Characters and conflicts in literature

¶ … Frank Stocktons and Langston Hughes. It has 2 sources.

Comparing the two characters, the king's daughter in Frank Stocktons' "The Lady or the Tiger," and Nancy Lee in Langston Hughes' "One Friday Morning," one can predict their actions considering their social positions. This is possible because of the life patterns that both the characters exhibit.

Nancy Lee is a character in 'One Friday Morning' who believes in hard work to get to where she does. It is clear too that she is talented too. However, due to the fact that she lives in a period during which people like her are discriminated against she is denied opportunities that she fully deserves. This can be something quite discouraging for her, but she manages to emerge as one of the best students in her class. Her work was also well appreciated so much so that her teachers felt that she should be entered in bigger competitions through which she may be given a scholarship.

As expected, Nancy's work is good enough to get her a scholarship, but she is denied the opportunity because of the fact that she is an African-American. She receives this news 'one Friday morning' when she is about to deliver a speech to her schoolmates on receiving such an opportunity. However, such failure was enough to discourage anyone after working hard and being appreciated. It is quite obvious that after being denied this opportunity Nancy would feel that it is a futile exercise trying to gain a scholarship in an oppressive white society.

In contrast to the way that Nancy may have acted it can be said that the king's daughter in Frank Stocktons' "The Lady or the Tiger" probably would be behave in an opposite manner. Realizing that the man that she loves stands a half chance of marrying a woman who is her rival would probably cause her to react inappropriately. Since the king's daughter is just like her father is in character it is apparent that she can be as cruel as he is. Hence, if she signaled to the one whom she loved which door to choose, it is most likely that she wants him to open the wrong door, the one behind which the tiger is.

People like the king's daughter are usually individuals who cannot stand a loss in their lives. Reinforcing this assertion is the fact that people in dominant positions certainly do not like to lose to those beneath them. And, even though she may have loved the young man, who is placed in the arena by the king, she probably would sacrifice him to the tiger rather than see him marrying a woman whom is her rival.