In a world where people possess many materialistic things, one concept has been continuously reoccurring for centuries- coveting. In  a materialistic world where there always seems to be bigger and better, human nature pushes humans to want the things we do not have- to know what it is like to be one of the ‘them’- the people who have what we do not. But, even our “them” has a “them” of their own. That is, even the people who have it all seem to want things that other people have. Through this, we can reasonably argue that even we are one of the “them” to somebody else. Meaning, to at least one person in this world, we have something that they don’t but they want it. As a result, it is easy to say every person covets and every person is coveted. In The Monkey’s Paw, coveting brings about the destruction of the White family. When faced with a magical paw that can grant any wish that they desire, the father and mother tragically lose their son Herbert in an effort to pay off their debts. As W.W. Jacobs wishes to portray, the concept of coveting which dates even as far back as biblical times has held a continuous place in society. This is important because as humans, we are stuck in the repetitive natural cycle of human existence. Even though some parents warn against loving someone else’s item so much, all humans still have the tendency to pursue what they do not have. More important though, the concept of coveting has not been taught to today’s generation like it was taught to older generations. Instead, catchy slogans like “just do it” inspire men and women to pursue what they want without regard for the possible consequences. However, short stories like The Monkey’s Paw cannot be set upon the shelf to never be read by future generations. Just as there were always consequences for pursuing what we don’t have, there will always be consequences for coveting and W.W. Jacob’s short story explains that the best.  The next concept to be discussed is nostalgia. Behind every human being who has taken the time to slow down and reflect has been, at least once, a feeling of nostalgia- a desire to have thing be the way they were at another point in time. Often times, one hears of nostalgia through grandparents or even parents reminiscing about the ‘good old days,’ when ‘life was simple, money was tight, but love kept everybody together.’ When examining nostalgic feelings though, one must ask, why is it that people who are always desiring new, bigger, and better also desire things of the past? More specifically, why do people desire the things they once had- especially when the newer things are better? To explore this question, we will examine how nostalgia plays a role in W.W. Jacobs’ The Monkey’s Paw. To begin, in the exchange of capital, sacrifices must be made on both ends. In the most common case, simplicity is sacrificed for ease. That is, people will give up simple ways of life to have convenience. We will examine this trend and its effect in The Monkey’s Paw.

In Sanders’ “Thou Just Can’t Help but to Covet,” the neurologic phenomenon of envy is described as a plague that spreads from one person to another. Due to adaptive instincts, humans go for what other people have. If other people eat something or have something, then it must not only be safe but it also must be good. Unlike originally thought, the first act of coveting was not in Mr. White’s desire to have two hundred pounds. Instead, the first act of coveting seen in The Monkey’s Paw is the family’s desire to have the paw itself. Even though Sergeant-Major Morris explicitly expresses that the paw has no value other than being a mummified monkey paw, the white family still desires to have it. This is important even though Mr. White made the initiative to obtain the paw, he was not the only one who wanted it. The envy spread throughout the family like a plague and both the mother and Herbert desired to have the paw as well. Ironically, the family pursued the paw because they thought it would be beneficial. Since a trustworthy man like Sergeant-Major Morris had the paw, it must be a good thing to possess.

Within The Monkey’s Paw, the one and only instance of nostalgia seen is when the parents regret wishing for money to pay off their debts. Overcome by the inconvenience of debt, the White family uses the monkey’s paw to attempt to settle their dues. However, like most exchanges, the convenience is only a result of sacrificing simplicity. In exchange for money, the father and mother sacrificed their son Herbert. As a result of the sacrifice, days were “long to weariness” and the family was left with the complications and implications of convenience (W.W. Jacobs). But not just the reader understands this, the parents do as well. This is an important emphasis in the story is as the parents consciously recognize their greed killed their only child. While it is not directly stated within the story, we as human beings can reasonably assume the parents would go back in time to keep their son. As a matter of fact, a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research supports the idea that nostalgic feelings induce a desire to give money up. According to the Study ‘Nostalgia Weakens…,’ a “[nostalgic] signal can cause individuals to part with and value money more than otherwise.” Consequently, there is no doubt that if faced with the decision to give up money in exchange for not only their son but also any reference of the past, the family would sacrifice their wish to pay off their debts. 

An effect of the family’s desire to have things the way they used to be – a feeling of nostalgia – is a feeling of loneliness, weariness, and worthlessness. Using the example in the paragraph above, the white family felt their days meant nothing since they no longer had anything to live for. According to Counteracting Loneliness, a study of four experiments, loneliness reduces the perception of social support but increases nostalgia. Nostalgia, on the other hand, increases the perception of social support. While no other characters are mentioned in the story other than the family and Sergeant-Major Morris, we can, by this study, infer that social interactions with others would have been increased. However, the family’s age and lack of resources limited their ability to interact with others. What is evident in this story though, is the relation between loneliness and nostalgia. Nostalgia is induced because of the loneliness felt by both the father and mother. That is, the family missed the old days and the simplicity simply because they felt lonely. Often times, grandparents or parents feel nostalgic because of a phase of loneliness. Thankfully, nostalgia is a healthy, natural way to counteract the feelings. 

In conclusion, the consequence of coveting still holds true in today’s society. Though today’s generations are encouraged to pursue what they do not have, stories like The Monkey’s Paw emphasize how important it is to always take a step a step back and give some regard to what you are pursuing. Even more so, it is important to avoid falling victim to the plague of jealousy. Though envy cannot be avoided entirely, The Monkey’s Paw demonstrates how one person’s jealousy can multiply into three peoples’ jealousy. As humans, we are stuck in the same repetitive cycle that our older generations were stuck in. Consequently, we are stuck having the desire to possess what we simply do not possess. Envy over materialistic items will always be present and will always lead to some sort of downfall. In The Monkey’s Paw, the act of coveting occurred twice- both of which led to the destruction of the White family. Had the family never coveted the paw in the first place nor had they ever coveted the money, Herbert would not have died. If Mr. White had given any sort of regard to the possible consequences of obtaining what he did not have, the family would not have been placed into jeopardy.

In most cases, the exchange of capital requires sacrifice. Whether sacrificing time, money, or effort, an exchange of some sort must take place. This is especially true in sacrificing simplicity for convenience. Under the feeling of nostalgia, it is evident that people would rather have the simplicity than convenience though. In W.W. Jacobs’ The Monkey’s Paw, it is easy to assume the family would exchange the money for their son. Likewise, people often times are willing to give up money under nostalgic feelings. But, as examined, nostalgia is induced by a feeling of loneliness. In The Monkey’s Paw, the family felt lonely and as a result, felt nostalgic. Likewise, people who feel lonely often feel the healthy coping mechanism- nostalgia. 
