What power does "The Monkey's Paw" possess in the 1902 short story?

"The Monkey's Paw" is a supernatural short story by author W. W. Jacobs first published in England in 1902. In the story, three wishes are granted to the owner of the monkey's hand, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with fate.

The short story involves Mr. and Mrs. White and their adult son, Herbert. Sergeant-Major Morris, a friend who served with the British Army in India, introduces them to a mummified monkey's paw. Mr. White flippantly wishes for £200, which will enable him to make the final mortgage payment for his house, even though he believes he has everything he wants. Later that day, word comes to the White home that Herbert has been killed in a terrible machinery accident. Although the employer denies responsibility for the incident, the firm has decided to make a goodwill payment to the family of the deceased. The payment, of £200, exactly matches the amount Mr. White wished for.

Ten days after their son's death and a week after the funeral, Mrs. White, almost mad with grief, asks her husband to use the paw to wish Herbert back to life. Reluctantly, he does so. Shortly afterward there is a knock at the door. As Mrs. White fumbles at the locks in an attempt to open the door, Mr. White, who knows the corpse has been buried for more than a week, realizes that the thing outside is not the son he knew and loved, and makes his third wish. The knocking suddenly stops. Mrs. White opens the door to find no one is there.