The Lady, or the Tiger?

[Khamûl]

Take a few minutes to read this story. It won't take long, maybe just 10 or 15 minutes, and then answer the question:

The Lady, or the Tiger? (http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frank_R_Stockton/The_Lady_or_the_Tiger/The_Lady_or_the_Tiger_p1.html)

[Spock]

The Lady because I'd not want to be responsible for the pain and suffering of the other. Also the lady might die :D while the tiger will just get hungry again.;)

[Shadowfax]

Oh, I had to read this story in grade 10 english class and write an ending to it. It was interesting.

[Earniel]

Mmmm... interesting dilemma. We'll probably never know just what came through the door. But after some considering, I'd say the tiger came.

[katya]

I read this last year in English (9th grade). I don't think we will ever know, really, but I would guess that it was the tiger. Although I would hope it was the lady. I would've had the lady come out myself. Neat story. I like short stories with cool plots like that. By the way, this is my 500th post. :)

[Sheeana]

Given her upbringing, I'm inclined to believe the tiger came out.

[IronParrot]

Ah, I remember this short story. The textbook example of the ambiguous ending, if I recall.

My personal slant on it is something that I call the "Schrodinger's Cat" approach. I think it could be both the Lady AND the Tiger until the result is determined by the effects of observing the outcome. :)

[Khamûl]

Actually, I'm leaning toward the lady. She's the king's daughter, so she has power. If the lady comes out and the two get married, she can just have her discreetly killed off and take her man back.

[elixir]

When we discussed it in school, I was sure that it would be the tiger. I'm not that sure anymore. As she probably decided it at the last moment it could have been either one. Like when you have to make a really hard decision and you think and think and think and at the last moment you just pick one arbitrarily, without thinking. That might be the case because, well, she couldn't decide.

And about killing the lady afterwards, well, she was afraid that he begins to love the lady, and then killing her wouldn't save the situation.


Schrodinger's Cat, eh? When I first told my friend about it, she thought I made it up myself. Though I can't blame her, if I had heard about it from someone else than my father who knows that sort of things, I probably wouldn't have believed it myself.

;) :p :D