Comparison Of Monkeys Paw
Essay Preview: Comparison Of Monkeys Paw
Report this essay
Imagine you could wish for your hearts desire. It could be anything you wanted. However, someone would have to die for your wish to come true. Remember, be careful of what you wish for; the consequences may be horrific. The idea of fate and symbolism, when mixed together, can make a lethal pair. Dahl and Jacobs use fate and symbolism to paint an effective picture of death. The idea of fate is used in both “The Monkeys Paw” and Lamb to the Slaughter.
In “Monkeys Paw”, the paw manipulates faith. “It movedAs I wished it twisted in my hand like a snake.” The twisting and movement represents someone or something manipulating fate for their wants. In Lamb to the Slaughter the aristocracy also tried to manipulate fate. However, Mrs. Maloney wasnt wishing any material possessions; she was trying to control fate to survive her marriage. Changing your destiny can have consequences. Dahl and Jacobs both demonstrate this. In “Monkeys Paw”, the father wishes for two hundred pounds. While it does come true, there was a consequence. This was Herberts death. The same thing goes for “Lamb to the Slaughter” Even though Mrs. Maloney took precautions (a.k.a. manipulating fate) against her husband, she still killed him.
Ronald Dahl and W.W. Jacobs do an excellent job of using symbolism in their stories. Jacobs uses the monkeys paw to symbolize someone trying to change or manipulate fate. The fact that is a monkeys paw is important for one reason: A monkey is the only other animal besides humans that has opposable thumbs. Another symbol in “Monkey” is the chessboard and game at the beginning. The chessboard symbolizes life. The pieces are people like us. They can move certain ways, but if they make a mistake or try to do something audacious, there can be consequences. Checkmate, or death, is one of those consequences.
In “Lamb to the Slaughter,” Ronald Dahl effectively develops