The Monkey

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The Monkeys Paw Short Story by W.W. Jacobs
Introducing the Short Story Literary Analysis
Mood Reading Skill Identify Type
of Narrator Vocabulary in Context
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INTRODUCING THE SHORT STORY
Are you SUPERSTITIOUS?
Many people say they arent superstitious.
But those same people might own a lucky charm or
get nervous on Friday the 13th.
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INTRODUCING THE SHORT STORY
Are you SUPERSTITIOUS?
Usually these superstitions are harmless, but
sometimes they can interfere with a persons
life.
In the selection you are about to read, curiosity
about the power of an unusual object brings
unexpected consequences.
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INTRODUCING THE SHORT STORY
Are you SUPERSTITIOUS?
DISCUSS
What kind of superstitious behavior do you or
people you know believe in?
In a small group, brainstorm a list of common
superstitions.
Then discuss which you think are harmless, and
which might cause problems or interfere with
someones life. Share your findings with the
class.
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Mood
Mood is the feeling or atmosphere the writer
creates for the reader.
There are as many moods as there are
emotionscheerful, gloomy, anxious.
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Mood
Writers create mood through

• the choice of setting, including
• time and place

• imagerydescriptions that appeal
• to the readers senses

• conversations between characters

As you read The Monkeys Paw, notice how the
story makes you feel and which words or passages
make you feel that way.
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Identify Type of Narrator
You have learned that a narrator is the voice
that tells a story.
A third-person narrator is not a character in the
story, but, rather, an outside voice.
Now you will learn that a third-person narrator
may be objective or subjective.
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Identify Type of Narrator
A subjective narrator recounts events with a
characters thoughts, feelings, and observations.
An objective narrator reports events in a factual
way, without sharing any characters hidden
thoughts or feelings.
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Identify Type of Narrator
As you read The Monkeys Paw, try to determine
whether it is told by an objective narrator or a
subjective one. Use a chart like the one shown
below to record the narrators observations.
Event
Narrators Description
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W. W. Jacobs(1863-1943)

• Although W.W. Jacobs wrote mostly comic stories,
  he is best-known for his horrifying tale The
  Monkeys Paw.
• Jacobs grew up among sailors and dock-workers on
  the banks of the Thames River in London where he
  set many of his humorous stories. As an adult, he
  worked as a bank clerk, a job that bored him, and
  he wrote in his spare time. He worked at the bank
  for nearly twenty years before he was able to
  quit and earn his living as a full-time writer.
• Jacobs wrote dozens of short story collections
  and a number of plays. The Monkeys Paw was first
  published in 1902.

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BEFORE
READING
Read the title and peruse the story. Make a
based on what you see as to
what the story might be about.
prediction
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• If you had three wishes what would they be?
  Write your three wishes.

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• Trade with the person to your right

You are an evil genie Grant the first wish, but
be as mischievous as possible. You must grant
the wish but you dont want them to like what
they get
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• Trade with the person to your right

You are an evil genie Grant the second wish, but
be as mischievous as possible. You must grant
the wish but you dont want them to like what
they get
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• Get your paper back. Read how your wish was
  granted. Do you still want your third wish?

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compensation n. something, such as money,
received as payment
credulity n. a disposition to believe too readily
fate n. a power that is thought to determine the
course of events
grimace n. a facial expression of pain or disgust
peril n. danger
resignation n. acceptance of something that is
inescapable