The Lady of the Barge · Chapter
The Price of a Wish explained
The morning after the monkey's paw wish, the Whites laugh off their fears, but a visitor from Maw and Meggins arrives to inform them that Herbert has been killed in a machinery accident, and the firm offers two hundred pounds as compensatio
What happens
The morning after the monkey's paw wish, the Whites laugh off their fears, but a visitor from Maw and Meggins arrives to inform them that Herbert has been killed in a machinery accident, and the firm offers two hundred pounds as compensation—the exact sum Mr. White had wished for.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Closing
This excerpt is the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of anticipation a…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Greed and Its Consequences
The wish for two hundred pounds leads directly to Herbert's death, illustrating the destructive cost of greed.
- Fate and Superstition
The monkey's paw's curse manifests through a seemingly natural accident, blurring the line between fate and coincidence.
Characters to notice
- Mr. White
Grieving father who made the first wish for money; collapses upon hearing the compensation amount.
- Mrs. White
Initially dismissive of the paw's power, then horrified as she learns of Herbert's death.
- Herbert White
Mentioned as the son who died in a machinery accident; his death fulfills the first wish.
Key passages
“He was caught in the machinery”
Herbert died in an industrial accident at work.
The visitor from Maw and Meggins delivers the news of Herbert's death.
“Two hundred pounds”
The exact sum Mr. White wished for, now given as compensation for Herbert's death.
The wish is granted in a horrific way, fulfilling the paw's promise.
