Friday, October 19, 2012

In "The Monkey's Paw," how does Herbert behave in the last two paragraphs?This question is about the end of the story when the parents wish for...

We are to infer, of course, that it is Herbert, out of his grave,  who stands on the other side of the closed and bolted door. Since he is "wished away" by Mr. White's final wish on the monkey's paw, we never actually see him. When the door is flung open, no one stands on the porch and the road is "quiet and deserted."


However, before Mrs. White can open the door, we hear Herbert, even though we can't see him. What had begun as a few knocks, became "[a] perfect fusillade of knocks that reverberated through the house." The implication is that Herbert is pounding on the door, intent upon coming inside. When Mr. White finally finds the monkey's paw and makes his final wish, the knocking stops: "The knocking ceased suddenly, although the echoes of it were still in the house." Herbert has been sent back to his grave.

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What is the main function of the fool in "King Lear"? What is the secondly function?

The fool as a character is confusing, but part of this is the difference between the 1600s and today, as well as the difference in place. If...