This question is missing the options. I've found the complete question online. It is the following:
5. What effect does the author's choice to describe the princess as "semi-barbaric" in paragraph 20 have on the text?
A It reveals a similarity between the princess and her father, giving a clue about her decision
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B It reveals that the princess is not really in love with the man in the arena, hinting at her decision
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C It reveals the ease with which the princess made her decision between the lady or the tiger.
D It reveals the princess's desire to use the arena's choices to get revenge against her father.
The effect is:
A. It reveals a similarity between the princess and her father, giving a clue about her decision.
Explanation:
In the short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?", author Frank Richard Stockton makes sure to tell us that the princess is "semi-barbaric". That is, not accidentally, the same term he used to described her father and to explain his absurd idea of a fair trial. This semi-barbaric king forces the criminal to choose one of two doors to open. If he opens the door behind which a tiger is hiding, he is immediately judged guilty, and he is punished by the tiger. If he opens the door behind which a damsel is waiting, he has to marry her on the spot, even if he is already married or loves someone else.
When he states this similarity between father and daughter, the author hints that her decision concerning the man she loves is most likely going to be as absurd as her father's idea of a trial. He lover will undergo such trial. Will she help him choose the door behind which is the woman? In that case, he will marry someone else. But if she lets jealousy guide her decision and show him the door to the tiger, the man she loves will die. The author does not tell us what decision she makes but, again, if she is semi-barbaric, we can try and assume what it is.
