In this story William Jacob uses foreshadowing to reveal the theme when the major warns Mr. White of the danger and all the misfortune that the paw brings to the owner and the wisher.

The very paw is a powerful symbol.  People often feel guilty after the death of a loved one. The same happened to the Whites. If it weren't for the paw, they would probably have found other ways to take the blame for Herbert's death. The paw provides an interesting way to explore this guilt that is directed to the paw.

Being from India, the paw is foreign, magical, and scary. India was a British colony when this story was written, and the British brought back to England stories of Indian traditions and beliefs that many people found strange or threatening. Just like today, social or political problems are often blamed on "foreign" ideas.

Chess is a strategy game  that implies person's logics ability and anticipation a series of moves ahead of time. The chess game here might be symbolic of Herbert's carefulness and Mr. White's recklessness. We can observe Mr. White's recklessness in buying and wishing  monkey's paw that causes a tragedy for his family. Mr. White seems to have learned his lesson, though. By the end of the story, he doesn't  take the risk of meeting up with his undead son.

There's also an irony that lasting a better part of the story. I mean the fact that parents get necessary money at the cost of their son's life. So their wishes come true exactly as they  wish, but at a price that is unexpected and thought of as unfair. This is used to engage a reader's attention and  to help develop deeper levels of meaning in a text. Irony creates a great closeness to a text and a feeling of satisfaction when the irony is recognised and understood. Here an irony shows how quickly one can get out of control when he\she has power and additional opportunities, then how quickly things can come to nothing. If you’re not careful with what you wish for, it could end up deplorable.