preview

Comparing The Third Wish And The Monkey's Paw

Decent Essays

Some people think that if they could only change one aspect of their lives, it would be perfect. They do not realize that anything that is changed could come with unintended consequences. “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs and “The Third Wish” by Joan Aiken both illustrate this theme. They demonstrate this by granting the main character three wishes, but with each wish that is granted, brings undesirable consequences. The main idea of this essay is to compare and contrast “The Monkey’s Paw” and “The Third Wish.” Although the “The Monkey’s Paw” and “The Third Wish” are both fantasies and have similar themes, they have different main characters, wishes, and resolutions. “A good story, whether it is true, made-up, or somewhere in between, …show more content…

Although regretting wishing another wish, Mr. White wishes Herbert, his son, to be alive again. Unfortunately, Mr. White realizes that Herbert will return in his mutilated form, so he quickly wishes for Herbert to return to the grave before his wife is traumatized. As Mr. White and his wife look out at an empty street, awaiting Herbert’s arrival, they are heartbroken knowing that they will probably never see Herbert again. Unlike Mr. White’s first wish, Mr. Peters wishes for a wife as beautiful as the forest. However, Mr. Peters apprehends that Leita, his wife, will never be satisfied being a human, because she longs to be with her swan sister. So, for his second wish, he wishes her back to swan form. Now, without Leita Mr. Peters, as well as Mr. White, is heartbroken and a lonely man, once again. Now, understanding that wishes only lead to misfortune, he decides not to use the third wish. The end of a story, when all loose ends are tied and the reader knows what happens to the character(s), can be described as the resolution. The theme of a story often goes along with the resolution as well. “The Monkey’s Paw” resolution is rather dark. Mr. White and his wife are heartbroken staring at an empty street, knowing that they will never see their son again. The theme is “if fate ruled people’s lives, and those who interfere with it do to their own sorrow.” Overall, “The Third Wish” is much more of

Get Access