The Monkey

Content Warning: This section contains references to child abuse and graphic descriptions of bodily injury. 

The monkey toy serves as a multifaceted symbol of The Nature of Evil. First and foremost, it represents the darkness that exists within humanity. Throughout the story, the monkey is portrayed as malevolent and sinister, with an unsettling presence that affects Hal Shelburn viscerally whenever he sees it. Nevertheless, Hal is drawn to it in a way he can’t articulate; at one point, his wife even discovers him cuddling the toy while sleeping. This suggests the duality of human nature and the potential for darkness to reside within even the most seemingly harmless objects or individuals. Just as the monkey’s grin masks its sinister nature, Hal does not consider himself a violent or immoral person. Nevertheless, under the strain of the monkey’s presence, he behaves abusively toward his wife and children.

The implication that Hal’s flaws stem partly from a traumatic childhood creates another parallel to the monkey, which Hal speculates experienced “something bad” that warped its nature. This underscores the toy’s function as a symbol of the destructive power of secrets and guilt. As the story progresses, it emerges that the monkey is linked to many tragic events from the past, the most notable being the death of Hal’s mother, which Hal inadvertently caused by winding the toy’s key.