CAT IN THE RAIN

A. THE STORY
Refer to the story in the module.
B. SUMMARY
Two Americans are staying at a hotel. They know no one there. They have a
room that faces the sea, the public garden, and the war monument. When the
weather is nice, artists paint in the public garden, attracted by the way the
palms grow and to the bright colors of the hotels facing the gardens and the
sea. Many Italians come from far away to see the monument. The American
wife is looking out the window. She sees a cat under a table that is trying to
keep dry. She tells her husband that she is going to get it. He tells her not to
get wet. Downstairs, she is greeted by the hotel operator, whose seriousness
and willingness to please she adores. When she goes outside, he sends a
maid after her with an umbrella. She does not find the cat. She goes back
upstairs feeling sad. She asks her husband if she should grow her hair out.
He says that he likes it the way that it is. She decides that she wants a bun at
the back of her neck, and a cat to stroke, and a table with her own silver, and
some new clothing. He tells her to shut up and to find a book to read. She
says that she still wants a cat. Just then, someone knocks at the door. It is the
maid. She brought a cat, at the request of the hotel operator.

C. COMMENTARY
The American wife expresses a desire for many things in this story. She tells
her husband that if she cannot have any fun, then she might as well have
things that she wants. In other words, this desire for material goods comes
from an inability to acquire intangible goods such as fun and affection. This
lack of intimacy is not entirely her husband's fault, of course. She also ignores
his compliments.

D. REVIEW

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1. In Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway we have the theme of discontent,
struggle, selfishness, helplessness, loneliness, conflict and insecurity. Taken
from his The Complete Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the
third person by an unnamed narrator and one of the most interesting things
about the story is how Hemingway shifts from calling the wife, the American
wife to then calling her the girl. This shift from American wife to girl serves to
highlight the insecurity that the American wife feels. Possibly driven by her
desire to live a normal life rather than living out of a hotel. If anything
throughout the story the American wife remains discontent or unhappy with
her life. Something that is noticeable by her wanting so many changes in her
life. It is also noticeable that she calls the cat a kitty for a large portion of the
story. Some readers would find this unusual. For a woman to use a word for
an animal that is more associated with a child using it. Which would further
suggest a child-like quality within the American wife.
2. The American wife’s relationship with George is also interesting and may be
going nowhere or may actually lack any type of change. Something that is
symbolically noticeable by the lack of movement made by George throughout
the story. He remains in the same place, lying on the bed. George also
doesn’t appear to take his wife’s needs or wants seriously. Something that is
noticeable when he tells her to ‘shut up and get something to read.’ This line
may be important as it suggests that the wife is being controlled by George or
at least he views his wife’s wishes or desires to be impractical, unrealistic or
unimportant. It may also be possible that George is being selfish and not
giving his wife any consideration at all. It may also be important that
Hemingway mentions the square outside the hotel as being empty. In many
ways this emptiness mirrors how the American wife feels. Also the fact that it
is raining adds a further sense of isolation or loneliness to the story.  Again
mirroring how the American wife feels. The fact that Hemingway doesn’t
introduce any other visitors to the hotel also serves to further heighten or
highlight the sense of loneliness that the American wife feels. Though there
are other guests in the hotel neither the American wife nor George know any
of them which would also suggest an isolation from others.
3. The title of the story may also be symbolic. In many ways the cat that the
American wife sees underneath the table in the rain mirrors the American wife
herself. She too feels helpless throughout the story. She too is as vulnerable
as the cat in the rain reliant on her husband to provide for her. If anything she
is as trapped as the cat. Something that is noticeable when she goes back to
her hotel room and lists some things that she would like – eat at a table with
her own silver – wanting candles – wanting a cat. All these things are very
normal for most people. However, because the American wife appears to be
living out of hotel rooms she is unable to obtain any of these things. If
anything she may be as alone as the cat underneath the table. The fact that
we never learn the American wife’s name, yet we know her husband’s name
may also be important as by calling her either a wife or a girl Hemingway
manages to take away her identity. Just as the reader never knows her name
likewise the American wife never really knows who she is till later in the story
when she lists the things she would like. Which in many ways goes to define
or identify her.
4. It may also be important that Hemingway on three separate occasions
mentions the war monument in the square. By doing so he may be using the

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 monument to not only highlight the conflict that existed in WW I but also the
internal conflict that exists for the American wife. It is also interesting that after
the American wife lists all the things she would like. Hemingway reverts back
to calling her the wife. This shift may be important as it suggests that the
American wife knows who she is and also knows what she wants. No longer
is she as insecure or helpless as she had previously been in the story. It is
also noticeable that she begins to use the word cat again rather than kitty.
Which would further suggest a return to maturity (or security) for the American
wife. She is precise about what she is looking for even if George doesn’t think
her needs are important.
5. The end of the story is also interesting as Hemingway changes the setting in
the story while the wife is looking out the window ‘the light had come on in the
square.’ No longer is the American wife symbolically in the dark. Again she is
more secure in herself despite George having told her to shut up. What is also
interesting is that Hemingway by introducing another cat into the story allows
for the American wife to be happy or to move forward. She now has one of the
things that she has been looking for which may suggest she is moving
forward. Unlike George who throughout the story has remained lying on the
bed. In many ways his life has not changed but his wife’s life may be about to
change.