Lessons Learned

     "The Monkies Paw" is an awesome example of being careful what you wish for. You could wake the dead if you're not careful. Or not. The story implies that the son has risen from the dead and has come back to pound on the door but no body is ever found. The story has heavily implied supernatural occurences but all of these occurences can be viewed as mere coincidences. The events could simply coincide with the wishing being done on the monkies paw. The Mother is obviously mad with grief at the loss of her son and this can explain her reactions to everything that happens in the story. However this isn't the point of the overall story. The message of "The Monkey's Paw" is clear, be careful what you wish for. 

     "The Premature Burial" at its root is about paranoia but the condition described within the story is real and has been documented. Catalepsy occured in many people in the 19th century and it paranoid many people living in America at the time. It was common in the 19th century to see graves with bells attached to them just in case the coffin's tenant awoke. The Narrator in the story shared this paranoia and constructs an elaborate grave to make sure he doesn't share the same fate as those who were prematurely buried. The story ends with the narrator realizing that he's been pretty crazy and shouldn't obsess about death so much. This ending leads me to believe that Poe wrote this story to calm the masses.