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Short Story: Cat Person

Kristen Roupenian’s short story Cat Person stands apart with a realistic and reflective

storyline. The protagonist tells the story in the first person, giving readers a close-up view of her

feelings and thoughts. The narrative centers on the facade that internet dating produces in

contrast to in-person interactions. The main character, Margot, initiates a text-based relationship

with an older man named Robert that seems promising at first, but it quickly deteriorates after

their first date ends in an uncomfortable sexual experience. The short story then delves into how

consent as a vital instrument of autonomy is rendered secondary. It centers itself around the

nature of consent’s vitality and how it’s easily bent and broken in presence of an unequal power

dynamic.

The story illuminates Margot’s internal conflict and the changing relationships between

her and Robert, her romantic interest. For example, when Margot and Robert do get together, on

the rare times when they do, Margot is always looking for the witty and fascinating Robert who

responds to her texts rather than the sensitive and introverted Robert who is spending time with

her. It explores Margot’s innermost feelings, especially when she ponders on Robert’s age and

how it affects their relationship. She highlights the impact of appearance on perception when she

says of him that he was “on the heavy side, his beard was a little too long, and his shoulders

slumped forward slightly, as though he were protecting something”.

The narrative explores the subtleties of women’s sexual preferences. Because she doesn’t

want to upset Robert or look awkward like most women in society, Margot fails to express

effectively throughout the novel what makes her uncomfortable and what she wants from the

relationship. When two interactions are examined side by side, it is evident how this works. “He

took her by the arm and kissed her gently on the forehead, as though she were something
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precious,” was how Robert introduced himself to her when they first met. A twinge of lightness

and sparkle filled her, something she knew was the beginnings of a crush. Even though their

meeting lasted just a short while, the combination of online messaging and this led to a

perception of Robert that was totally destroyed when they had a frightening sexual encounter,

during which Robert’s true nature was exposed.

It examines feminist themes in which the intricacies of relationships with hazy

boundaries around consent are depicted in the context of their personal interaction. Robert’s

constant declaration, “I always wanted to fuck a girl with nice tits,” during the sex scene revealed

that Margot was nothing more than a sexual object to him. This line raises the question of

whether Robert's affair was motivated by feelings or just Margot’s youthful, appealing

appearance. The tone used during the entire sex scene is patriarchal. Robert’s subtly aggressive

actions have an impact on Margot’s autonomy and agency. Her internal conflict over how to

express her discomfort and voice her desires emphasises the difficulties women may encounter

when negotiating circumstances where male aggression—even if it isn’t overtly violent—can

obstruct their autonomy. When Robert attempted to take off her bra but was unable to get the

clasp to operate, it was an example of his violent behavior. When he exclaims angrily, “Take that

thing off,” and she obeys, one can tell he’s frustrated.

He takes charge of the activity, “He moved her through a series of positions with brusque

efficiency, flipping her over, pushing her around, and she felt like a doll,” taking control of the

intimate experience and arranging Margot’s movements without making any clear plans or

taking her comfort into account. Margot feels as like she is being moved and directed without her

actively participating in the situation because of these persistent feelings created by the
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assertiveness. It implies that he is being controlling and that this is how he expects her to act

when they are mainly close to him.

In addition, Robert’s noxious nature becomes apparent as he is unable to cope with

Margot’s rejection after she ended their relationship. He was a shallow man who only saw her as

an object, viewing her as a slutty and fizgig. His last texts, in which he labels her a “whore” and

uses foul language because she rejected him, imply that he has been abusing her for a long time

and was only hiding it.

Thus, even though Cat Person mitigates explicitly showing physical violence, it

examines the nuances of masculine aggressiveness and how it affects a woman’s autonomy in

close confines. The narrative invites contemplation of societal norms, consent, communication,

and the emotional strain of tackling modern dating.