The Lady or the Tiger Frank Stockton (U.S.A)

v  Plot

      A semi barbaric king discovers his daughter is having an unlawful affair with a male suitor. The male suitor is soon arrested and forced to go to trial, a trial that consists of an arena with two doors. Behind one door is a tiger, set to maul the unlucky criminal; behind the other is a beautiful bride, set to euphemistically maul the lucky criminal. The princess, who loves the young criminal, knows behind which door awaits the tiger, points to the right, indicating which door the young man should choose.

ü  Conflict

·         The conflict in the story is when the princess struggles between watching her lover in the arms of another or watching her lover get devoured by a tiger.

ü  Climax

·         The climax in the story is when the male suitor is arrested and forced to go to trial where there are two doors that may lead him to the princess or the tiger.

ü  Denouement

·         For me, the story has no resolution. It is up to the reader to determine whether or not the young man lives or dies.

v  Characters

ü  Protagonist:

·         Young man- the handsome suitor of the princess.

·         Princess- daughter of the king.

ü  Antagonist:

·         King – the semi barbaric ruler of the kingdom.

v  Setting

ü  Time- very olden time

ü  Location- semi barbaric kingdom and trial arena.

v  Theme

      The theme of the story is life process because it tells the dark forces in the young man’s environment to be specific is the trial custom of their society.

v  Point of view

      The narrator is third person and omniscient because the narrator is not a participant in the story and focuses on the character of the young man and omniscient because the narrator controls everything in the story and knows the fate of the young man.

v  Conflict

      A man vs. man conflict exists between the king and his daughter and the king and the young man. Also, man vs. society conflict exists between the two young lovers and the rules of the kingdom.

v  Symbol

      The symbol for this story is the door which will dictate the fate of anyone in trial in the arena.

v  Moral lesson

      True justice should not be depended upon the trial by fate for I believe that it can be manipulated by luck.