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Hyperbole
Definition of Imagery
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" contain imagery that engages... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines... read full definition
Part I
Explanation and Analysis—The First Wish:
After Mr. White uses the monkey’s paw to make his first wish, he, his wife, and his son all sit silently by the fire. In this moment, they start to hear a door banging, an example of both imagery and foreshadowing:
They sat down by the fire again while the two men finished their pipes. Outside, the wind was higher than ever, and the old man started nervously at the sound of a door banging upstairs. A silence unusual and depressing settled upon all three, which lasted until the old couple rose to retire for the night.
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Explanation and Analysis—Like a Snake:
Jacobs uses imagery and a simile to build suspense in the moments after Mr. White makes his first wish with the monkey’s paw, as seen in the following passage:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“I wish for two hundred pounds,” said the old man distinctly.
A fine crash from the piano greeted the words, interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man. His wife and son ran toward him.
“It moved,” he cried, with a glance of disgust at the object as it lay on the floor. “As I wished, it twisted in my hand like a snake.”
Related Themes:
Part III
Explanation and Analysis—The Ending:
In the final moments in the story, Mr. White makes a mysterious third wish with the monkey’s paw, likely asking that his son (whose reanimated corpse he believes to be knocking on the front door) return to his grave. The narrator uses imagery to capture the quiet and eerie energy in this moment, as seen in the following passage:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The knocking ceased suddenly, although the echoes of it were still in the house. He heard the chair drawn back, and the door opened. A cold wind rushed up the staircase, and a long loud wail of disappointment and misery from his wife gave him courage to run down to her side, and then to the gate beyond. The street lamp flickering opposite shone on a quiet and deserted road.
Related Themes:
