The story revolves around a mysterious cursed talisman—a monkey’s paw that symbolizes greed—everything that its owner could possibly wish for and the unrestricted ability to make it happen. This power makes the paw alluring, even to unselfish people who desire nothing and have everything they need. Mr. White, for example, is eager to procure the paw, even though he admits he is in need of nothing and is unsure of what to wish for. Herbert jokingly suggests that his father wish for money, which he does not need, just for the sake of it. This thought process illustrates how easily the paw can sway minds. The paw represents greed and brings out the selfish desire dormant in even the most content people. The wish is granted, but with unexpected, sinister consequences.
Keeping in mind the motif of three, one of the most common representations of a group of three in Western culture is the Holy Trinity from Christianity. It refers to Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The monkey's paw hails from a faraway land where it was cursed by an Indian holy man – making it an anti-Christian symbol. Hence it disregards Christianity and the Holy Trinity, bringing unfortunate consequences to the family that indulges in it.
Himself is an intensive pronoun. Intensive and reflexive pronouns end use the object form of the pronoun and end in -self. Intensive pronouns are found immediately after the antecedent. In this case, after "man" because "himself" is intensifying "man".
