The Cat In The Rain Essay

Hemingway’s Americans’ continual desire for more alienates them from the rest of society, proving their lack of understanding for the world. In “Cat in the Rain,” an American couple is vacationing in Italy. Instead of admiring the beauty of their surroundings, the Americans instead focus on irrelevant trivial pursuits, illustrating their greed. After going down to retrieve the cat, the wife is immediately attracted to the hotel owner, proving Americans ever-evolving want for new things: “She liked the way he wanted to serve her. [...] She liked his old, heavy face and big hands” (Hemingway 130). Instead of staying loyal to her husband, the American wife forgets he exists and moves on to the next best person she finds, showing the apathy Americans possess for what they already have. Additionally, the hotel owner is simply doing his job, and the American wife’s failure to realize this results from her greed, which severely clouds her judgement. The greed Americans possess is further proven with the American wife’s childish behavior throughout the story. When the wife cannot find the cat, she complains, “I wanted it so much [...] I don’t know why I wanted it so much” (130). Back in the hotel room, the wife demands to her husband that she “want[s] to pull [her] hair back,” and to “have a kitty to sit on [her] lap and purr when [she] stroke[s] her” (131). The

According to the narrator, "he was the most striking figure in Starkfield, though he was but the ruin of a man. It was not so much his great height that marked him, for the 'natives' were easily singled out by their lank longitude from the stockier foreign breed: it was the careless powerful look he had, in spite of a lameness checking each step like the jerk of a chain"(11). Although he wasn't dangerous by nature, people still respected and sometimes feared him. He had a commanding air about him that everyone noticed. The cat is used to be symbolic of Zeena. While Zeena was away, the cat was constantly underfoot and in the way of Ethan and Mattie.

The storyteller begins the story by stating from an early age he has had an obsession with animals. Poe states, “This peculiarity of character grew with my growth, and, in my manhood, I derived from it one of my principal sources of pleasure.” (Poe) This statement is evidence of the insanity the narrator experienced at a very young age. He goes on to explain that he and his wife have many domesticated animals, including Pluto, a large beautiful black cat. He describes the mutual fondness between him and the cat. This relationship between him and the cat, is strange. For years they have a growing friendship, until he started drinking alcohol in excess. The narrator goes on to explain how one night after getting completely intoxicated, the cat panicked and bit him. This causes the author to become angry and in a psychotic fit of rage, he takes a knife and cuts out one of the cat’s eyes. After this encounter, the cat fears him, and tries to avoid him at all cost. In the beginning, the storyteller is regretful and feels remorseful for the cruelty. But soon we see the narrator’s insanity expressed when Poe states, “But this feeling soon gave place

The family is set to go on a vacation to Florida. Due to her longing for the trip to go to Tennessee, the grandmother “seized every chance she got” (O’Connor 427) to attempt to alter the family’s destination. To her dismay the final destination was never changed. Instead of staying home the grandmother goes with the family because she is “afraid to miss something”(427) no matter how unimportant. When the family leaves for the vacation the grandmother, refuses to leave her cat at home, and in turn decides to smuggle her cat inside a basket because her son would not be very happy with arriving “at a motel with a cat” (427). Little did she know that her precious feline would be associated with the whole family’s demise.

I believe that the cat was the only thing that showed her love and attention. Her only son, had a family of his own, her grandchildren were older now, and she felt like she was not important to them anymore, and the children?s mother was involved with the baby. By bringing the cat, she felt like she would not be lonely. The reader can also tell that the woman is extremely prejudice. She refers to the black child as a ?cute little pickaninny? and a nigger.

As a symbol of tragedy rain is frequently used by Hemingway in this novel. Rain is a symbol of disaster already beginning in the first chapter when the reader learns that the war is not going well and that the " the permanent rain brought the cholera". Here rain is related to illness. Rain also falls when Frederic and Catherine are looking for a hotel room so they can be together before Frederic must leave for the front. Catherine buys a nightgown for the evening. And when they find a room, she looks in the mirrors and feels cheap, while Frederic looks outside at the storm. The rain degrades the farewell of Frederic, and Catherine tells him that „[she] never felt like a whore before". Rain also falls during the troop's retreat which is symbolizing a failure. One night when Catherine and Frederic are in the hotel in Italy, Frederic awakens to the sound of rain and learns that he will be arrested. And during their time of escape from Italy to Switzerland it is very windy and rainy. That symbolizes how their escape would definitely be difficult. It takes them many hours to row to Switzerland’s shore.

