Short Story Comparison

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Tiger’s, Lady’s, and Bird’s do Compare Short stories may seem like simple pieces of literature, but, in reality, they consist of impactful novel-like elements. The two famous short stories, “The Lady or the Tiger” and “The Scarlet Ibis”, are individual stories that share literary elements. Both of these pieces maintain closely related conflicts, differing settings, but the authors do a great job at describing their settings, and the mood of each piece can be understood in numerous ways. Ultimately, a reader knows conflict is what makes any story have meaning or charisma. In “The Scarlet Ibis”, a man versus self-conflict, the protagonist’s issues with pride, can be immediately recognized. When readers are told “They did not know that I did it for myself; that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices […]”, it becomes apparent that the narrator of this story deals with a conflict within himself (Hurst 347). On the other hand, in “The Lady or the Tiger,” the most obvious conflict is man versus society, a criminal versus the king’s justice system. For instance, the story indicates that “crime was punished or virtue rewarded, by the decrees of an impartial and incorruptible chance” (Stockton 299). This explanation allows readers to realize that the justice system of this era wasn’t fair, and that the boy has no say in his punishments. Both of these pieces do have some small man versus man conflict as well. “The Scarlet Ibis” consists of Doodle against his brother, and “The Lady or the Tiger” comprises of the princess against her enemy, the boy’s “secret admirer.” All stories encompass conflict, but the best ones have many forms of it. Of course, conflict without the proper setting would be less enticing for readers. Due to “The Scarlet Ibis” being set in the south of U.S.A around 1918, the story is more relatable for
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