Analysis of characters and register in Catalyst by Anne McCaffrey.

Chessie is the main character of chapter 5. She is a ship cat who has been ‘’kidnapped’’ by a man and
brought to a barn. She is a fancy, Barque Cat, also indicated by her full name, “Thomas’s Duchess”. She
is very pregnant and awaiting the birth of her kittens. Chessie felt very indignant about being brought to
the barn, and outraged at the idea of having her kittens there. She is proud of belonging to the ship and
its crew, and certain that they will come to find her, and that they won’t even start the ship without her,
as she is special and has a chip that would lead them to her location. Chessie is sure that the man who
brought her to the barn wants to steal her kittens, as she is sure they are more valuable than ordinary
kittens. She feels she is too grand for the barn, or for the company of the cat she meets there, Git, and is
very wary of her in the beginning, and considered her inferior, calling her “stupid creature”. Chessie,
however, recognizes and admires hard working and skilled hunters, which makes her accept Git
eventually.
Chessie’s status and origin have an effect on how she talks, as she uses a more elevated language and
intricate vocabulary, and speaks with a more formal register than Git. For example, the use of
vocabulary such as “succinct”, “efficient”, “venerable”, “abducted”, “ancestral record”, “vermin-
control”, etc.

Git is a common dirtside land cat. She has not been named, but she assumed her name was Git because
that’s what people say when they see her, which in fact just means “go away”. This shows she has not
had any owners or caretakers, apart from the boy who took interest in her after she moved into the
barn. Git has chosen to become a barn cat as she wants a warm place to raise her kittens with plenty of
game to hunt. Git felt like she had a claim to the barn as she had found it first, and that was enough
reason for her to be wary of Chessie when she first met her. Git wasted no time in showing off what a
skilled hunter she is and demonstrating her hunting trophies to Chessie, as a way to show that she had
more of a claim to the barn. Git is territorial and defensive. However, upon realizing Chessie was not a
threat, and hearing out her story, she felt more sympathy for her and gave her a comforting lick towards
the end of the chapter. Git is not aware of rankings and status among cats, only that some choose to be
house cats, which was not for her. She does like Chessie suggesting that her name might be Grizabella Is
Tortoiseshell, and thinks it sounds grand. She admires Chessie for her knowledge, but also is doubtful of
her importance to humans.
Git’s lack of status and her modest origins have an effect on her knowledge and vocabulary, as she does
admit she doesn’t even know what “Duchess” means. She also uses simpler vocabulary and lacks elvated
language. For example, she said “depend on humans” whereas Chessie describes her crew as “reliable”.
Also, Git says “kits”, while Chessie says “kittens”.

In Chapter 6, Chester, Chessie’s first born kitten, is the main character and the narrator. Chester took
after his mother in her pride, but he seems to be more arrogant and smug. He considers his mother to
be wise, and Git to have proven herself worthy of being equated with a noble cat. However, he
distinguishes himself as superior to her kittens, but also goes further to distance himself from his
siblings, considering himself better than them as well. This was shown when one of his siblings died and
he was not moved, saying that there was more food for the rest of them. He felt offended when Git’s
kittens opened their eyes before he and his siblings could, as they are kittens of celestial lingeage. He
uses derogatory terms to refer to Git’s kittens, such as having “unkind and uncouth” cries, and behaving
in an “exceptionally aggressive and aggravating manner”. Chester also considers himself superior for
having the ability to see the boy with his eyes closed, predict his arrival, and “compel him” to do his will.
He assumed his siblings did not share this ability as they did not mention it, or, if they did have it, were
not bright enough to realize it is not a normal ability for a cat, making him feel even more self-important
and wise.
Chester had taken on his mother’s way of talking, her vocabulary and her elevated language.

Less formal register is not only noticeable in Git’s speech, but also more so in the speech of the boy, as
in “shite oh dear” and “bleedin’”.