The Cat in the Rain

Analysis
 CONFLICT
PLOT CHARACTER

ELEMENTS OF A SHORT
STORY

SETTING THEME
POINT OF VIEW
Plot in Cat in the Rain: (162 words)
The plot consists of five main
elements
1. exposition,
2. complication,
3. resolution,
4. climax,
5. Coda.
In this short story, there is no coda
mentioned.
1. Exposition: This story is relatively
shorter in length. The five characters
(including the cat) are introduced at the
very beginning of the story.
2. Complication: There are two minor
complications in the story. The first is
when the American wife wants to get the
cat and is unable to find it. The second is
when she discusses her American Dream
with her husband George and when he
cuts her short.
4.Resolution: The American wifes desire
to have a cat is also part of her dream.
This is fulfilled by the hotel owner who
sends her a tortoise shell cat as a gift. But
her relationship with George remains
unresolved.
5.Climax: The climax and the resolution
are the same in this story. The turning
point in the story is when the American
wife receives a cat as gift from the hotel
owner.
 Conflict in Cat in the Rain: (153 words)
One finds three types of conflict in Cat in the
Rain
1. classical conflict,
2. psychological conflict
3. physical conflict.
 Eaves

Classical Conflict American Wife versus

Circumstances (Rain)
It is raining and still the American wife wants to
go and get the cat. She knows that she will get
wet. So she wonders if she should go under the
eaves to prevent herself from getting wet.
There is psychological conflict in the American wifes
mind. Just like the rain outside, there is a rain of
desires in her mind. But when George doesnt
encourage her, she looks at the rain outside. She
feels upset and decides to ask for at least the cat.

I want a cat, long

George doesnt hair, silverware
understand. and candles on
May be Ill ask my dining table.
just for a cat.
 Physical Conflict American Wife versus George

I want a cat, long

hair, silverware Shut up
and candles on
and
my dining table.
read.

If I cant have
long hair and
fun, I can have a
cat.

There is conflict between George and his wife. While George is

interested in her looks, he has no respect for her desires or
feelings. When his wife expresses her feelings, he asks her to shut
up. In turn, she insists on at least having a cat.
 Characters in Cat in the Rain:

There are five characters in this short story

the American couple (George and his wife),

-the hotel owner,

-the maid,
- the cat.

