“The Lady or the Tiger”

“The Lady or the Tiger” Discussion

Our Focus • Difficult choices and “lose-lose” situations • Conflicts in the story • How to use characterization to predict the outcome.

Question to consider • Have you ever felt as if you were “caught between a rock and a hard place”- where you needed to make a decision between two courses of action and neither option seemed quite right?

Historical Background • In the middle ages, guilt or innocence was decided by an “ordeal” • A person was physically tested, and the outcome determined guilt or innocence- accusers believed that God controlled what happened • Example: Ordeal by water: the accused was tied up and thrown into deep water- a person who floated was thought to be guilty, and a person who sank was thought to be innocent

The Romans • During the early years of Christianity, the Romans had a practice of putting Christians in the arena with lions, where they were mauled to death for their beliefs • This was also done for entertainment

SATIRE • A LITERARY WORK THAT RIDICULES ITS SUBJECT THROUGH TECHNIQUES IN ORDER TO MAKE A COMMENT OR CRITICISM ABOUT IT

FOUR TECHNIQUES OF SATIRE • Exaggeration: enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal bounds • Incongruity: present things that are out of place or absurd in relation to its surroundings • Reversal: present the opposite of the normal order • Parody: imitate the techniques and style of some person, place, or thing

SHREK AND SATIRE • List common elements found in fairy tales: • Usually begins with “once upon a time” • May include fantasy, make believe/magic • Good and evil are clearly defined and include a problem that needs solving • Royalty are often present (kings, queens, princesses etc.) • Usually has a happy ending

After viewing the movie clips, list details that depart from the typical fairy tale: • Parody: Fiona (not a damsel in distress) • Exaggeration: Robin Hood (mockery with dancing) • Reversal: Shrek & Donkey (scared and don’t help • Exaggeration/parody of Disney: Exploding Bird (mockery of animated musical genre)

Setting • What types of stories does the setting remind you of? • Why do you think the author chose this type of setting? • Do you think it has anything to do with the author’s tone?

The King • How is the king characterized?

Famous quotes… • “He was greatly given to self-communing, and, when he and himself agreed upon anything, the thing was done.” • “…whenever there was a little hitch, and some of his orbs got out of their orbits, he was blander and more genial still, for nothing pleased him so much as to make the crooked straight and crush down uneven places.” • “It mattered not that he might already possess a wife and family, or that his affections might be engaged upon an object of his own selection; the king allowed no such subordinate arrangements to interfere with his great scheme of retribution and reward.” • “This was the king's semi-barbaric method of administering justice. Its perfect fairness is obvious.”

The Trial System • Summarize the trial system • How does this system suit the king’s personality?

Human Nature • What truths about human nature does the author point out when he says that the institution was popular? • Provide other examples where this truth is apparent.

The Princess • Semibarbaric, fervent (passionate) and imperious (commanding), “blossoming as [the king’s] most florid (elaborate) fancies.” • How would you characterize the princess? • How is she similar to a fairytale princess? Different?

Young man- the accused • Has a fineness of blood and lowness of station • Why is the king so upset about this romance? • How is the young man characterized?

The relationship • Characterize the relationship between the princess and the young man

Paragraph Assignment • Topic: Does the princess choose the lady or the tiger? • Graphic Organizer Due: __________We will talk about your paper in class, and you will do a self-check based on our discussion. • Then, you will write your paragraph based on your MelCON graphic organizer. Be sure you carefully review the rubric for this assignment. Don’t be lazy; revise your paper until you have it perfect!! • Then, submit your paper to Turnitin.com and print a receipt • On _________you will turn in a hard copy of your paper, your printed receipt, and your MelCON. Your final paper should be no less that 8 sentences, and no more than 11 sentences, unless you need to write more than one sentence in your concluding statement (CON). Points possible: 50

Sample Topic: Is Tessie Hutchinson’s final fate fair? Why or why not? • Do not start with "I think" or "I feel" or "I believe" • Do not start with YES or NO • Your first sentence is the key idea you are trying to prove • Sample Main Idea (Topic Sentence): In Shirley Jackson’s ”The Lottery,” Tessie Hutchinson’s final fate was fair because she was aware of the rules of the lottery and she had the same chance that everyone else had in winning the lottery. • Your paragraph: In Frank Stockton’s “The Lady or the Tiger?” the princess chooses __________ because __________.

Now for each example you give, you must link it back to the fact that Tessie Hutchinson’s final fate was fair. (explain) • Sample Evidence 1: To begin with, Tessie Hutchinson knew that according to the rules of the lottery, one person from the village of 300 would be chosen to be stoned to death; yet she never debated the fairness of the lottery until her family was chosen. • Your Evidence: 1st reason to support why the princess chose the lady or the tiger - you may use a quote from the story, but this is not required.

Link your example back to your key idea • Sample Link: Although late, Tessie willingly showed up for the lottery, joked with her neighbors, and never vocally opposed this annual event until losing her life became a reality. Then and only then, did she cry out, “It isn’t fair. It isn’t right.” • Your paragraph: Explain how your evidence clearly shows why the princess chooses the lady or the tiger

Moving from your 1st link to your 2nd example • Find two other examples of evidence and link them back to your first sentence. • Make sure you use transitions between each example • Transition and evidence # 2: Another way to look at the fairness of Tessie Hutchinson’s final fate is due to the fact. . .

Con(conclusion): End your paragraph with a concluding statement to wrap up your ideas • Thus, Tessie Hutchinson’s final fate was fair. She knew the rules of the lottery and willingly participated. Only after her husband chose the paper with the black dot did she cry out that “it wasn’t fair.” If the Hutchinson family had not been this year’s lottery winner, we can safely assume we would not have heard a peep out of Tessie.

“The Lady or the Tiger”