Descent to Sin
I am drawn to images of sin and how differing cultures connect and believe in those things. We know for certain that a holy man put a spell on the paw.
"It had a spell put on it by an old Fakir," said the Sargent-Major, "a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lifes, and that those who interefered with it did so to their sorrow. He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it."
Now, taking what I know about samsara, the wheel of fate, karma, and Hinduism and Buddhism, I feel it is safe to say that the fakir was trying to teach a lesson. I feel that he was trying to teach about greed and pride. The more we want the more we defy the fate that is set for us. When we believe we deserve more we are falling into a state of pride that insists that we are "good enough" or "better" than others to deserve things. This would incur darker energy or bad karma. So, I feel that the old fakir was trying to show a path to enlightenment but when foudn out that he could not explain it, blessed/cursed the paw to teach three different men about the lament of fate and how we stack up against it.
Intrestingly enough, I am drawn to a particular line in the story that describes the paw as moving and twisting like a snake.
"It moved," he cried, with a glance of disgust at the object as it lay on the floor. "As I wished, it twisted in my hand like a snake."
In Judeo-Christian lore, it is a snake that tempts Eve into committing the first sin and casts them from the garden into suffering. I cannot help but draw parallels as the White's first wish is ultimately what drives them into grief. Wishing for the money kills their son, their second wish brings him back, and their final wish sends him away.
Herbert mentions he doesn't see the money and dismisses the idea. I draw this as Eve eating the apple. Then she has Adam eat it. It is with his awareness that God finally casts them out of the garden. It is Mrs. White's wish that makes her husband realize the true darkness and grief of their plight. Although he saves them from the creature that was once their son, they are now bound to their grief and misery over his death. They, too, lose their paradise after having stepped outside of their means. Mr. White mentions he has everything he needs. Like Adam and Eve everything was taken care of. I feel that when he wished, he opened a door into pride thinking that he deserved more, even if it was at someone else's request. Knowing when to let people influence us and how to work with those choices is part of how we behave. It is human nature to let others influence our ideas, thoughts, and wants - sometimes it causes suffering even if we cannot see that immediately.