The Lady, Or The Tiger?

[Wraywolf]

http://www.pagebypagebooks. com/Frank_R_Stockton/The_Lady_or_the_Tige r/The_Lady_or_the_Tige r_p1.html

(^Firstly, you may want to read that)

“The Lady, Or The Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton, is a classic short story touching on the subject of human nature, love, and ambiguity. The hole that the story leaves you to fill is a question that is not simple, nor clean cut, and as you go through life, you may look back on this story with a totally different perspective, and a new answer. The author in question, after being pressured by many fans of the work to give the story a more definite end, said that the ending for this story is one you personally must decide. It is a reflection of who you are as a person.

This is true.

Writers only construct half the story; the reader makes the other half. They are the ones who give the stories a life, thriving and animated inside the confines of their skull. And while I cannot claim to be a barbarian princess, I can claim to be myself, a homosexual 16 year old white male, which is as close to a barbarian princess as most people get. If I were to put myself in this situation, however, I still would not be able to give an answer with the utmost conviction. I have never been in love, nor have I been in a situation where the life of someone dear to me was put into my hands. I have never made a judgment as demanding and pressing as thus, so any reply to the question of Lady’s and Tigers is subject to change instantaneously.

But… that’s what makes this question so enthralling.

The fact that this question, this inquiry into your own personally philosophy, is shaky, is so unfirm as to shift under the slightest pressure, makes it a very powerful question indeed. This isn’t like a math problem, where you assert you’re variables and put everything together to make a constant, reliable sum. This is a question of people, and as with such questions, answers exist within a liminality of their very own.

Yet, after saying this… I do not feel I am yet ready to answer such a question.

First, I just would like to see… What’s your answer? You stand on the balcony and flick your wrist. You send you’re lover in the direction that you choose. What emerges from the door you have so carefully deliberated over?

The Lady, or the Tiger?

Cherry Blossoms and Windchimes,

Wray

[McKitty]

Just went over this in Ap English ...creepy.

Anywho!

I chose the Tiger because even though the Princess loves the man, she says she already caught the two together and lets face it. If you were in her position, would you want to see someone who claimed to love you solely waltz away with some maid he might have been already fooling around with on you?

It's almost human nature. Plus the princess has her father's semibarbaric blood in her so the inclination for bloodshed might already be in her genes.

The Princess chose the Tiger.

edit- Seeing that I had a good three page argument for my point in English, this isn't a good stand alone for my stand on it. So, if there's a debate ..I'll be better on that.

[Edwardo_son_of_haqim]

But he'd know. Would she still expect him to love her in the afterlife after she sent him to his bloody demise.

[McKitty]

I don't think that's registering in her mind when she's going over this. Remember, in the story we get a sneak peek into the princess's head and it's not running over the afterlife. It's running over how eager he is going to the door she choose, how he flirted with that scullery maid, and many other doubts.

[Edwardo_son_of_haqim]

"Would it not be better for him to die at once, and go to wait for her in the blessed regions of semi-barbaric futurity?"

If that had entered her head then surely she must have thought of his reaction to her decision since she did dwell on the subject for days.

[McKitty]

"Would it not be better for him to die at once, and go to wait for her in the blessed regions of semi-barbaric futurity?"

If that had entered her head then surely she must have thought of his reaction to her decision since she did dwell on the subject for days.

Ah but you said "Would she still expect him to love her in the afterlife after she sent him to his bloody demise."

She's not thinking on IF he's going to still love her (Which is how I translated what you posted,correct me if I got it wrong). I beleive she's thinking he IS going to still and understand why she chose the Tiger.

[Edwardo_son_of_haqim]

But surely she wouldn't risk killing him to find him resentful in the afterlife

[McKitty]

But surely she wouldn't risk killing him to find him resentful in the afterlife

I think she thinks that he'll understand why she did what she did. And before, her father's "semibarbaric" blood is coursing through her veins so that might make her more inclined to kill him. Afterall, if she gices him the door to the lady, she would be suffering alone while he gets to go have a new life with someone he already knows.

[Edwardo_son_of_haqim]

Understand what exactly that she'd rather see him dead than happy with someone else or am I missing something.

[McKitty]

Understand what exactly that she'd rather see him dead than happy with someone else or am I missing something.

No, you got what I was trying to say. What I got from the story was that the princess is like her father in some way and she's also implusive. And let me ask you this ((Now that I found my notes on this debate in my class))

What would your FIRST impluse be if you were in her position? Wouldn't it be giving him to the Tiger? Granted, if you thought on it long enough you might change and let him live his life but still, that thought of leading him to his death rather then letting him live a happy life with someone he may already love will be in your mind.

Now think this: What if the Princess really hadn't that much time to think? Yes we peek in her brain but thought can be faster then light and therefore, what if she chose too soon and led him to the Tiger, even if later on she wanted him to live.

She believed the man was already seeing the maid, she wanted him to suffer, maybe she made her choice too soon and though she picked the Tiger, maybe her mind rationaled that the dorr should have been the lady?

[Edwardo_son_of_haqim]

But as it discribes her staying up debateing the question ergo I am inclined to belive she had plenty of time to think this through and chose the latter option.

[McKitty]

But as it discribes her staying up debateing the question ergo I am inclined to belive she had plenty of time to think this through and chose the latter option.

Before the event itself, yes. But actually faced with the event, I think she went impulsively.

[Edwardo_son_of_haqim]

I'm sorry but I still don't think that barbaric though she may be that she would throw him away so haphazardly.

