Question

"Which came out of the opened door,--the lady, or the tiger?" Write a persuasive paragraph for which choice the Princess ended up making, and why.

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

This question is about the short story "The Lady, or the Tiger," by author Frank Richard Stockton, and American writer and humorist who lived from 1834 to 1902. Below, I provide you with a persuasive paragraph. Keep in mind that this question asks for your opinion, so feel free to adapt the paragraph to your own ideas:

In "The Lady, or the Tiger," author Frank R. Stockton makes a point of describing the princess and her father as being "semi-barbaric". What he means is that they let their emotions get the best of them and that they act in ways that are not justifiable. The king, for instance, comes up with a trial that he considers fair, when it is in fact anything but. The accused must choose a door behind which there is either a maiden or a tiger. Choosing the tiger means that person is guilty and should be devoured by the beast. Choosing the maiden means he is innocent, and his reward is to be forced to marry her. As for the princess, she is clearly impulsive and jealous. She falls in love with a man of inferior rank. When her father sends the man to trial, she is able to find out which door leads to which outcome. However - and Stockton does take his time making this description -, she is consumed with jealousy. She wants the man to live, but she cannot bear the image of him marrying someone else. So, what does she choose? To my mind, she sends him to the tiger. Stockton made sure to describe her as jealous and semi-barbaric, and that cannot have been for nothing. I believe the author wants us to see this woman as capable of sending the man she loves to death simply because she does not want anyone else to have him.