In his chapter about irony, Foster makes a statement that irony does not work for everyone and this is also true for ambiguity. Ambiguity causes the reader to question the story and in some instances it creates questions beyond the story and these types of questions generate thinking. Thinking and discussing thoughts with each other is what sets us apart from other animals.
For example, in Frank Stockton’s short story “The Lady or the Tiger?” a young commoner is put on trial for having an affair with the princess. The trial consists of the accused choosing their own fate by opening one of two doors; one door holds back a hungry tiger while the other hides a beautiful woman whom the criminal would marry. The princess loves the accused, and on the day of the trial she learns the secret of the doors. She knows behind which door lies the tiger and which lies the woman. She has been jealous of the woman that hides behind the door thinking that she may steal her lover. The commoner looks to the princess and she secretly motions him to the right. He opens the door on the right. This story creates one obvious question, What was behind the door, the lady or the tiger? This also leads to bigger questions for some. Those who venture beyond the obvious question must think to answer the question and must question himself. The greater question revealed by this ambiguity is one that we can ask ourselves, would we give in to natural feelings (jealousy) or would we strive to be more than animals? The readers that do not reach this mind stretching question are either scared to open up their minds or they never learned to think this way. People think about everything and anything. Even during the heaviest slumber humans are active thinkers. People never stop thinking so to think is to be alive.
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteAside from the author forcing me to ponder this absolutely symbolic story with no absolution whatsoever, I like the instance of ambiguity in "The Lady or the Tiger?" It provides archetypal symbols of death and love while also introducing issue of trust and mistrust between the two forbidden lovers. The princess does not have to direct him to safety, and the man on trial does not have to open the door she chooses for him (although he does, which proves his trust in her). With ambiguity in play, we know not if the princess desires her lover's happiness over her rival's happiness. We know that the two ladies do not like each other, but that's it. The ambiguity helps create drama and evokes fundamental questions of the battle between love and hate.
Nick
Stephen, I really like your interpretation of Foster’s explanation on ambiguity. Ambiguity is a fantastic literary tool that can be used by writers (such as Stockton) to really engage readers with what’s happening in the text. Like you said, the ability to interpret and discuss abstract ideas such as literary concepts are what separates us from animals, and ambiguity really allows us to do that. That’s why we find mystery novels and cliffhangers to be so enjoyable- we are intrigued by the unknown. Questioning the story is a good sign of a deep understanding of the text, and this is why Foster holds the concept of ambiguity to be a significant literary choice. “The Lady or the Tiger?” is iconic not for its story, but for the effect that the story has on us. Our desire to know the in’s and out’s of every story is what makes ambiguity such a powerful tool.
ReplyDeleteStephen, I really like your interpretation of Foster’s explanation on ambiguity. Ambiguity is a fantastic literary tool that can be used by writers (such as Stockton) to really engage readers with what’s happening in the text. Like you said, the ability to interpret and discuss abstract ideas such as literary concepts are what separates us from animals, and ambiguity really allows us to do that. That’s why we find mystery novels and cliffhangers to be so enjoyable- we are intrigued by the unknown. Questioning the story is a good sign of a deep understanding of the text, and this is why Foster holds the concept of ambiguity to be a significant literary choice. “The Lady or the Tiger?” is iconic not for its story, but for the effect that the story has on us. Our desire to know the in’s and out’s of every story is what makes ambiguity such a powerful tool.
ReplyDeleteStephen,
ReplyDeleteOne of the first cliffhangers I ever read was "The Lady or the Tiger" and at first I hated it because there was no definite answer. I was told that I "got to make up my own ending" and thats why I should like it. Unfortunately I was too young to realize that this short story wasn't written to leave the audience searching for a satisfying ending, but rather to show faults in the blind trust behind two lovers with different romantic agendas. "The Lady or the Tiger" is less about a choice and more about the complex dynamic of trust. Ambiguity is the enemy of men and women in daily life, but for an author and his novel, it can create meaning and add layers to the plot.
This specific example of "The Lady and the Tiger" is a classic because not only is the reader thinking, but they are thinking for the characters. The reader is searching through the fictional characters minds to make sense out of it. This is a valuable type of writing because the writer has really gripped the audience. Any time the writer can make the reader forget that they are reading a fictional story, then they have done their job. We would not be talking about this story if it had finished and we knew that he opened the door with the tiger. To think is to human, and to question others and oneself is a specific type of human thought. Ambiguity is valuable, but it is not always a good thing. If Star Wars had ended with Luke Skywalker cutting off his father's hand, then the audience would not be very happy, and it would leave way to much to question; the entire galaxy.
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