The Lady of the Barge · Chapter
Chapter III explained
After burying their son Herbert, the Whites struggle with grief and despair.
What happens
After burying their son Herbert, the Whites struggle with grief and despair. Mrs. White, driven by desperation, convinces her husband to use the monkey's paw to wish Herbert back to life. Mr. White reluctantly makes the wish, but later, terrified of what might return, uses the third wish to undo it. The knocking at the door ceases, and they are left in silence and misery.
Themes in this chapter
Fate and Superstition
The monkey's paw is treated as a talisman with supernatural power, and the characters' belief in its ability to alter fate drives the plot.
Greed and Its Consequences
The Whites' desire to reverse death through the paw leads to terror and regret, illustrating the destructive nature of unchecked wishes.
The Past and Its Ghosts
Herbert's death haunts the family, and the attempt to bring him back symbolizes the inability to let go of the past.
Characters to notice
- Mr. White
Grieving father who reluctantly makes the second wish to bring his son back, then uses the third wish to send away the knocking horror.
- Mrs. White
Grief-stricken mother who insists on using the paw to resurrect Herbert, only to be met with a terrifying knocking at the door.
- Herbert White
The deceased son whose return is wished for, but the outcome is left ambiguous and horrifying.
Key passages
“The old man, with an unspeakable sense of relief at the failure of the talisman, crept back to his bed”
Mr. White felt a deep relief when the paw seemed not to work, and he returned to bed.
This moment captures his fear and hope that the wish would not be granted.
“It's Herbert! She ran to the door, but her husband was before her, and catching her by the arm, held her tightly.”
Mrs. White believed the knocking was Herbert and rushed to open the door, but Mr. White stopped her.
Shows the conflict between hope and fear in the face of the supernatural.
“He heard the creaking of the bolt as it came slowly back, and at the same moment he found the monkey's paw, and frantically breathed his third and last wish.”
As the door bolt slid open, Mr. White found the paw and desperately made his final wish.
The climax of the chapter, where the third wish is made to undo the second.