In The Monkey's Paw, there are two moments that reflect how Mr. and Mrs. White don't believe in the talisman's power. First, Mr. White jokes about the wishes he should make upon being explained what the artifact is. The second moment is when Mr. White takes the talisman out of his pocket and starts to laugh about it with his wife and son, while the Sergeant-Major is very serious as he knows about the grim power the paw has.
