How_Is_Jealousy_a_Pervasive_Theme_in_''the_Lady_or_the_Tiger____

How is jealousy a pervasive theme in ``The Lady or the Tiger'`` ' Jealousy is a theme that is present throughout the story ‘’The lady or the Tiger'’’. Written by Frank R. Stockton in 1882, The Lady or the Tiger is a very famous short story about consequences of your actions, jealousy and decisions. The emotion of jealousy permeates the society in which the story is occurring in the 18th century. In the story, there are three ways that jealousy supports this thesis. First, the king is jealous of his daughter’s happiness. Secondly, jealousy is a feeling that is sometimes accompanied by sadness, anger and disgust. Finally, jealousy is mainly perceived by the princess’s character in the story. Main point 1: The king expresses jealousy towards his daughter’s happiness. • Detail: The king subjects his daughter’s lover to judgment in the public arena. • Explanation: The king disapproves of the relationship between his daughter and the lover. • Quotation: ‘’He did not hesitate nor waver in regard to his duty in the premises. The youth was immediately cast into prison, and a day was appointed for his trial in the king’s arena. • Detail: The king loves his daughter more than anything else in the world. • Explanation: He wants to keep her close to him and won’t let anything hurt her. • Quotation: ‘’(…) she was the apple of his eye, and was loved by him above all humanity’’ The father of the princess showed he felt jealousy but not only that. Jealousy is an emotion that can be linked to other feelings also. Main point 2: Jealousy is often accompanied by feelings of anger, sadness and disgust. • Detail: The daughter is very sad about the king’s decision to judge her lover. • Explanation: She still has very strong feelings for her lover and wishes for their relationship to continue. • Quotation: This royal maiden was well satisfied with her lover, for he was handsome and brave to a degree unsurpassed in all this kingdom, and she loved him with an ardor that had enough barbarism in it to make it exceedingly warm and strong. • Detail: The princess would be angry if the lover fell in the love with the other lady. • Explanation: She was thinking about which door to make her lover open the night before the judgment in the arena. • Quotation: ‘’ How often, in her waking hours and in her dreams, had she started in wild horror, and covered her face with her hands as she thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the cruel fangs of the tiger! But how much oftener had she seen him at the other door! (…) and when she had seen them walk together upon their path of flowers.’’ The other emotions that followed jealousy were very present in the story. That brings up the final main point which defines the best form of jealousy in ‘’The lady or the tiger'’’. Main point 3: Finally, jealousy is mainly perceived in the princess’ character in the story. • Detail: She is jealous of the lady who is hiding behind one of the doors. • Explanation: She says she hates her because she is beautiful and she saw her lover walking with her once. • Quotation: ‘’ It was one of the fairest and loveliest of the damsels (…) and the princess hated her.’’ • Detail: She doesn’t want her lover to spend his life with another woman. • Explanation: She wants to live her life with her lover and no one else. She could not live seeing him with another woman. • Quotation: ‘’She had lost him, but who should have him'’’ In conclusion, we can see that one of the major themes of this story, jealousy, was present in the 18th century society. It was majorly pervasive by the king’s character, who expressed jealousy by not wanting his daughter to leave him. Furthermore, the princess also expressed jealousy over her lover when she didn’t know what door she should lead him to because she didn’t want him to fall in love with the lady she hated. At last, we observed that there was more than one form of jealousy felt by an individual. Emotions like sadness, anger and disgust are also emotions linked to jealousy. My personal judgement is that jealousy was in fact a pervasive theme in ‘’The lady or the tiger'’’ because there were many forms of it throughout all of the story. Many characters were also involved in the jealousy actions and thoughts. How is jealousy a pervasive theme in ‘’The lady or the tiger'’’ By Catherine Traer Presented to Ms Vincent-Campbell English École secondaire publique Louis-Riel Monday, October 4th 2010