What is a good zinger on an extended response about mood in "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs?

I assume that when you refer to the word "zinger" you are
wanting a sentence or a quote that will set the tone of your extended response to this
chilling short story. Well, to being, you need to remember that this tale is a
spine-tingling version of the "three wishes" tale told in most cultures. Like many
renditions of the tale, it offers lessons in morality, but it distinguishes itself from
other such tales through its aura of terror and suspense. Reading it is like going on an
emotional rollercoaster ride as the Whites are pushed to the brink of desperation,
trying to reverse their wish and bring their son back from the
dead.

One place to start in terms of focussing on the dark,
sinister mood that characterises this story is on the introduction of the paw and what
the general says about it. This is worth quoting at length to be able to discuss how
Jacobs begins to create the mood:

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The soldier regarded him in the way that middle
age is wont to regard presumptuous youth. "I have," he said, quietly, and his blotchy
face whitened.

"And did you really have the three wishes
granted?" asked Mrs. White.

"I did," said
the sergeant major, and his glass tapped against his strong
teeth.

"And has anybody else wished?" persisted the old
lady.

"The first man had his three wishes, yes," was the
reply; "I don't know what the first two were, but the third was for death. That's how I
got the paw."

His tones were so grave that a hush fell upon
the group.

Key aspects to
note about how the dark mood is established is the descriptions of the sergeant major.
The whitening of his face as he recalls his three wishes, and then, paradoxically, the
tapping of the glass against his "strong" teeth clearly sets a discordant note - a
strong military man is not expected to be reduced to a bag of nerves by the remembrance
of such "magic". Lastly, the recounting of the last man who wished for death as his last
wish creates an automatic hush - clearly the stage is set for the old fakir's prophecy
to prove true in the midst of the mood that has been
established.

Hopefully this will help you identify a
"zinger" that you can use to introduce your essay. Good luck, and remember, be careful
what you wish for :-).