To find the perfect title, I’ve been combing through a lot of old poetry, stories, etc. It’s so nice when you stumble across somethign you haven’t read in years, and remember the way it made you feel when first you read it. (Dylan Thomas gave me a little chill yesterday).
This morning, however, I read a good old story that could always conjure up a lively debate at the dinner table in my college dining hall. The Lady or the Tiger?
So, what do *you* think? The lady, or the tiger?
Be back later with my thoughts…
April 26th, 2006 at 9:22 am
I haven’t read that story in YEARS! I need to go dig it up.
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April 26th, 2006 at 9:30 am
Okay, re-read it. My answer? The Lady.
If the princess was powerful and semi-barbaric enough to find out that which her father did not even know–which room held the Lady and which held the Tiger–she surely had the power to watch her lover marry, then have the wife murdered later on so she could take up her secret affair with her lover. Eventually, her father would die, she’d be queen and she could have anyone she wanted in her bed.
Well, that’s what I would do.
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April 26th, 2006 at 11:40 am
I think she indicated the Lady as well. If she really loved him, watching him being ripped to pieces by the Tiger would be too difficult, and like Julie said she could probably find a way around the marriage thing. If she didn’t really love him, then she probably wouldn’t care about him marrying someone else, and would also indicate the Lady. The only exception to this is if she doesn’t love him and also she doesn’t mind watching a Tiger maul him, in which case she’d probably pick the Tiger. I think I’m getting too technical with this, so I say again: The Lady.
Thanks for reminding me of that story—I really like it!
-C.C.
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April 26th, 2006 at 1:01 pm
One of the cool things about homeschooling is sharing these stories with your kids under the guise of “study”. My children were enthralled by this story and we spent a long time dicussing the issue. We all decided on the lady too, because anything else would be unbearable.
Another one the freaked them out was Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. That was fun to read them!
Teri
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April 26th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
I think the Tiger, definitely.
She HATED the lady, and if she was barbaric enough to come to this psectacle, then she was barbaric enought o let her lover be torn apart rather than amrry another woman.
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April 26th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
Hmmm… here’s a thought. Her lover trusted her blindly, didn’t even hesitate in striding over and opening the door on the right that she indicated. Now, how much did he know and love her? Did he trust her to save his life? Was he willing to die for lack of her love (romance writer in me…). If they were truly in love then I would say that it was the Lady behind the door because the princess would hold that trust to the end – her lover’s trust that she would save him. It’s kind of interesting to think about his blind trust in her, that he didn’t second guess her decision (of course, what else did he really have?)
Now, what would I do… that’s another question
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April 26th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
I’m with Diana – definitely the tiger. I think woman are far more barbaric than men. We just hide it in a prettier package.
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April 26th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
Can’t say that Diana and Jana or wrong, of course…just how I’d do it if I were her! Great question, Diana. Did you find a good title?
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April 27th, 2006 at 7:19 am
where r u seeing a story 2 read? i don’t no this story & would like 2 read it.
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