The Lady, Or The Tiger?

750 Words3 Pages
Unit Four Text I The Lady, or the Tiger? Part I Frank R. Stockton Frank Stockton:Frank R. Stockton was born in 1834 in U.S.A. He wrote many humorous stories. When “The Lady, or the Tiger?” was published in 1882, it caused excitement all over the country. Many letters asked for an answer to the question which the story asks. Wisely, Stockton never answered any of the letters. The story remains as fresh today as it was then. Frank Stockton died in 1902. Try to answer some of the questions after your first reading: (1) When does the story take place? (2) What kind of people appear in the story? (3) How many people do you remember in the story? (4) Does the story ask a question, or give an answer? (5) What does the story seem to be about? (6) What are a few interesting words that you remember? (7) Do you think you will enjoy reading the story? Why or why not? The King: • He was semi-barbaric. • Ruthless and bloodthirsty, the King was also partly compassionate. • This set him up for great internal conflict between good and evil. The Princess: • Much like her father, she was semi barbaric. • Violating her father’s social code, she fell in love with one of his subjects. • She also suffered internal conflict. The Princess’ Lover: • He was of a lower socioeconomic class than the princess. • This commoner was charged with the crime of falling in love with the princess, an offense of which he was guilty. • He was to be tried by the King’s judicial system. The Judicial System: • In the judicial system created by the king, the accused was given a choice between two doors. • Whatever was behind the door was one’s fate. • Because it was based on luck, this system
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