Question

The characters in "the lady,or the tiger? Are flat characters,who are more "types" than real people. Why did Stockton use this type of character in his story?

Answer 1

The options are:

A. Because he was a lazy writer.

B. To make the characters more interesting.

C. Because the characters are semi-barbaric

D. To make the story more universal

The answer is D. To make the story more universal

Answer 2

He didn't create realistic, detailed characters because his short story is an allegory. In an allegory, deep characterization is often not needed. It may even be redundant, as the story isn't about characters themselves and their personal dramas, but about the plot which is supposed to represent a general problem. In this case, the point of the story is human condition and impossibility to make the (right) choice.