Similarities and Differences

Comparing and Contrasting Two Characters From Different Stories

      What are the similarities and differences between the husband in “Death by Scrabble” and the young man in “The Lady, or The Tiger?”? “The Lady, or The Tiger”? is a short story written by Frank R. Stockton and it is about a young man falling in love with the princess of the semi-barbaric king which causes him to stand trial in a arena where he has to choose which doors to open in order to save his life while “Death by Scrabble” is a short story written by Charlie Fish and it is about a husband and a wife playing scrabble in a hot sunny Sunday in their home which results in the death of the husband.

      Both stories have a few points in common. The fates of the husband and the young man are still unknown. We do not know whether they die or live as it is not clearly stated in end of the story. Moreover, their destinies are mainly decided by women. The husband could live it his wife chooses to save him immediately after he gets choked. The princess, who possesses the secrets behind the doors, could tell the young man which door stands the lady so that the young man can live and marry the lady. Another thing in common is that both characters attempt something that nobody else will do. For example, the husband tries to manipulate nature world through the scrabble he plays with his wife while the young man falls in love with the princess of the semi-barbaric king where it remains a taboo for a commoner to love the princess in the older time.

      The husband and the young man also have a lot of differences between them. For example, the husband is very much older than the young man. The husband is about 40 years old while the young man is around 20 years old. Besides the husband is married already while the young man is still single and that is why he falls in love with the princess. The young man loves the princess very much and does not afraid to be tried in the arena while the husband complained a lot of his wife and intends to kill her. There is only hatred felt from the husband towards his wife.

      In conclusion, both characters seem to have a lot of similarities and differences. They also share the same tragic ending because they can hardly decide their fates. We must be brave and fight for the welfare of ourselves in order not to be controlled by others.