Short Story 2: “The Monkey’s Paw”

By: W.W. Jacobs

Part 1: Vocabulary Chart

Directions: Look up the following provided terms 3 unfamiliar terms of your choosing from the story

Word / Part of Speech
(Noun, Adjective, Adverb, Verb) / Definition / Sentence
  1. amiably
/ Adverb / having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities; affable
  1. presumptuous
/ Adj. / unwarrantedly or impertinently bold; forward
  1. jarred
/ Verb / to have a harshly unpleasant or perturbing effect on one's nerves, feelings, thoughts, etc.
  1. enthralled
/ Verb / to captivate or charm / The performer's grace and skill enthralled her audience.
  1. maligned
/ Verb / to speak harmful untruths about; speak evil of; slander; defame
  1. dubiously
/ Adverb / of doubtful quality or propriety; questionable
  1. prosaic
/ Adj. / commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative
  1. frivolous
/ Adj. / characterized by lack of seriousness or sense
  1. broach
/ Verb / to mention or suggest for the first time:
  1. scarcely
/ Adverb / barely; hardly; not quite / The light is so dim we can scarcely see.
  1. fusillade
/ Noun / a general discharge or outpouring of anything
  1. reverberated
/ Verb / to reecho or resound / Her singing reverberated through the house.
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Part 2: Study Guide Questions

Directions: Answer the following questions

  1. Does the father’s strategy at the chess game tell you anything about his personality? If so, what?

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  1. Why did the Fakir put a spell on the monkey’s paw?

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  1. How does Mr. White get the monkey’s paw?

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  1. What does the Sergeant-Major tell them to do with the paw?

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  1. What power is the monkey’s paw supposed to have?

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  1. Explain what the first wish was and what happened after it was made.

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  1. What happened to Herbert?Did the paw have anything to do with it?

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  1. Mr. White exclaimed that the paw and its powers were “foolish and wicked.”

Why would he say this?Was he trying to cover his own fears?

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  1. Explain what the second wish was and what happened after it was made.

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  1. Explain what the third wish was and what happened after it was made.

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  1. What happened at the end of the story?

Why does Mr. White beg his wife not to let "it" into the house?What does he mean?

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  1. Who is Mr. White afraid of?Who or what was outside of the house?

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Part 3: Short Story Elements

Directions: Fill out the chart; use quotes from the text

Setting
Point of view
Plot
Characters
Internal Conflicts
External Conflicts
Resolution
Themes