All of them are flat characters who do not

The American Wife (219 words): The American wife
wishes to enjoy life in her own special way. One of
her desires is to own a pet cat. That is why when she
sees the cat under the green table, she decides to go
and get it herself. She is so keen on getting it that she
doesnt even want her husband George to get the cat
for her.
As far as physical appearance is concerned, she has
short hair, which she doesnt like. She feels it makes
her look like a boy. So, she wants to have long hair.
She also dreams of a better status in society the
typical American dream. But when she talks about it
to George, he asks her to shut up.
The American wife is romantic by nature. This is
seen when she says that she wants candles on her
dinner table. Her romantic nature is seen in the
way she admires the hotel owner. She expects a
man to be polite and kind to a woman and to
fulfil her desires willingly without complaining.
Hemingway hints that she expects all these
qualities in George but he is not that type. So, she
is inwardly disappointed.
In the end, part of the American wifes dream is
fulfilled when the hotel owner sends her a cat as
gift.
George (149 words): George is the husband of the
American lady. He is the only character with a name in
the story. He is described as reading in bed, propped on
pillows.
He gives one the impression that he loves his wife at the
beginning. This is because he offers to go and get the cat
for her. But when she insists on getting it, he goes back
to reading.
He does admire his wifes appearance. He says that she
looks good with her short hair. But when she starts
talking about her dream, he asks her to shut up and read
a book. In short, he has no regard for his wifes feelings.
Perhaps he has no dreams like his wife. That is why he
considers her a nag when he talks about them. It could
also be that he loves reading. So he wants his wife to be
like him.
The Hotel Owner (122 words):
The hotel owner is also a major character in the play.
He is old, but tall and well-built and has large hands. He is
extremely caring and gentle and handles his customers
politely. According to the American wife, he is happy to be a
hotel owner and takes care in serving the needs of his
customers.
When the American wife goes out in the rain to look
for the cat, the owner sends his maid with an umbrella so
that she (the American wife) doesnt get wet. It is implied
(indirectly stated) that perhaps the maid told the hotel
owner that the American wife wanted a pet cat. In response
to it, the hotel owner sends her a cat as gift thereby fulfilling
her desire.
The Maid (117 words):
The maid is a minor character in the story. She
cleans the rooms in the hotel and carries out the
orders of the hotel owner. She goes with an umbrella
to prevent the American wife from getting wet in the
rain. She finds the American wife funny because she
is searching for a cat in the rain. She prefers people
speaking in Italian. When the American wife speaks
to her in English, she doesnt quite like it and tells
her it is time to get inside the hotel. The maid
conveys every bit of information to the hotel owner.
That is why the hotel owner understands the
American wifes desire and gifts a cat at the end.
The Cat (189 words):
The cat is a minor character at the surface level. But, it is not
just a character but a symbol. The cat represents the dreams and
desires of the American wife. She wants it because she says it will purr
when she strokes it. In other words, she wants someone who will
respond to her love and attention. The cat also symbolises femininity.
It is considered womans best friend just as a dog is considered mans
best friend. Perhaps that is why the American wife finally says, I want
a cat. I want a cat now. If I cant have long hair or any fun, I can have a
cat. Probably, above all material desires (candles, silverware, long
hair), her desire is to be loved.
In the story, the cat crouches under the table in such a way that
it protects itself from getting wet from the rain. The American wife
wishes for the same sense of security in life. That is why she wants to
have a better social status in life. The American wife does get a cat at
the end. Perhaps it suggests that her desires are likely to be fulfilled.
 Setting: (283 words)
Place: The story is set in Italy in a hotel. The room in
which the American couple stay faces the sea. It also
faces the public garden and the war monument. The
war monument is not a mere statue. It is a reminder
of World War I. This is why the couple are seen as
speaking in Italian to the hotel owner and the maid.
They do not want to embarrass them. The maid also
feels uncomfortable at the mention of English. This
could be because she associates the language to the
terrible war and the sufferings that followed.
(Americans played an active role in the world war)
Season: It is probably the rainy season because
throughout the story, it is shown as raining heavily.
Time: The time is evening because towards the end,
the wife looks out of the window into the darkness.
Slowly, the lights are turned on in the street.
Social Conditions: Hemingway doesnt openly
describe the social conditions of the American
couple. But based on what the American wife
wishes for, it can be said that they belong to the
middle class.
Mood or Atmosphere: Rain is generally considered a
symbol of fertility and growth. But, it also represents
dullness just as sunshine represents brightness in life.
Here, the rain represents the dullness in the relationship
between the American couple. The darkness described
towards the end represents the loss of hope in the
American wifes mind. This is because her husband
refuses to listen to her dreams and wishes. The light
described at the end of the story represents hope. This
is because soon after the lights come, the maid appears
with a cat as a gift for the American wife.
 Point of View in Cat in the Rain:
(34 words)
The story is narrated from the
third person point of view. One of the
characters does not tell us the story. It
is a person who is outside the story
who narrates the events.
 Themes:
There are two dominant themes in the story, Cat in
the Rain. One is the theme of the American dream
and the other is the theme of relationships.
The Theme of the American Dream (290 words): The
American dream is the ideal (principle) that a) every
person has a right to follow his/her idea of
happiness b) the government should support people
in following their idea of happiness.
In 1931, the famous historian Truslow Adams clearly
defined the American dream. He says that it is a
dream of a land where life will be richer and fuller
for all. Even if a person is of low birth or status, he or
she has every right to wish for better social status.
Therefore, ones ability determines ones position in
life not ones social or economic background.
In the story, one finds the American wife dreaming of long
hair. This represents her dream of femininity as opposed to
her short hair (that makes her look like a boy). Her desire to
have a cat that will purr on being stroked clearly shows her
desire to have something that will respond to her love
(unlike her husband George). It could also be a substitute for
a child that she doesnt have.
The American wife also wants her own silverware. This
denotes (indicates) her desire to climb the social ladder. She
wants to be in a better social position in society. She also
wants candles at her dinner table. This could be her desire
for romance and love. But George has no regard for any of
her desires. This is why she is seen as looking into the
darkness from her window. When George doesnt encourage
her, she experiences loss of hope. But the lights appearing
on the streets represent hope. Immediately after that, the
maid appears with a cat as gift from the hotel owner.
Thus, the American wifes dream is partially fulfilled at the
end of the story.
The Theme of Human Relationships (250 words):
Cat in the Rain explores the concept of
human relationships through the American
couple. The story is set in the early twentieth
century following World War I. Often, writers
state that the wars brought about a loss of hope
in peoples minds. This affected human
relationships in general. There was no depth in
close relationships like that of parent and child,
or husband and wife. People just lived life for
the sake of living. Every individual wanted to
purse his/her own desires.
This shallowness in relationship is seen in the case of
the American couple. While George admires his wife, he
has no respect for her feelings. He doesnt show her the
attention that he shows his book. When he discourages
her from describing her desires, she tries to nag him in
order to seek attention. Perhaps she feels lonely
because she doesnt have a child. She is upset that
George doesnt cater to her needs. Therefore, it is quite
natural that the American wife admires the hotel owner
because he tries to satisfy the needs of his customers.
But one must understand that the owner does so, as
part of his business tactics. He wants to please his
customers so that they visit his hotel again.
The story ends with the wife being satisfied with a
cat that she gets as gift. But, one wonders whether her
relationship with George would get better or turn
worse. Hemingway leaves the story open-ended for the
reader to imagine in his/her own way.