Released in 1988, writers Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow created a compelling story by introducing many to the world of autism. These two writers brilliantly plotted the dramatic story of a brother's greed developing into love in the 1988 Oscar winning movie Rain Man. Charlie Babbitt, the first main character played by Tom Cruise, is an arrogant, selfish businessman, striving to be wealthy, but his business is failing. The second main character in the film is Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman, who is an autistic savant who lives and is cared for at a mental institution. Charlie receives word that his father, whom he hasn't had contact with in years, has deceased. His father left an inheritance to Charlie and his unknown (or

The musical “Cats” is an outstanding show that captivates audiences of all ages. It is based on a book of poems called, “Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats”, written by T.S. Eliot. “Cats” tells a nonsense story of different cats. The amazing music, unique costumes, and intricate dance choreography bring a breath-taking story to life that a leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.

Shortly after, the family is about to set off for Florida. After a brief conversation, Bailey forbids his mother from bringing the cat along for the ride. Once again, the Author expresses her view of her self-absorbed, callous mother through the grandmother. Going against her son’s orders, she decides to bring the cat anyways, for fear it may miss her too much or, in a freak accident, asphyxiate itself on on the gas burners. An utterly selfish action for nothing more than getting what she wants, just because she wants it. This action would prove to be disastrous in the end, showing the self destructive behavior of a woman unfit to be called a “mother” by O’Connor.

Holly's cat is a symbol to her of freedom and independence. Holly says to the narrator, "We just sort of took up by the river one day, we don't belong to each other: he's an independent, and so am I." (p.39) Cats have a perceived personality of being naturally independent and aloof, and Holly has

Before the Rain, filmed on location in the Republic of Macedonia and in London is a trilogy that focuses on the conflict between Muslims and Orthodox Christians in the Balkans. The three chapters of the trilogy are " Words," " Faces" and " Pictures." Director Milcho Manchevski states; " Before the Rain, refers to the feeling of heavy expectation, when the skies are pregnant with the possibility of an outburst, when people are silent, waiting for a tragedy of cleansing"(1).

The cat to her is the symbol of her desperation to have a child -

Critics who support this notion feel that the “reversal is substitution in wife for cat and cat for wife” and that the narrator had clearly projected his feelings for his wife onto the cat (Amper 475). Literary critic, Susan Amper, commented on this metaphor-theory, “It is not merely that the wife was always the intended victim; she

The isolation in Theodore’s life is due to his failed relationships, especially with women. Beginning with Theodore 's mother, from the moment he is asked about their relationship, it is clear that it is a relationship is limited. Theodore describes his conversations to be one-sided, as his mother makes things focus on herself when he is setting up his OS. Then comes Cathrine, his soon-to-be ex-wife. Initially, they had a spunky and enthusiastic relationship, but Catherine realized she couldn’t always be this way. Theodore’s expectations of her were just not what she could uphold. This pattern is seen again when he contacts sexy kitten. His life had reached so low he reaches out to a faceless stranger to receiving the slightest bit of pleasure and intimacy. Consequently, this interaction doesn’t go well for Theodore as sexy kitten turns out to

The woman is very disappointed at not finding the cat outside, even more than she expected to be. She goes back to the room and repeats over and over in a childlike way how much she wanted the kitty and other pleasures such as silver, candles, and new clothes. These are all aesthetic and physically comforting objects which bring pleasure to the senses, and the wife longs for something these things may bring her. She wants to feel more important and beautiful or maybe she feels the company of the cat and the other objects will take the place of her uncaring husband. At this point, a series of contrasts is made. As she looks at herself in the mirror, first at one profile, then the other, then the