Ernest Hemingway's short story "Cat in the Rain" explores the theme of American expatriates living in Italy during the 1920s and their longing for personal fulfillment. The story's protagonist, an American woman named George, is staying in a hotel in Italy with her husband, who is never named. George is unhappy with her life and becomes fixated on obtaining a cat that she sees outside her window.
The cat serves as a symbol for George's desire for something more in her life. She is fascinated by the cat and sees it as a symbol of independence and freedom. In contrast, her husband is indifferent to the cat and represents the dullness and stagnation of George's current situation.
Throughout the story, George's husband is depicted as being distant and uninvolved in her life. He is preoccupied with his writing and does not pay attention to George's needs or desires. This lack of emotional connection and communication between the couple highlights the theme of loneliness and isolation that is present in the story.
The contrast between the vibrant and lively town of Italy and the dull and stagnant hotel room further emphasizes this theme of loneliness. The town represents the potential for new experiences and personal growth, while the hotel room represents the couple's stagnant and unfulfilling relationship.
In the end, George is able to obtain the cat and bring it back to the hotel room, but the cat ultimately escapes and runs away. This serves as a metaphor for George's own desire for independence and the inability to find fulfillment within her current circumstances.
Overall, "Cat in the Rain" is a poignant and relatable exploration of the human need for personal fulfillment and the challenges that can arise in pursuing it. Through the use of symbolism and vivid imagery, Hemingway masterfully captures the emotions and desires of his characters, making for a thought-provoking and memorable story.
A Summary and Analysis of Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Cat in the Rain’
However, it is possible that the perspective which is highlighted is that of the American woman. In the film, Sally, the young girl, has been made out to be controlling and a freak with no friends. She now has one of the things that she has been looking for which may suggest she is moving forward. She comes back to the hotel room without the cat, where her husband is still reading. Ernest also uses his signature writing style in this story.
Role of Man and Woman in Hemingway's Cat in the Rain: [Essay Example], 1138 words GradesFixer
. She likes him not only because he is dignified, but also because he wants to serve her. The Sun Also Rises Ernest Hemingway Analysis 1138 Words 5 Pages The novel, The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, describes the life of some people from the Lost Generation in post-World War I Europe, but mostly in Paris, France and Pamplona, Spain. It is also interesting that after the American wife lists all the things she would like, Hemingway reverts back to calling her the wife. This is coupled with her longing for the cat — which becomes, later in the story, a longing for a cat, not necessarily the cat in the rain outside. I read the story for the first time in my second year at the university and, ever since then, whenever I met people who shared my passion for literature, I bring up Cat in the rain. Earnest Hemingway 1899-1961 was a novelist, short story writer and a journalist.
Cat In The Rain Ernest Hemingway Analysis
In fact, the wife is a relatively flat character. This reaction that George has to his wife is also contrasting with what the wife liked from the owner. In another reading, the cat represents her boredom and loneliness and is something she seizes onto in the hope that it will help to assuage both. The man who owns the hotel at which the couple are staying is described as old, and very tall, with big hands. It might project the emotional distress between the husband and the wife. I presume Hemingway made it in Italian to confirm that the setting was indeed in Italy. Like the American wife, the cat is stranded when we first meet it: she is crouching under one of the tables outside the café, much as the wife is emotionally or spiritually stranded and alone, in a foreign country with only her husband for company.