A cat in the rain

Ernest Hemingway’s “Cat in the Rain”, a tale of an American couple. The story takes place in a hotel
on the italian coast. It is a rainy day and the American woman sees a cat in the rain and
announces her intention of going to get it. But when she was there, the cat was gone. After returning
to the hotel room, she starts a conversation with her husband George, who is reading all the time,
telling him how much she wanted this cat and other things. Her husband seems to be annoyed by that
and not interested at all. Later on, the maid knocked on the door and brought her a cat. This short
story contains a great number of symbols. The first thing that caught my eyes was the weather,
because If you look carefully you'll see the description of the weather shows us and gives us a clue
about how the relationship between the couple seemed: First it was good weather (spring-time of their
love), and then it was only rain, their relationship go cold and unfriendly. Even the cat can be seen as
a symbol in the story. i suppose it could be a symbol of a baby. The wife also had childish thoughts,
she seemed like a young child asking for a child. So I think now we are understating why they are
having many problems with their marriage- because they are on different levels, he is already a man
and she is a girl.
George does not understand the problem with his wife, nor why their relationship in this way. When
she talks about letting her hair grow (to make her become more feminine), he just tells her, with
disinterest, that he likes the way it is. He does not pay heed to this. She was also talking about having
new clothes. She was trying to make it spring again in their relationship, but he does not want to help
her with that.
Both sides need to work towards a successful marriage, so it doesnt became winter and there love
will die

characters

introduction
In the both novels, hemingway showed us the different problems in a relationship, he has
analysed what work and dosn´t work in turbulent world of male female relationships.

The relationship examined closely in the two stories ( a cat in the rain and hills like white
elephants) Characters are couples in both and show a man and a woman in what seems to
be a quiet and passive moment. Whatever in both stories hemingway carefully uses symbols
to convey the reader that the relationship is bad and flawed between the couple. In the both
stories have the male characters difficulty understanding their women. It wasn't easy to know
that what is hemingway addressing and criticizing.

Another thing shared by both stories is an almost sort of self-realization of their situations by
the women characters. The women is the good person in both of the stories, she is lonely,
unconfident, and unsure.They clearly didn't know what they want. In the a cat in the rain the
women wanted many things ( brushing her hair, her own silver,new clothes) But mostly she
wanted a cat, she wanted something to fill the loneliness inside her, because her husband
(George) is unresponsive and unattentive. Even when said that he would go down and
picked up the cat, he didn't mean the offer, he simply continued to read his book.
Similarly in hills like white elephants, when she pointed out the hills and did not understand
the deeper meaning of what she meant, of what she needed, Both of these women had that
in common.

In conclusion, neither of these stories really gives any hope to their respective relationships.
Both stories have the same conflict about a ruthless men who always ignores his wife’s
desire.The men have been the bad person in the both situation, who have ignored and
underappreciated their loved ones, and have hurt them but has not realized it. The key to a
successful relationship is to pay attention to each other.

Theme

The theme in the first story ( a cat in the rain ) is the problems that a relationship has, when
one of the partner becomes repressive and the other is trying to change and improve the
situation.
When she talks about letting her hair grow (to make her become more feminine), he just tells
her, with disinterest, that he likes the way it is. He does not pay heed to this. She was also
talking about having new clothes. She was just trying to make it spring again in their
relationship, but the man does not want to help her with that. Both sides need to work
towards a successful marriage, so it doesnt became winter and there love will die.

The themes in the other story ( hills like white elephants) is abortion, relationship and desire.
The both characters are talking but never listens or understands the other point of view. For
example when she pointed out the hills and did not understand the deeper meaning of what
she meant, of what she needed, Both of these women had that in common. The man will say
almost anything to convince his girlfriend to have the operation, which is understood to be an
abortion. the man tells her that everything will go back to the way it used to be and the girl
seemed that she will the abortion just to shut him up.

In conclusion the major themes in both of the stories is the relationship problems that
couples go through. Neither of these stories really gives any hope to their respective
relationships. Both stories have the same conflict about a ruthless men who always ignores
his wife’s desire. the men have been the bad person in the both situation, who have ignored
and underappreciated their loved ones, and have hurt them but have not realized it. the key
to a successful relationship is to pay attention to each other.