Excerpt from The Monkey's Paw - 2

W. W. Jacobs

(26) "It had a spell put on it by an old Fakir," said the Sergeant-Major, "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. He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it."

What is the main idea of paragraph 26?

A) The monkey's paw has unlimited power.

B) Holy men are able to rule people's lives.

C) Don't tamper with fate or you'll regret it.

D) A magic paw can grant a person three wishes of his choice.

Question

Ernesto Fleming

English

13 February, 00:01

Excerpt from The Monkey's Paw - 2

W. W. Jacobs

(26) "It had a spell put on it by an old Fakir," said the Sergeant-Major, "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. He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it."

What is the main idea of paragraph 26?

A) The monkey's paw has unlimited power.

B) Holy men are able to rule people's lives.

C) Don't tamper with fate or you'll regret it.

D) A magic paw can grant a person three wishes of his choice.

+3

Answers (2)

Know the Answer?

Cayden White · Answer 1

I'm not 100% sure but if it were me, i would say C

Dayami · Answer 2

Option C. The main idea of paragraph 26 is to not tamper with fate or you will regret it.

Explanation:

The main concept of paragraph 26 from "The Monkey's Paw" is the implication that the paw is evil and therefore that any wish made from it will encounter bad consequences. The Sergeant-Major tells the story of how the paw became magical as a warning to be careful with it. It uses the paw to caution people against trying to temper with their own fates, as those who had interfered with it were always followed by sorrow.