An Appreciation of the Lady or the Tiger by Frank Richard Stockton.docx
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An Appreciation of the Lady or the Tiger by Frank Richard Stockton.docx
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AnAppreciationoftheLadyortheTigerbyFrankRichardStockton
AnAppreciationoftheLady,ortheTiger?
byFrankRichardStockton
By高燕平
英语101
StudentIDNumber:
201003014116
May29th,2013
TableofContents
1.Introduction…………….………………………………………...……….……….….
1
2.FrankR.Stockton……………………………………...............................………..…
2
3.TheappreciationoftheStory.…………………..……………...............…………….
3
4.CharacteristicsofMainRoles………………………….........................……………..
9
4.1TheKing…………………………………………………………..............……..……..
9
4.2ThePrincess……………………………………………………...….................………
9
4.3ThePrincess’slover…………………………………………………………………….
9
5.TheThemeofthestory.………………………………………………....…………….
10
5.1TheTheme:
ChoicesandConsequences………............................……….…...………
10
5.2TheTheme:
Betrayal………………………..............................................……...……………...
11
5.3TheTheme:
Beauty………..……...........................………..………………………….
11
5.4TheTheme:
LoveandPassion………..……………..………..............................…….
12
6.Conclusion…..…………………..…………………..…………..................………..…
12
Bibliography…..…………………..…………………..…………………..………………
1.Introduction
AsthemostpopularshortstorywrittenbyFrankR.Stockton,theLady,ortheTiger?
knownforitssuspendingend,sparkedheatedandenduringdiscussion,stillremainedastapleinliteratureclasses.Howcouldafairytalebesofascinatingastodrawperennialattentionamongreaders?
Thepresentpaperisanattempttoexplorethedepthofthestoryandthesubliminalmessageofthetexttothrowlightonreaders’understandingofStockton’sworks.
2.FrankR.Stockton
FrankR.StocktonwasborninPhiladelphiain1834.Hewasoneofnineteenchildren.Hismother,whowashisfather'ssecondwife,broughttotheoldNewJerseystockamixtureofFrenchandIrishblood,whichmaypartlyaccountforthecapriciouscharmofStockton'sfancies.
Hisfatherwasafiercecontroversialist,writingstingingpamphletsagainsttheJesuits,slavery,intemperance,andhavingaspecialabhorrenceofnovels.
WhenFrankemergedfromamischievousboyhood,hebegantostudyengravingonwood.Eventhenhewrotefairystories,andcontributedtosomeoftheNewYorkpapers.
In1860,hemarriedMissMarionTuttleofVirginiaandsoonaftercametoNutleytolive.AboutthistimehetookapositiononHearthandHome,andin1873becameassociateeditorofSt.Nicholas.
Thenfollowedyearsofgivingouthisuniquestories,quaint,impossiblefanciestoldinastraight-forwardmatter-of-factmannerwhichmadeanyquestioningoftheirprobabilityseemquitepreposterous.AndFrankStocktondiedin1902.
TheLadyandtheTigerwritten,soithasbeensaid,foraneveningpartyatMr.Boardman'sinNutley,hasbeentranslatedintomanylanguages,andonedayinIndiaagroupofHinduswereheardgravelydiscussingtheprobablefateofthehero.
3.TheappreciationoftheStory
Intellingthestory,Stocktondesignedanancientcountryasthebackgroundwheretherelivedasemi-barbarickingwhoinstitutesasavagepenalsystemgloriedbyhimselfasanembodimentofthe“poeticjustice”.
Asisprescribedbythisprimallegalsystem,whenasubjectisaccusedofacrimeseriousenoughtointeresttheking,hewouldbetakentoanarenainwhichtherearetwodoors—behindoneofthemisaravenoustigerandtheotheralady.Theaccusedpersonisgivenachancetoopeneitherofthemtodecidehisfate.Ifhechoosestheformer,hewouldberippedintopiecesbythetigerasapunishmentforhiscrime.Butifchancedecidesotherwisewithhischoiceofthelatter,hewouldbemarriedtothatlady.Thesystemisthusapplaudedbyallsubjectsforits“absolutejustice”.
Whenonedaythekinghappenedtodiscovertheromancebetweenhischerisheddaughterandayoungmanfarbeneathherstatus,hedoesn’thesitateforasinglemomenttoimplementhis“greatschemeofretributionandreward”.Theyoungman,asaresult,isforcedtobethisluckinthearena.Beforehemadeadecisionbetweenlifeanddeath,however,hecasthisinquisitiveeyesupontheprincess,who,withhergreatpower,hasmadeplaintoherselfthesecretofthedoors.Thencamethemostelaborateandintricatedescriptionoftheinnerconflictoftheprincesswhois,asamatteroffact,searedbythechoicedayandnight.Lovingtheyoungmanwithgreatardorandfiery,sheisreluctanttoseethetragedyofherlover’sbeingdevouredbythetiger;butherreluctanceisgreatertoseehimtietheknotwiththefairlady,towardwhomsheharboredabysmaljealousyandvenom.Wouldshesaveherloverforoldtimes’sake?
Orwouldshesteelherheartandpreferherlover’sdeathtohismarryinganotherone?
Readersholdtheirbreathandwaitforanimmediateanswerastheprincessmakesasecretgesturetoonedoor.
