Plot Vocabulary
This part of the plot introduces the characters, setting, and situation.
Exposition
Who brings the monkey’s paw to the White family.
Sergeant-Major Morris
What game are father and son playing before their guest arrives?
They are playing Chess
Why does Morris throw the monkey’s paw into the fire.
He believes it is dangerous and wants to get rid of it?
The monkey’s paw mainly represents the danger of trying to change this.
A person's fate
What is the exposition of the story
Mr. and Mrs. White live with their son, Herbert. Sergeant-Major Morris visits and tells them about a magical monkey’s paw that can grant three wishes.
This is the part of the plot in which the conflict is concluded and the story ends.
Resolution
Who makes the first wish on the monkey’s paw.
Mr. White
This is the amount of money Mr. White wishes for.
200 pounds
Why does Mr. White take the paw out of the fire?
He wants to keep it and use its wishes
Morris’s warnings create this feeling for the reader about what might happen later.
They create a feeling of suspense
What is the rising action of the story?
Rising Action 1-Morris warns the Whites that the monkey’s paw is dangerous, but Mr. White decides to keep it. Rising Action 2-Mr. White wishes for £200 to help pay off his house. Rising Action 3-Herbert dies in an accident at work, and the company gives Mr. and Mrs. White £200 as compensation.
These are the events that occur after the climax and lead toward the ending.
Falling action
This character warns the Whites that the monkey’s paw has caused trouble before.
Sergeant-Major Morris
Why did the whites need the money they wished for?
To pay off their house
Mr. White receives 200 pounds as a result of this tragic event.
His son’s death?
The fact that Mr. White gets exactly 200 pounds, but through tragedy, demonstrates this idea.
Wishes can have unexpected consequences
What is the climax of the story?
Someone or something begins knocking at the door.
This is the turning point or most intense moment of a story.
Climax
After Herbert’s death, who desperately wants to make another wish.
Mrs. White
How much compensation do the Whites receive for their son’s death and why is this shocking?
They receive 200 pounds and it is shocking because it is he same amount that hey had wished for.
The White's miss their son deeply. What is the second wish that is made?
They want their son Herbert to return to life
How does Herbert White view the monkey’s paw when Sergeant-Major Morris first tells the family about it?
He does not take it seriously and treats the paw and its wishes as a joke
What is the falling action?
Falling Action 1-Mr. White realizes what may be waiting outside and desperately searches for the monkey’s paw. Falling Action 2-Mrs. White struggles to unlock and open the door while the knocking continues. Falling Action 3-Mr. White finds the paw and makes his third and final wish.
These events build suspense and lead toward the turning point.
Rising action
Where and how does Herbert White die?
Herbert White dies in an accident at work. He is caught in the machinery at the factory where he works.
After the second wish, the Whites hear this at their front door.
Knocking
Why does Mr. White make the third wish after all the knocking at he door?
He is terrified that the person knocking at the door is Herbert’s ghost or zombie.
Give one major theme or lesson of The Monkey’s Paw.
Answers may include: Be careful what you wish for, trying to interfere with fate can have serious consequences, or people should appreciate what they already have.
What is the resolution of the story?
The knocking suddenly stops. Mrs. White opens the door, but no one is there, and the street is empty.