StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Cat in the Rain - Book Report/Review Example

Cite this document
Summary
In the paper “Cat in the Rain” the author analyzes the short story by Hemingway who depicts the tale of a couple that encounters a rainy day while vacationing at a hotel. As the wife is gazing out of the window, she spies a cat being drenched by the rain and decides that she wants to rescue the cat…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.9% of users find it useful
Cat in the Rain
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Cat in the Rain"

The female character, described only as “the American wife”, is the protagonist and invokes sympathy from the reader as she struggles to alleviate her loneliness with the rescue of the cat she sees from her hotel window. When she tells her husband about her desire to rescue the poor animal, his indifference is palpable and he is obviously annoyed by her conversation, which intrudes upon his reading. The sunny conditions hinted at the beginning of the story are nothing like the stormy conditions the couple are experiencing and seem to mirror the state of the couples’ marriage.

The flattery the innkeeper pays to the wife is a direct contradiction to the boorish treatment of her husband and the wife’s pleasure at his attentions presents one of the clues to the dissatisfaction the wife feels within her marriage. However, Hemingway does not infuse her with many personalities and leaves her character rather flat except for the child-like persona she displays in referring to the cat as a “kitty”, emphasized by Hemmingway’s description of her as the “American girl” (Hemingway, 25, 60).

The husband is the antagonist, controlling, and neglectful of his unhappy wife as they vacation in Italy, one of the most romantic cities in the world. The flowing descriptive details of the square with its war monument and gravel path, the beach, palm trees, and additional scenic descriptors creates a picturesque image of the vacation site and lends an additional air of misgiving to the state of the couple in such a setting. The cold, unforgiving atmosphere outside mirrors the setting inside the couple’s hotel room, as demonstrated by George’s ordering his wife to “shut up and get something to read” (Hemingway, 112).

The disinterest he pays his wife is apparent in his nonchalance when she discusses her dissatisfaction with her appearance, hair, wardrobe, and her desire for a cat, which George summarily dismisses with his rude comment. The deference the innkeeper shows the wife by sending the maid to accompany her with an umbrella is a stark contrast to George’s reaction in tossing the command “Don’t get wet” for his wife to obey (Hemingway, 32). George’s wife’s dissatisfaction with her boyish appearance and her admiration of the maturity of the innkeeper is symbolic of her desire to grow up and her husband’s insistence that she remains as she is.

The culmination of the story with the delivery of a cat to the couple’s room, again by the maid at the behest of the innkeeper, is another representation of the older gentleman’s deference for the wishes of the wife where her husband shows none. The stormy weather, war monument, and turbulent seas are all metaphors for the dissatisfaction of the wife and her feelings regarding her indifferent husband. Hemingway’s use of narration creates a pictorial representation of George and his wife and uses the symbolism of the cat to embody the wife’s desire to love and be loved.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Cat in the Rain Book Report/Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words, n.d.)
Cat in the Rain Book Report/Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. https://studentshare.org/literature/1429374-short-story-analysis
(Cat in the Rain Book Report/Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
Cat in the Rain Book Report/Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/literature/1429374-short-story-analysis.
“Cat in the Rain Book Report/Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”. https://studentshare.org/literature/1429374-short-story-analysis.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Cat in the Rain

Hemingway's Cat in the Rain

The paper “Hemingway's Cat in the Rain” summarizes critics' viewpoints on the messages and symbols of the novel: the American romantic quest for identity, the women's struggle for gender equality, the difference in the worldview of Europeans and Americans in matters of culture, life values etc.... nbsp;… There have been wide discussions on literary texts, which include Hemingway's “Cat in the Rain.... nbsp;  Ernest Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain" suggests a story that reveals the fact that an individual's first priority is to please the self....
4 Pages (1000 words) Literature review

Gander Bias: Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway, Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston

Gender Bias: ‘Cat in the Rain' by Ernest Hemingway and ‘Sweat' by Zora Neale Hurston Both short stories contain abundant instances of gender bias.... hellip; In Cat in the Rain, the victim is an American girl who is married to a man indifferent to her wishes and needs.... Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway is a compact story that packs a punch.... It is a fitting conclusion to the story that it is the empathetic and understanding Italian hotel-keeper who offers her the kitten she so liked (Hemingway, “Cat in the Rain”)....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Symbolism in Hemingway's Cat in the Rain

Ernest Hemingway's Cat in the Rain recounts the story of American couple having their vacation in Italy.... 20 February 2008 Symbolism in Hemingway's Cat in the Rain Ernest Hemingway's Cat in the Rain recounts the story of American couple having their vacation in Italy.... "Cat in the Rain.... During their stay at their hotel room, the woman takes pity on a cat dripping in the rain.... During their stay at their hotel room, the woman takes pity on a cat dripping in the rain....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Modern Woman in Society

John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" and Ernest Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain" tells the story of two women trapped within the narrow confines of a chauvinistic society and the conflict raging within their souls.... Towards the end we also realize their inner pain and their need for adventure and an identity independent of their husbands. Lourdes Martin An analysis of two women 15 July 2006 AN ANALYSIS OF TWO WOMEN AND THEIR STORIES John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" andErnest Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain" tells the story of two women trapped within the narrow confines of a chauvinistic society and the conflict raging within their souls....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Analysis of Cat in the Rain Novel by Hemingway

Hemingway's Cat in the Rain' by Hemingway is a sensitive portrayal of women's status in society and how male dominance restricts their freedom.... Cat in the Rain.... ‘It isn't any fun to be a poor kitty out in the rain' reflects the way of woman's life who is constantly under the vigil of her husband.... cat therefore, symbolizes women's status that at all times strives to conform to the demands of their husband....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Connotation Short Story Cat In The Rain By Hemingway

Cat in the Rain is an allegorical title to a short story by Hemingway, which alludes to a woman, whom the author initially refers as the American wife.... The woman leaves the room to go rescue the cat and ENC 1102 Response paper Zijing Wang May 24th “Cat in the Rain” Introduction Cat in the Rain is an allegorical to a short story by Hemingway, which alludes to a woman, whom the author initially refers as the American wife.... This essay is a response addressing the connotation short story “Cat in the Rain” by Hemingway....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Gender Bias in Cat in the Rain, and Sweat

The Module Depiction of the Gender of the in “Cat in the Rain” and “Sweat” This essay is an evaluation of the gender of theauthors of the two works of literature based on the content as well as the language used in the book.... The first part analyses ‘Sweat' by Zora Neale Hurston while the second ‘Cat in the Rain' by Ernest Hemingway.... Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway To start with, the author of the text is definitely a man....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Theme of Despair in Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway

This paper "Images of Despair in Cat in the Rain" analyzes the novel by Ernest Hemingway.... hellip; At the onset, the narrative of Ernest Hemingway's “Cat in the Rain” seemed to be typical which tells of a wife who saw a cat outside and tried to “make herself compact so that she would not be dripped on” by the waters of the rain.... The Cat in the Rain is just incidental to the central theme of the story which is really despair....
4 Pages (1000 words) Book Report/Review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us