Essay on Mrs.Packletide's Tiger

Target Audience: Polytechnic Teachers and Students in Tamilnadu
Subject: English-1, II YEAR MOP, M SCHEME
Question Pattern in Exam: Answer anyone of the following in 200 words each. (1x10=10) 
Three quesions will be asked from four short stories prescribed in the syllabus and students have to answer one.
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Introduction

                “Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger” is a short story written by Saki.  The main theme of the story is the enmity between Mrs.Packletide  and Mrs. Bimberton.  Miss. Mebbin is another striking character with cunningness and greed.  The writer also attacks how British women settled in India indulged in silly activities.

Mrs. Packletides and the Shooting of a Tiger

                Mrs. Packletide offers thousand rupees to villagers to help her shoot an old tiger.  She also gets the help of a paid companion, Miss.Mebbin.  On the scheduled time, unfortunately, she shoots the goat used as a bait, not the tiger.  However, the pathetic  old tiger dies of heart failure after hearing the loud sound.  Mrs. Packletide manages the situation and all newspapers carry her photo with the news that she shot the tiger.

The Character of Mrs. Packletide and Mrs. Bimberton

There is longlasting enmity between Mrs.Packletide and Mrs.Bimberton.  When Mrs.Bimberton boasts of her hunting skill during an air travel, Mrs. Packletide boils with hatred.  It is the reason why Mrs.Packletide decides to shoot a tiger and wants her name to appear on the newspaper.  She wants to give a birthday gift of brooch with Tiger’s claw to Bimberton.   She wants to boast of her skill and plans of a lunch with Bimberton.   But, Mrs. Bimberton could not digest the news of Mrs.Packletide killing a tiger and refuses even to accept the lunch.  The pride, jealousy, hatred and vanity of wishes between these two women make the story interesting and humourous. 

The Character of Miss. Mebbin

 Mrs.Packletide and Mrs.Bimberton hunt for fame and name whereas Miss.Mebbin hunts for money, not for tiger.  She is so greedy.  She alone knows the secret of Mrs. Packletide killing  the goat, instead of tiger.  She blackmails Mrs. Packletide and eventually gets a costly cottage funded by her.  Since the incidental charges of shooting a tiger grows heavy, Mrs. Packletide decides not to go for hunting hereafter.  Thus, Miss. Mebbin is so cunning in using a situation for her own advantage.