The Lady or the Tiger

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Imagine the feeling of not being able to love the person who truly care about. In Frank R. Stockton’s short story “The Lady or the Tiger,” a barbaric princess has to make a very important decision. This choice she makes may or may not affect somebodies living state. The princess believes that, “It was one of the loveliest of the damsels in the court who was selected as the reward if that door was chosen. The princess hated her (Stockton 302). Since the princess hates her, does she want the tiger to kill her lover, or not? This demonstrates how the princess only wants him to herself. The question everyone wants to know is, “Who door does the lover choose?” “The semi barbaric princess, her soul at a white heat beneath the combined fires of despair, and jealousy” (Stockton 303). This quote is saying through all of this she wants her lover to be happy, but she wants him all to herself. Many people say that through love you experience bad things. That just means something better will come out of that love and the relasonship that they are in. Maybe not, peoples status on another change each and every day, which means one day you could love this person but the then hate them the next. People all around the world even back to these medieval times go through this “change.” Towards the end of the story the barbaric princess starts to realize he should be mauled by the tiger. This is proved by Stockton saying ,”Would it not be better for him to die at once, and go wait for her in the blessed regions of semi barbaric futurity” (Stockton 304). This is just saying that if he was to die he would wait for her in a heavenly place where they can be together forever, no judgment, or hate. It seems crazy to want your lover to be dead, but it just means you love them so much that you don’t want anyone else to have that them. The short story written by Frank R.

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