The Monkey's Paw & The Art of Coincidence l Breaking It Down l 

This is my favorite short story of all-time, because it makes you think way beyond the text and the information that Jacobs sets you up with is just enough to chew on, but not enough to give anything away. I agree that it does not matter if the monkey's paw itself was really effective or if it is just taking place in the minds of the Whites, but what does matter is that many humans feel they have the ability to control fate and they do not. The Whites are an extreme example of this. The idea of what was at the other side of the door is probably one of the most eerie and mindboggling scenes I have come across in literature. The questions about whether or not Herbert was back and just as he was, whether or not he was a mutilated body, or if it was all in their heads are always up for debate. Based off of how they got the money from the first wish, there was likely a twist to the result of the second wish, if one was to view this supernaturally. The third wish cancels out the second wish, though, so we are left not knowing. I remember reading this in high school in script format and watched a short film adaptation. Then I later revisited this story a few times in its original prose format and enjoyed discussing it on our channel. Thank you for sharing! -Josh