Question

Attempt a character sketch of each of the following, in about 150 words. Quote from the play to support your answer.

1. Mrs. White
2. Mr. White

Answer 1

1. Mrs. White: Mrs. White is a warm, homely woman who deeply loves her husband and son. At first, she is curious about the paw, leaning forward eagerly to see it, yet she also warns John, “Don’t have anything to do with it.” Her practical, domestic nature is evident as she serves tea and attends to the household. After Herbert’s death, however, her grief overwhelms her. Remembering that two wishes remain, she desperately urges her husband, “Wish our boy alive again.” When she hears the knocking, hope and maternal love overcome her fear: “Do you think I fear the child I bore!” She rushes to open the door, unable to imagine turning her son away. Her determination is powerful but tragic, because she does not consider the terrible state in which Herbert may have returned. Mrs. White is ultimately a devoted mother whose unbearable loss drives her to cling to hope.
2. Mr. White: Mr. White is an affectionate but somewhat impulsive father. Though Morris warns the family, Mr. White stubbornly keeps the paw, saying, “I’m going to keep it.” He is also easily persuaded by Herbert to wish for two hundred pounds, despite his initial hesitation. When the paw moves in his hand, he is frightened, but Herbert’s jokes and his own doubts make him question what he saw. The wish is fulfilled through Herbert’s death, and Mr. White is crushed by the loss. Unlike his wife, he understands the horror of bringing Herbert back after ten days in the grave. He tries to restrain her, warning, “Think what you might see!” When the knocking grows louder, he searches frantically for the paw and finally wishes Herbert dead and at peace. His final act shows his love and courage: he accepts terrible pain to protect his wife from seeing their son in a horrifying condition.