The Lady or the Tiger? Group

Topic: Did the tiger come out of the door, or did the lady?

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1

demonz

because i want to know what is the ending of the story of the lady or the tiger

2

Ah, that's the question now, isn't it?  It makes the reader wonder, which was the intent of the author.  By not telling you the ending, he let you create your own (which is why this story is so often used in schools, to generate discussion and even as the source of a writing assignment to provide an ending).  All authors have ways of drawing the reader into the story and making him a co-creator in the story-telling process.  Some are subtle, some (like this) are really "out there."

Sometimes the author will give clues, allowing the reader to draw a reasonable conclusion.  Yet in "The Lady or the Tiger?" no such clues are given, which was deliberate on the part of the author.  Either one could have come out.  It is up to the reader to decide, .  Or else not decide, and wonder about for a long, long time....

3

pmiranda2857

After reading this story, it is my opinion, based on the text quote below that the young man chose the door with the Lady behind it. Here is why.  The Princess can't bear to see the young man die at her instruction.

"How her soul had burned in agony when she had seen him rush to meet that woman, with her flushing cheek and sparkling eye of triumph; when she had seen him lead her forth, his whole frame kindled with the joy of recovered life; when she had heard the glad shouts from the multitude, and the wild ringing of the happy bells; when she had seen the priest, with his joyous followers, advance to the couple, and make them man and wife before her very eyes; and when she had seen them walk away together upon their path of flowers, followed by the tremendous shouts of the hilarious multitude, in which her one despairing shriek was lost and drowned!" (Stockton)

The Princess has gone through a great deal to discover the identity of the two doors.  She loves the young man, but she knows that she can never marry him.  The author gives us much more detail about the Princess's reaction to the marriage of the young man and the lady. 

Even though she questions her decision, I think that she signaled him with the door where the lady stood,  because she loved him, and could not bear to lead him to his death.  She would be far more haunted by this idea, knowing that she was responsible for him being torn apart by the tiger.

 

4

kk3391

The lady came out.

5

briiibabe

we discussed in class. my teacher said no the tiger came out because the princess was soo jealous. thers proof in the story aparently. can u help answer my q?

6

ask996

With all due respect, I think #3 needs to look at the quoted section of text more closely. " How in her grievous reveries had she gnashed her teeth, and torn her hair, when she saw his start of rapturous delight as he opened the door of the lady!" The princess did not want him to find happiness with anyone else. She had a barbaric nature, and she knew that the beautiful young woman had cast glances upon her lover, and she had perceived those glances to be returned. This would not been taken lightly, and it is safe to say it would probably not be forgiven. In addition, let us not forget the "savage blood" that coursed through her and the "barbaric" ancestry she came from, and the fact that she hated the woman behind the door. It would seem that due to her barbaric nature she would have not wanted her lover to find happiness with another woman, and so we could assume she guided him to the door with the tiger.

Now with all that being said, we are told also that her lover ". . . understood her nature. . .", so if that is true then perhaps he would know she might not want any other woman to have him, and he would choose the door opposite the one she directed him to. So if the lady came out, perhaps it was because he outwitted his barabic lover.

7

yvgubhikjmk

In reply to #6:

I think you and # 3 have some solid evidence. but i think you missed the part where it said that he went to the door on the right so he could not have outwitted her.

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