Yetthestoryendsabruptlyhere.StocktonrefrainsfrommakinganypersonalchoicebetweentheLadyandtheTiger.Infact,hisownvoiceasthewritervanishesintheend,leavingamplescopeforeveryreadertosearchhisownconscienceandaskhimselfthenaturalquestion:
“whatwouldIchooseifIweretheprincess?
”
Theopenendjusthasinitallpossibilitiesforexploration.Sincethepublicationofthestory,amultitudeofsequelshaveturnedupto“roundoffthesuspensefulstory”asthusintended.
However,“thelady,orthetiger”isfarbeyondastoryoradetectivefictionmerelyforthepublicentertainmentoramusement.Behinditslegendaryplotthereliesprofoundliferealitywhichnecessitatesaclosescrutiny.
Inanarrowsense,Stocktonfictionalizesalovedilemmainwhichsomeofuswouldbeentangled,yetmorebroadly,itisalifeconfusionthatallofuswouldencounter.
Theheroine’semotionalconflictis,asamatteroffact,arevelationofmankind’spreoccupationwithself-interestwhichhasgonesowildastodimlove,thenoblesthumanemotion,intotriviality.Ifloveisbenevolence,blessinganddevotionaseternallyextolled,theyoungmancouldnaturallyescapethejawofDeathbytheprincess’smercytohimthatisonlytoocommonbetweendotinglovers.
Ironically,itisnoneotherthan,theprincessheloveswithhiswholebeingwhoisirresoluteinthrowingthelightofcompassionwhenhislifeisonarazor’sedge.Itcanbeeasilyfoundthatthehesitationisduetohercommitmenttooppositepoles,onecommitmenttoherlover’sinterestandtheothertoherowninterest.
Andasanythinkingreaderscoulddiscern,whateverherchoiceis,theprincesscan’tbesparedthelossofherlover,theonlydifferencebeinghisdeathandhismarriagetoanothergirl.Hervexation,thatistosay,doesn’tprimarilyoriginatefromthedeprivationofherbelovedone,butfromherperversereluctanceofallowinganyoneelsetotakewhatsheherselfwouldlosepossessionof.Sheclaimstolovehimwithallfervorandenthusiasm.
Butsomewhereinhersoullurksthesparkofegoism,which,iffuelledbyimpulsion,wouldspreadintoabigblazeburningdownallaroundher.Herlovetowardtheyoungsteristhusinitsnaturepossessiveandselfishthatgoastrayfromtheessenceoftruelove.
Theyoungmanistakenonlyasherpersonalbelongingoranembellishmentservingherneedsandcomforts.Egoismfromwithingetstheupperhandoflove.Theviolentemotionalconflictsharassingherminddayandnightexplainnothingbutherprevailingselfishnessandhegemonymentality.
Thoughnothingisexposedintheend,stillsomecluescouldbecaughtbymeticulousreaders.Stocktondoesdevotemoreendeavorsindepictingaself-interestedheroine.Thevagueend,asaresult,couldnotconcealherseamyside,letaloneabsolveherfromthesinofapathyandselfishness.Inthissense,itisnottheyoungmanbuttheprincesswhoisactuallyunderthetrial------inthecourtofconscience.
Afictitiousstoryasitis,TheLady,ortheTigerisatruereflectionofthedarksideofhumannatureinreality.Theprincessisinthetaledepictedasa“semi-barbaric”soulwithbeastlynature,afactbespeakingherferocityandabsurdityofthechoiceitself.
However,can’titbesaidthatthesemi-barbaricheroineisseizedbytheegoism,thatiseasytoidentifyinmanyofhercivilizedcounterparts.Itisnotuncommonthatmodernmentirelesslyjostlewitheachotherforfameandfortune,crushdiscordminds,slaughtertheirpeersandevenprovokesiblingwars,allmerelyforthepurposeofmaximizingtheirowninterest.
Aren’tthesecivilizedbeingjustasselfishasasemi-barbariccreaturewhenwedgedbetweentheirowninterestandotherpeople?
Inthisway,theevilofegoismhiddenintheheartofmodernmenisstartlinglyalikewiththeancientvulgarbeings.Insteadofusingdidacticmoralizing,however,thewriterappliescleverhumorandanincompleteplottoinvokereaders’attentionandpokeatjealousy,violence,selfishnessandotherhumanfoibles.ItisvintageStockton,indeed.
Apartfromthat,amultitudeofvividmetaphors,vibrantdescriptionandelaborately-chosendictiongreatlyspiceupthestoryandsetitstoneasalightandhumorousone.Theseamalgamofelementshelpstoattainthewriter’sgoalofmockingatthemoderncivilizationnotviolentlybutinamoderateway,whichcontributestothesustainingappealoftheworkuponreaders.
4.CharacteristicsofMainRoles
4.1TheKing
TheKingwassemibarbaric,ruthlessandblood-thirsty,hewasalsopartlycompassionate.Thissethimupforgreatinternalconflictbetweengoodandevil.
4.2ThePrincess
Theprincesswasmuchlikeherfather.Shewassemibarbaric,ferventandimperious.Shewantedtoviolateherfather’ssocialcodeandfellinlovewithoneofthehissubjects.Shewassuspici
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