Herbert White

The possible transformation of Herbert White from a gentle, happy, and devoted young man into a
threatening monster is the central horror of The Monkeys Paw. A thoughtful and loving son,
Herbert plays chess with his father and gently teases his mother. He is the only member of the
family who works, so readers can assume that he supports his parents in their old age. Herbert
believes that Sergeant-Major Morriss stories are nothing but a pack of tall tales and treats the
monkeys paw with irreverent humor. He encourages his father to wish for an emperorship and then
jokingly suggests he wish for two hundred pounds to pay off the mortgage. Herbert does not believe
for a moment that the paw is magical, but he unwittingly predicts the outcome of the wish when he
tells his parents that he knows hell never see the money. The sunny, skeptical quality of Herberts
nature makes his eventual transformation, induced by his fathers wish, more horrifying. Mr. White
fears that his son has become a horribly mangled, evil being, after wishing him back to life. The fact
that Jacobs never actually describes whoor whatknocks repeatedly on the Whites door,
however, suggests that the caller may not really be Herberts revived corpse.
Mrs. White
Mr. and Mrs. White also undergo an upsetting change, transforming from a happy couple into
parents racked by grief. During the sergeant-majors visit, Mrs. White is as eager as Herbert and Mr.
White are to hear the tales of his exploits abroad. She is more willing to consider the truth of the
monkey-paw story than Herbert is, but she is far less credulous than her husband. Indeed, she often
shows herself to be more quick-witted than Mr. White. For example, she understands the
significance of the Maw and Meggins representatives visit before her husband does, and she is the
one to suggest wishing on the monkeys paw a second time to bring Herbert back to life. The death
of her son and the belief that it might have been prevented nearly drive Mrs. White insane. Her
transformation is far less dramatic than her sons, but she still changes from an intelligent, self-
possessed woman into a raving, shrieking, weeping mourner.
Mr. White Mr. Whites grief is twofold as he laments his sons death as well as his decision to wish
on the monkeys paw in the first place. Unlike his wife, Mr. White realizes he should have never
invited trouble by wishing for the two hundred pounds or to bring Herbert back to life. The fact that
he believes an unholy creature stands knocking at his door instead of his son suggests that he feels
guilty for having let selfishness overtake him when he made his wishes. Instead of passing off the
knocking as an unrelated coincidence, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that evil stands on
the other side, as if believing the paw has punished him for being greedy. His decision to wish the
unwanted visitor away with his third wish may reflect his desire to not only save his and Mrs. Whites
lives, but also redeem himself for his sins.