TLATT Project Thoughts

Nagwa; Tailored Graduate Project Format Fall 2019

Title Page #1: The Lady or the Tiger: An allegorical tale as seen through Omani eyes.

Acknowledgement, Page #2: (EXAMPLE) Name someone who has encouraged you to succeed like your parents or a good friend.

Contents, Page #3: (EXAMPLE) You will have a table with accurate page numbers for each section and sub-section.

Section 1: Introduction

Introduction: (EXAMPLE) Frank Stockton’s much-anthologized short story, was first published in ‘Century Magazine,’ in 1882, and has entered the annals of literary immortality as an unsolvable problem, an allegorical expression, a paradox, and an easily understood metaphor for the ‘catch 22,’ situations we all find ourselves in, from time to time.
Background: (EXAMPLE) The story evolves in a society where a ‘half-barbaric’ King has a unique manner of assessing the guilt or innocence of those who come before him to be tried. In a vast arena with two doors he puts a caged tiger behind one door, and a huge reward related to the ‘crime,’ behind the other. The accused must choose one door and risk being eaten by the tiger or vindicated and being rewarded appropriately, dependent upon which door he chooses. The Princess has had a lover from the lower classes, and they are discovered. The Princess must watch on while her lover chooses either the door with the ravenous tiger, or the beautiful woman behind the other door, while unaware which is behind which. The Princess bribes the guards, and learns which door hides the tiger. Her lover, unsure what to do, desperately looks to her for guidance, and she subtly, and discreetly, indicates the door on his right, which he immediately opens. The outcome is not revealed, however the narrator muses as to the Princess’s thoughts, state of mind, possible motives, and the pros and cons of each outcome. The story concludes with the most understated line: “And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door – the lady, or the tiger?”
Problem Statement: (EXAMPLE) The problem with this story is that in having no ending, and only two possible endings, it could be seen as very basic and not at all challenging. However the natures and psychological perspectives of the three key characters make it a wonderful study of human nature.
Research objectives: (EXAMPLE) The objective of this research is to assess whether the Omani students who have studied the story, in a Short Story Course at the University of Nizwa, in the Sultanate of Oman, have understood the different characteristics, psychological perspectives, emotions, motivations, and the complex layering and structure of what appears on the surface to be a simple choice?
Research question: (EXAMPLE) There are two research questions:

Can the students identify the theme/themes of the story, and if so, what are they?
What reasons does the Princess’s lover have to obey her and open the door she chose for him, and conversely, what reasons does he have to ignore the Princess?
- Theoretical framework: (EXAMPLE) The theoretical framework for this research project will include a comprehensive literature review of historical and contemporary literary publications. It will also include data collection and sampling through semi-structured interviews with Omani students who have studied the story, in a Short Story Course at the University of Nizwa, in the Sultanate of Oman, regarding the psychological, emotional and characteristic elements of the story. A comprehensive review and data analysis of those interviews will be produced in discussion and table form. Further data collection will take place in a survey conducted to gauge individual student reactions to the story, and whether it is indeed a simple, or complex issue. The results will again be tabled, analyzed and discussed in writing.

Section 2: Literature Review

2.1 Introduction: (EXAMPLE) Searching this story drew 337 million responses on Google, and even Google Scholar revealed 82,700 citations, proving that it is massively popular both in literature and general society. Examination of the available literature is necessary to seek an understanding from a peer perspective, of how the work is seen by other authors, and literary critics, while mainstream and media literature will be examined to understand its populous appeal. Finally, the concept of paradoxical, metaphorical and allegorical literature will be read to complete the literature review.

2.2 Literature and concepts review

2.3 Conclusion

Section 3: Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Research design

3.3 Sampling

3.4 Data Collection

3.5 Data analysis

3.6 Conclusion

References:

Appendixes: