Cat in the Rain free essay sample

Hemingways title to his story, Cat in the Rain carries more meaning than the literal cat in the rain. Indeed, the story talks about a cat stuck in the rain; however, this is not what Hemingway meant when he wrote the story. His character, the American Wife, alludes to the title of the story by presenting elements of confinement similar to that of the cat. We are first introduced to George and his wife, the latter is referred by as the American Wife in the first sentence of the story. This title lacks individuality and has no special meaning, signifying that she is just a mere American Woman and nothing else. This already confines the character in a little cage, since it implies that she will never get herself out of the hole where society has placed her. George does not help much, rarely paying attention to her whenever she demands his care. We will write a custom essay sample on Cat in the Rain or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is evident when she sees a cat crouched under one of the dripping green tables , and points it out to her husband, who offers to help from his bed. Two points can be inferred from this event: first, George discards all the trivial things the wife says and does not provide her with any attention, making her feel that she must demand it. This lack of attention makes her feel that she does not have much freedom to express herself and keeps much of her feelings inside. Second and most importantly, she seems to connect with the cat, the cat was trying to make herself so compact so that she would not be dripped on. . She definitely feels the restraint that George has put on her, and in order to please him, she attempts to make herself compact just like the cat. The wife never speaks out about the restraint George puts on her, but rather feels it. The main reason behind this is her transformation from being the American Wife to the American Girl. To the general public, a girl seems to have less restraints due to her youth and innocence, while a wife has her (and her husbands) image to protect. Hemingways choice of words implies that she feels the restraints being lifted once she left her hotel room, leaving her husband behind. Hemingway provides other evidence for Georges restraints by presenting the hotel keeper, whom the wife has a liking for. Described as an old man and very tall, the wife has a liking for him, especially his many qualities such as the deadly serious way he received any complaints his dignity the way he wanted to serve her. Hemingway never says anything about the wife loving or liking George, further Cat in the rain free essay sample â€Å"Cat in the Rain† recounts the story of an American couple on vacation in Italy. The entirety of the story’s action takes place in or around the couple’s hotel, which faces the sea as well as the public garden and the war monument.Throughout the story it rains, leaving the couple trapped within their hotel room. As the American wife watches the rain, she sees a cat crouched â€Å"under one of the dripping green tables.† Feeling sorry for the cat that â€Å"was trying to make herself so compact she would not be dripped on,† the American wife decides to rescue that kitty.† On her way downstairs, the American wife encounters the innkeeper, with whom she has a short conversation. In this encounter, Hemingway specifically emphasizes how the wife likes the innkeeper, a word that is repeated often throughout the stories of In Our Time: The wife liked him. She liked the deadly serious way he received any complaints. We will write a custom essay sample on Cat in the rain or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She liked his dignity. She liked the way he wanted to serve her. She liked the way he felt about being a hotel-keeper. She liked his old, heavy face and big hands. When the American wife finally arrives outside that cat is gone, and, slightly crestfallen, she returns to the room alone. The American wife then has a (rather one-sided) conversation with her husband about the things she wants with her life, particularly how she wants to settle down (as opposed to the transient vacation life the couple has in the story): â€Å"I want to eat at a table with my own silver and I want candles. And I want it to be spring and I want to brush my hair out in front of a mirror and I want a kitty and I want some new clothes.† However, her husband, George, continues to read his books, acting dismissively of what his wife â€Å"wants.† The story ends when the maid arrives with a â€Å"big tortoise-shell cat pressed tight against her and swung down against her body,† which she gives to the American wife. This ending is both abrupt and ambiguous, and â€Å"hinges on the mystery of the tortoise-shell cats identity. We do not know whether it is the kitty the wife spotted outside and so do not know whether she will be pleased to get it. A New York Times book reviewer comments on the plot of the very short story, writing â€Å"that is absolutely all there is, yet a lifetime of discontent, of looking outside for some unknown fulfillment is compressed into the offhand recital.†