“As a powerful symbol, the monkey’s paw, with its potential to satisfy human desire, reveals a tragic aspect of human nature: the willingness to pursue a ‘little bit more’ even at the risk of losing something much closer and dear.”

Grade: For a senior high school level essay, I would rate this as a solid A.

Analysis:

Explicitly Identifies Symbolism: It clearly states from the beginning that the paw is being analyzed as a symbol.
Connects Symbol to Meaning: It effectively links the symbol (the paw) to what it reveals about a specific aspect of human nature.
Specific and Well-Defined Human Nature: The description of the “tragic aspect of human nature” – the willingness to pursue ‘a little bit more’ at the risk of losing what’s dear – is precise, insightful, and directly relevant to the story’s events.
Strong Verbs: “Reveals” is an excellent analytical verb.
Smooth Flow: The sentence structure flows well and clearly presents the main idea of the paragraph.
Aligns with Thesis: It perfectly supports a thesis focused on the paw’s symbolism and how it illustrates a flaw in human nature leading to consequences.
This topic sentence is sophisticated, clear, and effectively sets up a paragraph that will analyze how the monkey’s paw, as a symbol, demonstrates this specific, tragic human tendency. Great job refining it!