"The Monkey's Paw" Summary

A common use for Storyboard That is to help students create a plot diagram of the events from a story. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and helps students develop greater understanding of literary structures, like five act structure.

Students can create a storyboard capturing the narrative arc in a work with a six-cell storyboard containing the major parts of the plot diagram. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the story in sequence using: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.

Plot Diagram Example

Exposition

On a dark, cold night at the Laburnam Villa, the White family is awaiting a visitor. Mr. White and his son Herbert are playing chess while Mrs. White knits by the fire. Sergeant Major Morris arrives and regales the family with tales from his 21 years of traveling to vast and exotic places in his tenure as a soldier.

Conflict

Mr. White reminds Morris of a story he was telling him recently regarding a strange monkey’s paw he acquired in India. It supposedly was bewitched by an old fakir to grant three separate men three wishes. Mr. White wants the paw, but Morris is reluctant, saying it causes trouble.

Rising Action

Morris throws the paw into the fire and Mr. White rescues it. Mr. White makes his first wish: he wishes for a sum of two hundred pounds (£200). Herbert makes a crashing sound on the piano and the paw moves. The next day, the Whites receive word that Herbert was caught in the machinery at work and killed. The company compensates the Whites with a check for £200.

Climax

The Whites are shaken by how their wish came true and filled with grief from losing their only son. Mrs. White persuades Mr. White to wish that Herbert was alive again. Mr. White finds the paw and makes the wish; all of a sudden, there is a quiet, persistent knocking at the door.

Falling Action

The knocking becomes louder. Mrs. White wants to run to the door, frantic to let Herbert in, but Mr. White holds her back because knows the wickedness of the paw and is afraid of what kind of “state” Herbert might be in. She breaks free and runs to the door, but she can’t reach the bolt. Mr. White searches hurriedly for the paw.

Resolution

Just as his wife gets a chair, climbs up, and slides back the bolt, Mr. White finds the paw and makes his final wish. The knocking suddenly stops. Mrs. White opens the door, but there is no one outside.

Student Instructions

Create a visual plot diagram of “The Monkey’s Paw”.

1. Separate the story into the Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
2. Create an image that represents an important moment or set of events for each of the story components.
3. Write a description of each of the steps in the plot diagram.