[McKitty]

I'm sorry but I still don't think that barbaric though she may be that she would throw him away so haphazardly.

She believes the man has already been cheating on her (if she doesn't believe, she suspects it) She's probably going to be a little annoyed, more like pissed off that the man gets away almost scot-free with this maid and she's have to live with seeing them together for the rest of her days.

[Edwardo_son_of_haqim]

She believes the man has already been cheating on her (if she doesn't believe, she suspects it) She's probably going to be a little annoyed, more like pissed off that the man gets away almost scot-free with this maid and she's have to live with seeing them together for the rest of her days.

After much deliberation I have drawn the conclusion that your probably right.

Sorry to anyone who just read this tread I can't play devil's advocate anylonger

[Xzengrim]

I said that I'd like to see the guy get eaten, because that is the more dramatic answer, plus I like the ol' Ultraviolence with extra blood spray.

But seriously... the lady or the tiger... let's just have both! A sexy weretiger!! mmmmmm, delicious! Grr!

[blueeyes]

The choice that lies before our heroine is that she could either send her now ex-lover to death or herself to purgatory. Hate is a simple emotion to get over; someone else would eventually appeal to the princess. On the other hand, should she kill the man, she would forever remember him as he was, unknowing of that possible future. As a result, I think that she would likely choose the lady.
But that just relies on the animal mentality.
I've heard it said that all women have fangs, however... so it could be both.

[McKitty]

After much deliberation I have drawn the conclusion that your probably right.

Sorry to anyone who just read this tread I can't play devil's advocate anylonger

You're a good opponent. :) I enjoy debating, it's one of my favorite pastimes if done right.

The choice that lies before our heroine is that she could either send her now ex-lover to death or herself to purgatory. Hate is a simple emotion to get over; someone else would eventually appeal to the princess. On the other hand, should she kill the man, she would forever remember him as he was, unknowing of that possible future. As a result, I think that she would likely choose the lady.

True, hate is very easy to get over. But is it impulsive? Very much so. I believe that the princess's claws as you put it came out and she irrationaly led him to the tiger.

[Klark]

And suddenly I feel the need to say one thing.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

I'm with McKitty on this one, she may have done it irrationally, but to her, her actions were totally rationalized.

[McKitty]

And suddenly I feel the need to say one thing.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

I'm with McKitty on this one, she may have done it irrationally, but to her, her actions were totally rationalized.

My point exactamaly.

[LV426]

Guys, all of you missed Wray's question. He asked what your choice would be, not what her choice would be.


Mine, well I would choose the tiger.

[McKitty]

Guys, all of you missed Wray's question. He asked what your choice would be, not what her choice would be.


Mine, well I would choose the tiger.

Oh, well, we still had a nice debate.

I would choose the Tiger as well. I'm selfish like that.

[Klark]

Tiger. Why you ask?

Hell hath no fury like a Klarky scorned. :D

[Wraywolf]

I just remembered that I promised to give my opinion on this! Go me!

Anyway, thanks to anyone who is still interested enough in this topic to read my reply.

To understand such a question as this, first must be measured the powers of emotion versus the swiftness of anger, and the connotations of each.
The ability to cognate and think over a proposition is NOT, contrary to popular belief, an exclusively human trait. Animals are able to exercise the power to make a decision all the time, weather it is to decide to look for food, or to continue sleeping instead, it is still a power that they possess. A mode of thought that is specifically human, though, and a powerful variable in the Lady, Tiger equation, is the capacity for human beings to waver and question there own resolution, where other life forms only react to a current situation. This small, seemingly insignificant difference in our thought process spawns such things as guilt, malice, embarrassment, and perhaps even love, along with many other things which we have dubbed ‘emotions’.

However, emotions aren’t to any degree simple, as my cut and dry explanation of them may suggest. They are complicated beyond words, as words are a device used to simplify emotions, making them useless when it comes to conveying emotions without compromising vital elements.

Which is why it becomes impossible to fully understand the decision of the lady, without answering the question yourself!
The description of the lady, a half barbarian, half lover, is a simplified description of the default human psyche! It is a blank template, that you as a person must fill. You cannot anser this question, without choosing the one you would logically choose.

And, having that said, what would my lover see opening the door?

The lady…

I debated over it, and I simply would never be able to look at myself again if I were to see my lover ripped to shreds in front of my eyes, because of me. I choose for his safety, and I in turn will be happy that I did not murder someone I loved for my own selfish whims.

Plus, blood makes me squeamish.

Cherry blossoms and windchimes,

Wray

[Krav Volder]

I agree with Wray in account of sending my lover to the lady rather than the tiger, though my reasons are slightly different. I can entirely stand bloodshed, although I am a pacifist and much dislike it... I have been in love a couple of times and I know what it feels like to be heartbroken, and myself, like Wray, could never see myself again if I sent someone who I loved to their demise at the claws of a tiger. No, I would choose the Lady, because even though it'd hurt me, I'd want the person I love to be happy, no matter what.... and I'm preeeety sure he wouldn't be happy having his insides relocated by a hungry tiger...

[Goth Girl]

Tiger. That way the guy dies (yay for vengence), and the maid would have to suffer, even if only for a short while. While I'd feel nothing of him as a lover, cuz once he'd betray me he'd no longer be my lover. Besides, I could always just go find a new one, right? See, that way I'd get my way threefold. Dead cheater, sad maid, new lover. :) Besides, someone's gotta keep the tiger fed.

[Vendetta]

You have NO IDEA of the forces you're dealing with!
http://www.bastardy.frih.ne t/temp/Orpheus02.gif