The Monkey Paw

Have you ever tempted fate before? I know I have. So has Jing-mei from the story "Two Kinds" and Mr. White from the story "The Monkeys Paw". Jing-mei tempts fate by quitting piano lessons and every other decision she makes in the story. Mr. White tempted fate by accepting the monkeys paw. People can not tempt fate.

Every decision someone makes tempts fate. I always tempt fate, everyone does. If I get up and walk to use the bathroom, I just tempted fate. Even though the chances of something serious happening that could change my fate is small, there is still a chance. Jing-mei and Mr. White tempt fate through each story. Some people think that every decision that someone makes is not tempting fate, I think that is drivel. I think that when Jing-mei decided to quit piano lessons, that was tempting fate. Every single decision that she made in the story, was tempting fate.

Lots of people think that tempting fate is bad thing to do and you shouldn't do it. I think that it is impossible not to. Every decision Mr. or Mrs. White made in the story was tempting fate. In a small decision, even though the odds are low of something dramatically changing in your life, there is still a chance of something bad happening. So that's why I think that tempting fate is a good thing to do.

Like I said before, people tempt fate all the time and think nothing of it. Just because your decision has a low chance of changing your life, does not mean that something life changing will not happen. Everyone tempts fate; there is no way of getting around tempting fate.

1995, August 01; Worthington Publishing Company, W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw