Literature appreciation I: Reading comprehension

Literature appreciation I: Reading comprehension
Jacobs, The Monkey’s Paw



Task

0.  Form small groups, ~4.  Choose a facilitator to lead your group through discussion, and a secretary to keep a log of your answers.  Answer in paragraph form.  Do not divide the questions up, work through them as a team.  Post your work to the forum.

1. Do you believe in fate? Has something happened to you that has proven that your life is controlled by a supernatural power?

2. A talisman is an item that brings good luck. Do you have a talisman, such as a lucky pen? Or, do you have any habits that you do in order to get good luck?

3. What is the atmosphere at the beginning of the story?

4. What conflicts are the main characters of the story facing?

a. Sergeant Major Morris
b. Mr. White
c. Mrs. White
d. Herbert

5. Are the characters consistent in their actions? Are they fully developed?

6. How essential is setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?

7. How would this story have been different if it were set in the present day?

8. Why do you think Jacobs chose a monkey's paw as the talisman? Is there symbolism attached to a monkey that isn't associated with another animal?

9. What is an antimacassar?

10. Where is the monkey's paw in the morning?

11. Beyond the central theme of the story, "Be careful what you wish for," what other meanings can be drawn from this tale?

12. This story has been compared to the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Why is that?

13. How does Jacobs use foreshadowing in this story? Was it effective in building a sense of dread, or did you find it melodramatic and predictable?

14. "The Monkey's Paw" is considered a work of supernatural fiction. Do you agree with the classification? Why or why not?

15. What do you think Herbert would have looked like if Mrs. White had opened the door before Mr. White used the final wish? Would it have been an undead Herbert standing on the threshold?

16. Does the story end the way you expected? Do you think the reader is supposed to believe that everything that took place was just a series of coincidences, or that there really were metaphysical forces involved?