence (AI), alignment aims to steer AI systems toward a person's or group's intended goals, preferences, or ethical principles. An AI system is considered ''aligned'' if it advances the intended objectives. A '' ...


References


External links

*
''The Monkey's Paw''
full short story text
''The Monkey's Paw'' - Chilling Tales for Dark Nights
an unabridged narration performed by a full cast
''The Monkey's Paw'' (2011)
a faithful short film adaptation directed by Ricky Lewis Jr {{DEFAULTSORT:Monkeys Paw, The 1902 short stories British short stories Fiction about curses Horror short stories Metaphors referring to monkeys Short stories adapted into films