The Monkey's Paw

The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs

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1. What game are the father and son playing at the beginning of the story?

2. What is the name of the man who knocks on the door and enters the house?

3. Build Vocabulary: Define the word "doughty." Use the word in an original sentence.

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4. What does the Major pull out of his pocket and show the family?

5. According to the Major, what can three separate men have from the paw?

6. Literature and Your Life: How would you change the future if you could have three wishes?

7. What does the Major try to do with the paw?

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8. What is Mr. White's first wish?

9. What happens after Mr. White makes his first wish?

10. What does Herbert see as he stares into the fire?

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11. Reading Strategy: Predict why the stranger has come calling on the White's.

12. Build Vocabulary: What does the word "avaricious" mean? Use the word in a sentence.

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13. What happened to Mr. and Mrs. White's son, Herbert, while he was at work?

14. How much does the company say they will give Mr. and Mrs. White for their son's death? Why is this amount significant within the context of the story?

15. What is Mrs. White excited to realize her husband still owns?

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16. Literary Focus: How might the outcome from the first wish foreshadow that of the other two wishes?

17. What does Mrs. White want to wish for?

18. Why is Mrs. White worried about the knocking on the door?  What do you think Mr. White used his last wish for?

Critical Thinking

19. Interpret: How does the opening setting of the cold, wet night and the warm, cozy fire set the mood?

20. Draw Conclusions: What do the events of the story seem to indicate about "fate?"