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Velvet Digest

Why did the old Indian man originally put a spell on the monkey's paw?

Author

Mia Phillips

Updated on May 30, 2026

"It had a spell put on it by an old fakir," said the sergeant-major, "a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it."

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Consequently, what was the spell that was put on the monkey's paw?

At Mr. and Mrs. Whites' urging, Sergeant-Major Morris takes a small, mummified paw out of his pocket. He explains that a fakir (a mystic miracle worker) placed a spell on the paw to prove that people's lives are governed by fate and that it is dangerous to meddle with fate.

Also, what was the first man's third wish in the monkey's paw? The first man's third wish was death. This might foreshadow somethings in the book because it reveals the negativity on the Monkey's Paw.

One may also ask, what kind of spell did the fakir put on the paw Why?

Answer : The Fakir put the spell on the paw because he wanted people to realize that fate ruled people's lives, and anyone who tries to tamper with it has to pay a heavy price. According to him, every person on this earth came with his destiny pre-written, and no force could bring a change to it.

What was the first wish of Mr White how was it granted?

In whatever spirit the first wish is made, it is for two hundred pounds. Herbert White suggests this particular amount because it would be enough to pay off the mortgage on their house. The consequence of this wish is that the parents get the money, but that Herbert dies.

Related Question Answers

Why didn't Mr White want his son in the house?

The "it" Mr. White doesn't want in his home is his dead son, Herbert. White also tells his wife that when Herbert died, his body was so mangled that he was only able to know it was his son because of his clothing, so it's likely the corpse may not have even been fully intact.

What does the monkey's paw symbolize?

The Monkey's Paw. The monkey's paw is a symbol of desire and greed—everything that its owner could possibly wish for and the unrestricted ability to make it happen. This power makes the paw alluring, even to unselfish people who desire nothing and have everything they need.

What is Mr White's third wish?

For the son to be alive again and he was a monster. In The Monkey's Paw, what is the third wish and what are its consequences? He wished for his son to be dead again and the consequences were that the mother saw him and she was in anguish.

How did Herbert die in the monkey's paw?

Nothing happened. Satisfied, he set the monkey's paw aside and the Whites went about their lives. Herbert went off to work, and it was full dark before the Whites heard a knock at their door. It was uniformed officers from Herbert's factory, with shocking news: There had been an accident, and Herbert had been killed.

What is the theme of Monkey's Paw?

"The Monkey's Paw" is W. W. Jacobs' classic tale of the dangers of messing with fate. As Sergeant-Major Morris says, "Fate ruled people's lives," and those who interfered with fate suffered the consequences. Jacobs links the themes of the exotic and the supernatural in the symbol of the monkey's paw.

What is Mr White's second wish?

White's second wish is for Herbert to come back to life. Moments later, the Whites hear a knocking at their door, and they realize that Herbert's zombie corpse is outside of their front door. Fortunately, Mr. White is able to make the third wish for his son to disappear before Mrs.

What is the climax in the monkey's paw?

In "The Monkey's Paw," the climax occurs at the very end of the story when Mr. and Mrs. White hear the knock on the door after Mrs. White makes his final wish and the door opens to an empty street.

What is the conflict of the monkey's paw?

External conflict, such as man vs. man, happens outside of a character. This can be both direct, such as a sword fight, or indirect, such as opposing beliefs. There is both internal and external conflict in The Monkey's Paw, though the external conflict is more pronounced and is the main conflict of the story.

Why did the knocking stop so suddenly?

So the knocking could have stopped so suddenly because of the magical powers of the monkey's paw, or it could have stopped so suddenly because the hapless stranger gave up in disgust after realizing that the people inside were just not going to open their door.

Why was Mr White scared after his first wish?

White gets the inspiration to have her husband use the second wish available on the monkey's paw to bring their son back to life and back to their home, Mr. White makes the wish under duress, but he is secretly hoping that the two hundred pounds he received from his first wish was only the result of a coincidence.

What is a fakir in the monkey's paw?

A fakir is a holy man. A fakir is a holy man who is actually part of the Hindu or Muslim religion. The sergeant-major who brings the monkey's paw explains its history and how he got it from the fakir.

How did Sergeant Major Morris get the monkey's paw?

Sergeant-Major Morris does not say exactly how he got the paw, although he says he got it from the first owner. "The first man had his three wishes. Yes," was the reply; "I don't know what the first two were, but the third was for death. That's how I got the paw."

Why doesn't Mr White want his wife to open the door?

Overall, Mr. White refuses to help his wife open the front door because he does not want her to witness their son's decrepit, zombie-like corpse and desperately needs to find the monkey's paw in order to make his third wish.

What is the mood of the story the third wish?

The mood in "The Third Wish" is a sorry and miserable feeling. The man in "The Third Wish" was lonely and unhappy which makes the reader feel sorry for him. The mood in "The Monkey's Paw" is devious and gloomy.

What is the third wish?

The Third Wish by Joan Aiken is a play based on the fairy tale structure where a character is granted three wishes, and things wind up going very wrong. In this delightful twist of a three-wish tale, Mr. Peters saves the Forest King, who happens to be in the form of a swan, and is granted wishes as a reward.

What is the conflict of the third wish?

The conflict expressed in the short story "The Third Wish" is that Mr. Peters is granted three wishes, he uses one of his wishes to recieve a wife "as pretty as the forest". His wish comes true but with a few complications such as the fact that his wife (Lieta) is half swan and misses her sister who is still a swan.

What painful outcome follows from his wording?

What painful outcome seems to follow from his wording? He could have wished for the money, but at the same time ask for the family's safety. That way, they would get the money and be safe at the same time. However, they might not get the money in a long time, even until their deaths.

What is unusual about the monkey's paw?

What is unusual about the Monkey's Paw? It has a spell cast on it. It grants 3 wishes to the owner. He tells them to wish for something sensible.

What was the most frightening moment in monkey's paw?

The most frightening single moment in "The Monkey's Paw" occurs in Part III when Mr. White goes downstairs to get another candle. At his wife's insistence, he has wished for his son Herbert to return.