The main theme of the story in "The Monkey's Paw" is the dangers of messing with fate. This is a theme that is carried throughout the whole story, and is introduced at the beginning of the story. We learn that "[the monkey’s paw] had a spell put on it by an old fakir…a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow." Although the White family has ben warned about these dangers, they are careless and do not take them seriously.
The characters, setting and plot all contribute to developing this theme. The characters are a family, and though they all have different personalities, they are also all interested in the monkey's paw and its powers. The setting highlights the nature of family, as the setting is a cozy, familiar house. This setting would usually be used in a more positive story. However, here is serves the purpose of highlighting the dangers of letting black magic into the house. The tight family is shown through the eyes of the narrator: "...the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes." Finally, the plot contributes to the development of this idea, as it keeps us interested in fate, and in what is going to happen next to the members of the family.
