The Lady and the Tiger – English Short Story
The short story, The Lady and the Tiger is based around the life of a princess and the justice system along time ago. The punishment for all crime big or small was to be placed into an arena with two doors in front of you.
Behind one door stood a tiger and your death, and behind the other stood a beautiful woman for you to get married to and have a happy future ahead of you. If you were to get the lady it proves that you are innocent and you receive your award right away. If you were to get the door with the tiger it shows that you are guilty and you have to have consciences right away and you are killed. The ending of the story is left up in the air and it is your decision to choose based on the perception you have of the princess’s character. Based on the facts of the story it comes down to if you believe she picks the door for jealousy or for her love of this man.
The facts in the story could lead anyone one way or another it is pretty much based on how you interpret the situations in the story. The tiger may have come out because of many reasons, the princesses was said to be spoiled, paranoid, semi-barbaric and many other things leading to the jealousy of seeing the man happy to be with anyone but her. She may have also picked this door because she knew that the agony of not being together was solved very easily and quickly for the both of them.
However my feelings of which door she directed him to was the lady. With all her jealousy, her love, and her emotions are stronger and if they were to be truly in love she could not stand to watch the man she loved be killed right in front of her eyes. Especially, knowing that it would be her decision whether he was brought to his death or shown mercy. The things that were said about the man getting killed and wrestled by the tiger was a nightmare of what could have happened if she were to have chosen the door with the tiger behind it. She loved this man and anyone truly in love would want the best for her partner even if it may be difficult for them.
I did not even question which door I thought the princess directed the man to when I first read this short story, but when people started to speak their views on why they thought she may have chosen the tiger I could easily have seen it leaning either way. I thought and tried to pick apart every small thing which may have made the decision easier. In the end my decision had stayed the same and not shifted. I think the main reason is because with what I have seen in my life is that if you are truly in love your emotions over come jealousy and you would have directed the man to a happy future instead of a brutal death.