The Monkey's Paw story
An old army sergeant, back in England after long service in India, shows some old friends a strange possession he's acquired - a monkey's paw which can make three wishes come true, but with a horrible cost. Directed by: Alan Gibson. Story by: David Ambrose, based on the story by W. W. Jacobs.
11 total · 1 choice · 6 major · 4 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| be careful what you wish for | choice | The story turns on the use of a mystical monkey's paw that grants three wishes to its bearer but in a backwards fashion. Mr. White wished for £1000 and saw his wish fulfilled shortly after when someone from his son's company came by to announce that the son had tragically died in an accident and that the parents would "salvis iuribus" receive roughly £1000 as a form of compensation. The remaining two wishes didn't go any better. |
| coping with the death of a child | major | Mr. and Mrs. White were naturally devastated when they heard about their son's fatal accident at work. There was also a touch of guilt fueled by the suspicion that their wish for £1000 had somehow caused it. |
| father and son | major | Mr. White lost his son, Herbert White, after wishing for £1000 on an ominous monkey's paw. |
| husband and wife | major | The story turns on Mr. and Mrs. White losing their son after wishing for £1000 on an ominous monkey's paw. |
| mother and son | major | Mrs. White lost her son, Herbert White, after Mr. White wished for £1000 on an ominous monkey's paw. |
| remorse | major | Mr. and Mrs. White must have been remorseful when they realized that their wish for £1000 resulted in the death of their son as a side-effect. |
| wish-granting magic object | major | The story concerns the titular monkey's paw that appeared to grant its owner three wishes. Unfortunately, the wishes were fulfilled with capricious side-effects. |
| destiny | minor | In his preamble, Orson Welles likened a person's destiny, such as it exists, to a fictional character in the plot of a story. In his closing remarks, he raised the question of whether Herbert's death was a form of punishment visited upon his father for having "challenged destiny". |
| painting | minor | Mr. White had taken up painting in his retirement. In one notable scene, Mrs. White mistaking an apple for an orange in a fruit-bowl still life that he was working on left him visibly discouraged. |
| superstitiousness | minor | Mr. White thought Sergeant Morris superstitious for believing that a monkey's paw could grant wishes. |