CRESMONDE WORLD SCHOOL
RESOURCE SHEET
Subject: English Literature– Unit1
Grade : 8C
Topic: The Monkey’s Paw
B. Answer the questions with reference to context.
1. "He took something out of his pocket and held it out for them."
a. Who took something out from his pocket? What was it?
Sergeant-Major Morris took something out of his pocket. It was a mummified
monkey’s paw, which he claimed had magical powers that could grant three wishes
to its owner but always came with tragic consequences.
b. Who did 'them' refer to? What were their reactions to the object?
'Them' refers to Mr. White, Mrs. White, and Herbert White. Their reactions varied—
Mr. White was curious and eager to try it, Herbert found it amusing and did not take it
seriously, while Mrs. White was sceptical but interested in hearing more about it.
c. What was the tale associated with the object?
Sergeant-Major Morris explained that a holy man (a fakir) had placed a curse on
the monkey's paw to teach people that fate should not be tampered with. The paw
would grant three wishes to three different owners, but the wishes always came with
unforeseen and tragic consequences.
2. "Never mind, though; there's no harm done, but it gave me a shock all the
same."
a. Who said these words and to whom?
Mr. White said these words to Herbert and Mrs. White.
b. What had given him a shock?
After Mr. White wished for two hundred pounds. As he wished it, the monkey’s paw
twisted in his hand like a snake and this shocked him.
c. Do you think there really was 'no harm done'? Give reasons for your answer.
Yes, there was harm done, even though Mr. White said otherwise. The wish led to
a series of tragic events, beginning with Herbert’s death in an accident at work the
next day. The compensation his parents received for his death was exactly two
hundred pounds—the amount they had wished for. This shows that tampering with
fate brought terrible consequences.
3. "He was caught in the machinery," said the visitor at length in a low voice.
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CRESMONDE WORLD SCHOOL
a. Who did 'he' refer to? What had happened to him?
'He' refers to Herbert White. He died in a horrific accident at the factory where he
worked, after getting caught in the machinery.
b. What compensation was offered to 'his' parents? Why was the amount
significant?
The company offered two hundred pounds as compensation for Herbert’s death.
This amount was significant because it was exactly what Mr. White had wished for
the previous night using the monkey’s paw, proving that the wish had come true
in a cruel and tragic manner.
c. Explain the symbolism in the phrase 'caught in the machinery'.
The phrase symbolizes both Herbert’s literal death in the factory and the
consequences of tampering with fate. Just as he was physically caught in the
machinery, the Whites were trapped in the chain of events caused by the cursed
monkey’s paw, leading to suffering and despair.
4. "For God's sake, don't let it in."
a. Who said these words and to whom?
Mr. White said these words to Mrs. White.
b. What does the word 'it' refer to?
'It' refers to Herbert White’s reanimated corpse, which had supposedly returned
from the dead after Mrs. White wished for him to be alive again.
c. Why was the speaker afraid of letting 'it' in? Why was the listener trying to
let 'it' in?
• Mr. White was afraid because he realized that the monkey’s paw had
brought his son back in a terrible, unnatural state. He feared that the
manner in which Herbert died and his body which had been buried for ten
days, would now be horribly disfigured and monstrous.
• Mrs. White, on the other hand, was desperate to see her son again and
refused to believe he would be different. In her grief, she eagerly ran to
open the door, hoping to reunite with him.
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