Reader Response of Monkey’s Paw Essay

The short story which is going to be analyzed in this paper is Monkey’s Paw. It is a horror short story by William Wymark Jacobs. He is an English author of short stories and novels. The story itself is divided into three parts and will be determine the constituent and supplementary events of it. The constituent event is an event, what if it is removed, will make a gap in a plot of the story. It is also known as main event. Every story must have the constituent event, in order to create a chain of plot. Certainly, Monkey’s Paw has the constituent event in it. First, it is the most important event which is constituent – the title itself, Monkey’s Paw. The title of the story is really influential. The reader can get a gap when the object of monkey’s paw is changed with a mystical lamp, for example. It may feel more Arabian and there will be an event when the user of the mystical lamp rubbed down on it. It also changes the plot of the whole story, even the title itself, and it is not the Monkey’s Paw’s story anymore. Next, it is about the Herbert White’s death. The event when Herbert died is a constituent event which can not be removed or even be replaced. The reason of deciding it in to constituent event is that the Herbert’s death influences the three wishes to the monkey’s paw. If Herbert was not died, Mr. White would not make a second wish to get her son alive. It is shown that the event of Herbert White’s death is influential, and if it is removed, it can damage the plot of the story. Besides the constituent event is the main event in a story, the supplementary event is the removable one. It can be removed or deleted from the story, because it will not make a gap and change the structure of the plot. There are so many supplementary events in Monkey’s Paw. The first is playing chess done by Mr. White and his son, Herbert White. It can be removed, actually. The reasons are the existence of that event do not change the structure of the plot and the event is meaningless. Even if the event is not removed but is replaced its activity by another game, playing bowling for example, it does not mean anything to the structure of the plot. Another example of supplementary event is the last event of the first part of the story. It tells that Mr. White sat alone in the darkness, gazing at the dying fire, and seeing faces in it. This event is a removable and replaceable event. Without the existence of this event, the structure of the plot are not changed. Even, if the event is replaced by Mr. White is going to bed immediately, it is meaningless. In conclusion, the title of the story Monkey’s Paw, is the most important constituent event that are appeared and it is followed by another constituent event which can not be removed or be replaced. Finnaly, to supporting the constituent event, there are also some supplementary events.