“The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton takes place in a semi-barbaric nation ruled by a semi-barbaric king. One of the defining features if the kingdom is its way of trying those accused of a crime. The accused is put in a Roman inspired arena. He will then choose between two doors, one which contains a hungry tiger, the other a lady whom he will be immediately married to. One day the king’s daughter is discovered to be in love with a young man who instantly gets tossed into the arena. When he is about to chose which door to open, he looks at her for a gesture, which she gives. However, the story ends there, and no conclusion is offered. So which door did the princess choose? Furthermore, what is Stockton trying to say about humans and the world?
At the end of the story, Stockton explains the princess’s struggle to decide which door to have her lover open. She could either have him live and marry another woman who she despises, or watch him get shredded by a tiger. He asks the readers the question of what door she chooses, never providing his own answer. This is intended, because the question is best left unanswered. Throughout the story there is much evidence that alludes to this. For example, the king used to be barbaric, but after Roman influence, he is now halfway between barbaric and civilized. The trials also reflect this halfway point. One outcome is tragic, and the other is pleasant. In addition, the king thinks of the trials to be “perfectly fair”, as there is an equal chance of uncertainty between the outcomes. The ideas of semi-barbarism, 50/50, and uncertainty should be a part of the ending too. Stockton also never shows any bias towards civilization or barbarism, which further supports the idea that the ending has to be left without an answer.
Like mentioned earlier, Stockton writes that the princess spent days pondering the fate of the young man. Her two options are reflective of the driving forces of love. There is the selfish side, shown through her loathing of the idea of the man spending his life with another woman. Also present is the selfless side that wants the best for her better half, because even though he is with someone else, at least the one she loves is alive. The lack of a conclusion also means the lack of an answer to which driving force of love is stronger. It is likely Stockton is saying that love is a balance of both.
After examining “The Lady or the Tiger”, the ending is clearly not just a cheap cliffhanger. The themes of the story require it to be left unconcluded, and it also shows how love is a mixture of selfish and selflessness.