Question

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger by Saki is seeped in rich wit and humour. Choose and describe the most Laugh-Out-Loud (LOL) moment in the story. Give at least three reasons as to why you think this the most LOL moment.

Answer 1

The most “Laugh-Out-Loud” moment in Saki’s Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger occurs when the truth about the hunt is finally revealed. While Mrs. Packletide believes she has successfully shot the tiger to prove her superiority over Loona Bimberton, it is discovered that she actually missed her mark and killed the tethered goat instead. The ferocious beast of prey had simply died from heart failure because it was old and suffered a shock from the loud report of the rifle.

This moment is the funniest in the story for several reasons. First, it is the ultimate irony; the entire narrative revolves around Mrs. Packletide’s vanity and her desperate need to be seen as a great hunter, so having her mighty shot kill a harmless, tied-up goat makes her appear completely ridiculous rather than heroic. Second, the absurdity of the tiger’s actual death is hilarious because the creature wasn't defeated by skill or courage, but simply by being too old and senile to handle the noise, which turns her grand adventure into a farcical accident. Finally, the scene is made even funnier by how quickly the characters scramble to maintain the lie; the villagers, the companion, and Mrs. Packletide all eagerly agree to pretend the shot was a success just to secure the reward money and protect their reputations, which serves as a sharp and humorous critique of how fake and shallow their social world really is.