Everyone is born with greed, but the most important thing is to realize the danger of greediness. In this short story, “The Monkey’s Paw,” it shows the danger of greediness. The White family has a magical object that can grant any three wishes. They already had all they needed and lived ordinarily before the Monkey’s paw was handed to them. Because they received an object that could change their lives, they made unnecessary wishes. However, wishes always came with a price. In this story, William W. Jacobs, the author, believes that greed usually leads to terrible consequences.

In the beginning, Sergeant-Major Morris, a man who had experienced Monkey’s paw before, advises the Whites: “‘If you must wish, … wish for something reasonable.'” (Jacobs 99). Morris has experience with the Monkey’s paw and helps the Whites to make a wiser decision. This message warns the family to be sensible when making a wish with the Monkey’s paw. However, one example shows them being greedy, when the Whites made their first wish, saying, “‘I don’t know what to wish for … It seems to me I’ve got all I want.'” (Jacobs 115). This phrase shows that they did not need anything more, and they knew that they did not. However, because they were able to make wishes, they wished 200 pounds. And as a result, they received 200 pounds. But it was a pay for their son, Herbert’s death. Their greediness and hoping for more than they needed led to Herbert’s unexpected death. Further along in the story, they made even more serious wishes. Mrs. White told Mr. White, “‘No, we’ll have one more. … quickly … wish our boy alive again.'” (Jacobs 242). To save Herbert, they made a second wish. Herbert’s death was the outcome of their greed, but they did not stop there and desired more. The second time, they did not wish for money, not an object, but one’s life. And the result of the greediness was terrible: Herbert came back home as a living corpse. Because of their selfish desire, their son died and turned into a living corpse. As shown in the story, greediness and hope for an extreme change in life always require a price. This story of the Whites shows that wishing for something unnecessary commonly brings unexpected and unpleasant consequences.