It is this trickery which differentiate his writing from others. Not a different setting as compared to other fiction of similar nature Stockton planned to lull his reader into believing that it is another medieval plot with the same story line. It this genius of his writing that one see how he manipulates the same kind of characters and storylines to portray human socialization behavior basically the same but changing to the needs of time. .
Some writers use this recipe in a family scenarios, where is there is a father who has abandoned a mother whose poor and scrapping through life and a band of six children ranging from the age of twelve to three.
In the case of this particular story, Stockton, lays the plot with great alacrity and care. Though, any well read reader would be aware of the humdrum in the happenings, but it was his great ability as a writer to so smoothly hold the reader's attention, the beginning was obvious, the momentum grew slowly, started twirling faster and soon like a wanderer lost in a desert, Stockton, brings the thirsty to the oasis. Just to surprise him with a mirage. Once again, the reader, wanders in the desert in seeks of the product, but once again he finds himself even nearer to where he began. And then finally! After reaching a certain point he realizes that the answer, the conclusion to the story, and the oasis was nowhere but within.
And he leaves the reader with an unanswered question and a puzzle to solve. It would not be wrong to suggest that the story can be related to a psycho- analytical quiz -a test of human nature that would be in shape of the preference, of choosing the lady or the tiger.
The lady, can be translated into a symbol of life long misery, yet love of life whereas, the tiger would be the acceptance of the crown of death.
Characterization:.
Even if we take these characters, for not what they were created to do, but for what they really were, it would not be alarming to say that the princess was a character, not very over powering in the beginning, but in the end, she has all the attention of the reader and it lays in her lap, which way to lead the mind's eye.
