Analyizing: Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain"
The Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway is a story of an American couple in Italy. Hemingway portrays this couple as having differences of priorities and also a difference in the amount of attention they give to one another. This story takes place over a short few hours, and even though we only know these characters for a brief period of time, we can predict the type of relationship they have. Most likely if we observed George and his wife a week or so from this day, their conversation would not be about a cat, but the underlying causes would be very similar. George and his wife (also known as the American girl) are in their hotel room in Italy. George seems very content and comfortable sitting on the bed reading. His wife on the other hand gives us the idea that she is very bored, not only in the hotel room, but with their relationship, and herself, her physical appearance especially. Wanting to be anywhere besides stuck in a hotel room do to the rain, the American girl looks out the window. Outside there is the sea, a public garden, and a war monument. Out in the garden we are also told that there are palm trees and benches for visitors to sit on. The Italians also liked to come and visit this garden because of
------------------------------------------------------------------------ k to the room with her husband George. This story shows that there are usually differences between two people in a relationship. George and his wife have forgotten those things, which had brought them together in the first place. If they keep hiding behind reading newspapers, and stroking cats they will probably never connect again. These two need to have time with each the bronze war monument it possessed. George's wife notices a cat hiding from the rain under one of the tables in the garden. Immediately she tells George that she wants to go down and rescue the cat. As the girl enters the room she finds George right where she left him, reading on the bed, as though he was not worried of his wife's where a bouts. He puts the book down to rest his eyes and ask her about the cat. As soon as his wife says it was gone and follows by complaining about the poor kitty, he picks the book back up again. The American girl now bored once again goes over to the mirror to give herself some of her own attention. As she sits and now complains about herself, she thrives on any comment George has for her. His wife complains about her shout boyish haircut, and for once George has been giving her his undivided attention. " I like the way it is...You look pretty darn nice," George says trying to complement his wife. She goes on talking of having her hair long enough to put up in a bun, while a kitty sits on her lap to stroke. The American girl is now going on her mission to save the "poor kitty," from the rain. As she exits the hotel she passes the hotel owner who stands and bows to recognize her as she passes by his office. The girl likes this man; she likes how he just gave her his attention, probably more than her husband has given her in the last twenty-four hours. The hotel owner then goes on to have a brief conversation with her about the bad weather they are having. George's wife liked this man's appearance and the narrator tells us this by saying, "She liked the deadly serious way he received any complaints. She liked his dignity.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Indeed American, George Oh, Italy George, Italy Hemingway, american girl, george's wife, hotel owner, Ernest Hemingway, george wife, rain american girl, war monument, kitty crushed, stuck hotel, poor kitty, rain american,
Approximate Word count = 1442
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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