Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Cat in the Rain

Satisfactory Essays
478 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Cat in the Rain
Cat in the Rain The short story, “Cat in the Rain”, by Ernest Hemingway describes the stereotypical relationship between two married American tourists, one of whom is striving to recover a “poor kitty”. This seemingly mundane plot becomes symbolic and purposeful as the reader gazes beneath the surface to find the true intent of the short story. There are three characters in Hemingway’s story which help convey these meaningful analogies; in addition, the cat, the American woman, and the American man all represent something different in our present American society. The story is set in Europe and involves two foreigners for a special reason. They are isolated in a sense, forcing their true emotions and characteristics to shine forth. The husband is the typical guy, very uninterested in what is going on around him as long as he’s content. He does not seem perceptive to his wife’s needs, whether it is help getting the cat or confidence about her looks. Instead, he sits back and enjoys reading the newspaper while his loved one rants and raves. An example of this is when the wife decides that she is going out in the rain to fetch a lost kitten, the husband gives a courtesy “I’ll do it” but makes no further attempt to help out. He has an another chance to help out his wife while she is pondering what to do with her boyish hair cut; however, he again only offers “I like it the way it is” instead of talking it over with her. The wife’s character is much different than her laid back husband’s. She is involved with everything and seems to be very sociable; furthermore, she sets a goal to help the cat although it is pouring rain outside. Throughout the story she is looking for comfort and support for her actions from her husband. She needs his support to give her confidence to carry through with her plans. The wife is a good example of striving to reach one’s goal and not losing hope upon initial failure. She fails in attempting to rescue the cat but in the end she obtains her prize. The cat is essential to the story because it represents the woman’s wants and desires that the husband cannot help fulfill. The woman must go out on her own to reach happiness and peace of mind. This relationship is unfortunately the standard husband and wife association in our society, the lazy man who is only focused on his own needs along with the wife who doesn’t have any self-confidence unless he gives it to her. There is always that goal that everyone attempts to capture and sometimes, if they are lucky, they do.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The narrator makes numerous attempts to talk to her husband, and at no time through the story does he actually open up and listen. An example of this, "I thought it was a good time to talk, so I told him that I really was not gaining here, and that I wished he would take me away." Instead of listening,…

    • 1119 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    He dictates how his wife should be treated and says she needs lots of sleep and quiet. He forbids her from writing her feelings down or from seeing anyone. We get the feeling this is more about him hiding her away rather than it being for her own good. He shows no empathy of how she is feeling and dismisses it as nervous depression or hysteria.…

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The narrator himself is overcome by his devotion to his wife and at the same time struggles to understand her. However, he becomes a…

    • 826 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The narrator’s husband, John, has the idea that he knows what his wife’s wants and needs are. He thinks that isolation and confinement will cure her nervous depression. Nevertheless, this “cure” makes her weak; and transforms this woman gone mad.…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atonement King Lear

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Wife offers to other "wise wives" (though the only women present are nuns) advice on how (with help from the maid) to manage a husband.…

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One might argue that the narrator's extreme jealousy is a perfect example of his love and compassion for his wife, although it is this same jealousy that fuels his ego and wont allow him to express his insecurities. For example, "She said another thing about [the guy from the shipping department] and then another and right after the third one I locked myself in the bathroom because I couldn't rage about this anymore"(Pg.767). It is obvious that his refusal to speak to his wife was due to a mixture of his own male pride and his fears of losing her.…

    • 653 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Painted Door

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages

    When both involved do not fully commit to the happiness of each other, a mismatched marriage may lead to discontent for all. Sinclair Ross’s short story, “The Painted Door”, deals with the growing dissatisfaction of a farmer’s wife, Ann, who feels alone as her husband struggles with the harsh conditions of the environment. Ann seeks comfort and companionship from Steven, the attractive friend of her husband, John. The responsibility for John’s death, a shocking result of Ann’s infidelity, lays both on Ann and John.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Has he gives the reader a picture of how the wife was, and how jealous he may have been when he was married as a man. He describes how when checking up on his wife, he fell from a tree, and if he was a parrot he could have just flown to…

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From the onset of this poem, there is a fundamental disconnect between the portrayed husband and wife. In their ironically…

    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Singin In The Rain

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The musical Singin’ In The Rain is a Hollywood classic, starring Gene Kelly as Don and Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont. The film gives viewers the different aspects of expectation versus reality in big Hollywood production films. Singin’ In The Rain reinforces the theme of illusion vs. reality by using production to manipulate characters like Lina Lamont to be what the audience wants to see.…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    interacts with the wife. The protagonist does not have a deep relationship with his wife,…

    • 214 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Control Your Own Life

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the journal she kept reveals how much she lets her husband controls her life. One example of this is when she writes, “I…am absolutely forbidden to work until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas…I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good” (Gilman 2). She obviously has her own different opinions, but she never speaks of them openly. As a result, she only writes them down in her journal. This is why she takes the responsibility of the result that her husband controls her so much because she never fight back about her own opinions. She wants to have change; however, she lets John control her life and make her unhappy. She even knows that she is angry with him, but she just blames it on a nervous condition that John says she has. The real reason she is angry with him is the fact that he does not let her do what she wants to do, but she denies this. Another example, “I don’t like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs…But John would not hear of it” (Gilman 3) also shows how much she lets her husband control her. Once again she disagrees with his judgment, but goes along with him anyways, and this is one of the main things she should have done for herself. Because she goes along with his judgment, her condition begins to worsen.…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cat on a hot tin roof

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages

    After watching the film “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, I was able to find an example of a minor character, bit player, and a character role. First, Reverend Tooker can reflect an example of a bit player. The reason for this is due to the fact that Rev. Tooker does not speak much but just enough in order to not be an extra. Next, Mae can represent an example of a minor character. The reason for this is because the presence of Mae adds to the film yet the film is not completely centered on her. Finally, Big Daddy can represent a character role. Big Daddy represents a character role because he is viewed as a wealthy businessman that reflects strong proof of his role through out the whole film.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    death by scrabble

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The narrator, the husband, blatantly supports his internal emotions with external actions. Spelling words such as “cheating” and “explodes” which shows how he’s feeling about his wife’s existence. The narrator uses repetition of his hatred “I hate my wife,” “I hate her,” “I really, really hate her,” to show the reader how his feelings are emerging inside of him to an extensive revulsion. The husband does not explicitly communicate his feelings to his wife by expressing to her how much he dislikes her, yet he hides it within his terms while playing scrabble.…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a fast paced play full of dramatic tension. Discuss how the portrayal of sex/sexuality fuels that tension, increasing the dramatic effect. Choose some but not all of the possible examples you might used…

    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays