What Was the First Wish of the Monkey Paw? A Guide to Cursed Desires

### Keyword Analysis

• Keyword: "what was the first wish of the monkey paw"
• Occasion: This is not a celebratory event, but a moment of literary curiosity and exploration. The "occasion" is the user's desire to understand a famous, chilling piece of fiction, likely for a school assignment, a book club, or personal interest in the horror genre.
• Tone: The tone must be ominous, cautionary, and thematic, reflecting the dark nature of the short story. While the article's structure is helpful, the content within should feel unsettling and thought-provoking. It is a creative exploration of a dark theme, not a cheerful greeting.
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### Invented Creative Categories

1. Wishes to Settle a Debt (That Only Create a New One)

2. Wishes Born from Grief and Desperation

3. Wishes for Power and Revenge (With a Terrible Price)

4. Wishes That Seem Perfectly Innocent (But Are Anything But)

5. Wishes for a Grand Escape (With No Return Ticket)

The flicker of firelight, a gnarled and mummified paw, and the tempting promise of three wishes granted. W.W. Jacobs' "The Monkey's Paw" is more than just a ghost story; it's the ultimate cautionary tale, a chilling whisper that warns us to be content with our lot, for meddling with fate can invite only sorrow. The story's power lies in its simplicity and the terrifyingly logical way its wishes come true, twisting desire into despair.

Many who encounter the story ask the same question: what was the first wish? The first wish, made reluctantly by Mr. White at the behest of his wife and son, was for two hundred pounds—the exact amount needed to make the final mortgage payment on their house. This seemingly modest and practical request sets in motion a chain of events so horrific it serves as a masterclass in suspense and irony. But the paw's dark magic isn't limited to money. It feeds on all human longing. In that spirit, we explore the kinds of wishes that a cursed talisman like the monkey's paw would be all too eager to grant.

Wishes to Settle a Debt (That Only Create a New One)

The first wish was born from a desire for financial security. This is often the most common and tempting type of wish—a quick fix for a worldly problem. But the paw teaches us that every credit it extends comes with a terrible, unforeseen interest rate.

• "I wish for the two hundred pounds needed to pay off our mortgage."
• "I wish for my business to receive a sudden, large investment."
• "I wish to win the exact amount of the lottery jackpot this week."
• "I wish for my biggest competitor’s business to fail, so that mine may succeed."
• "I wish to find a solution to my financial troubles, no matter what it takes."
• "I wish that the debt collector hounding my family would simply disappear."
• "I wish to discover a long-lost inheritance from a relative I've never met."
• "I wish for a promotion and a raise at work, even if it means my boss has to leave."

Wishes Born from Grief and Desperation

Perhaps the most terrible wishes are not those of greed, but of love. When faced with the unbearable pain of loss, any promise of a reunion feels like a miracle. The paw twists this profound grief into something unnatural and horrifying, proving that some doors are better left unopened.

• "I wish he was alive again."
• "I wish I had five more minutes to say what I needed to say."
• "I wish I could hear their voice just one more time."
• "I wish to turn back the clock to the morning before the accident."
• "I wish for a sign that they are still here with me."
• "I wish this unbearable sadness would finally go away."
• "I wish to undo the mistake that led to their death."
• "I wish for the one who caused this pain to feel what I feel."
• "I wish my family could be whole and happy, just like it was before."

Wishes for Power and Revenge (With a Terrible Price)

The desire for influence, to control others, or to enact vengeance is a potent fuel for the paw's magic. It grants these wishes by stripping away the humanity of both the wisher and their target, leaving nothing but ruin in its wake.

• "I wish everyone would listen to me and do as I say."
• "I wish I had the power to make my enemies tremble before me."
• "I wish the person who wronged me would lose everything they hold dear."
• "I wish to be the most respected and feared person in this town."
• "I wish for the strength to take what I believe is rightfully mine."
• "I wish to expose the secrets of all my rivals."
• "I wish that my name would go down in history."
• "I wish I could control the outcome of the upcoming election."

Wishes That Seem Perfectly Innocent (But Are Anything But)

Many believe they can outsmart a curse by wishing for something small, simple, or harmless. This is the ultimate folly. The paw delights in corrupting innocence, demonstrating that no wish is too small to be twisted into a nightmare.

• "I wish my neighbor's barking dog would finally be quiet."
• "I wish for a beautiful, sunny day for our garden party tomorrow."
• "I wish this awful traffic would just clear up so I can get home."
• "I wish my wilting plants would spring back to life."
• "I wish I could have a bit more peace and quiet around the house."
• "I wish I could find my lost house keys."
• "I wish this pesky cold would go away overnight."
• "I wish the cat would catch the mouse that's been in the walls."

Wishes for a Grand Escape (With No Return Ticket)

Sometimes, the deepest desire is simply to escape one's current reality—a dead-end job, a boring town, a life that feels unlived. The paw will gladly grant a one-way ticket to somewhere new, but the destination and the journey will be far from what you imagined.

• "I wish I could start a new life somewhere far away from here."
• "I wish I could run away and never have to deal with my problems again."
• "I wish for an adventure, something exciting to finally happen to me."
• "I wish I could trade places with someone who has a more interesting life."
• "I wish this town wasn't so small and that I could see the world."
• "I wish for a path to open up that leads me away from my current obligations."
• "I wish I had never been born in this family, in this place."
• "I wish for a storm to come and wash this all away."

### A Final Warning

The enduring lesson of "The Monkey's Paw" is a simple one: be careful what you wish for. The tale serves as a powerful reminder that fate is not a toy, and the things we think we want most can often lead to our undoing. As you reflect on the story, use these categories not as a guide for your own wishes, but as inspiration to explore the themes of desire, consequence, and the dark irony that often lurks just beneath the surface of our deepest longings.