The Monkey

Content Warning: This section contains references to child abuse.

“When Hal Shelburn saw it, when his son Dennis pulled it out of a mouldering Ralston-Purina carton that had been pushed far back under one attic eave, such a feeling of horror and dismay rose in him that for one moment he thought he would scream.”

The opening sentence contains a lot of exposition (e.g., regarding Hal and Dennis Shelburn’s relationship) but notably does not name the toy, only referring to it by a pronoun. This establishes an atmosphere of mystery and tension that Hal’s emotional response to the toy amplifies.

“The monkey glimmered up at him from his older son’s hands, grinning its old familiar grin. The same grin that had haunted his nightmares as a kid, haunted them until he had—”

The description of the monkey “glimmering” seems innocuous, but the reference to its grin haunting Hal contrasts with its seeming innocence. The sentence fragment builds further suspense, inviting readers to question what Hal did and foreshadowing his “killing” (via the monkey) of his mother. The passage also begins to establish the close relationship between Hal and the monkey, which is key to the story’s exploration of The Nature of Evil.

“Hal felt simple love for the boy rush him…and he suddenly thought of the monkey again.”

The link that Hal makes between his youngest son, Petey, and the monkey is clear. This showcases how ingrained the monkey is in Hal’s mind, but it also speaks to the monkey’s association with broken familial relationships. Though Hal loves Petey, the monkey symbolizes Hal’s potential for abusive behavior.