Question

Answer the following question in about 100-120 words:

Examine the similarities between the tiger in “A Tiger in the Zoo” and the dragon in “The Tale of Custard the Dragon”.

Answer 1

Both the tiger in “A Tiger in the Zoo” and Custard in “The Tale of Custard the Dragon” are confined and misunderstood. Norris’s tiger is “locked in a concrete cell,” pacing the few steps of its cage with a “quiet rage,” visually powerful yet ignored by visitors. Nash’s Custard is mocked as a “coward” who “cries for a nice safe cage” despite fearsome features and a later heroic outburst that proves his bravery. Both figures create ironic contrast between appearance/label and true nature, prompting sympathy and critiquing captivity and shallow judgements.