Cat In The Rain

784 Words4 Pages
Essay III “Cat in the Rain” : Searching to fill a void In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Cat in the Rain” we are introduced to a young American couple. George and his symbolically unnamed wife who are visiting Italy, whether it be for business or pleasure (the author never says), who are left to spend a day indoors due to a rainstorm. We see the interesting relationship dynamic that is present between the two characters. In this short story Hemingway uses several techniques to show the flaws in this couples marriage and the way in which the nameless American wife is trying to fill the void left by her husband. The second paragraph is where we begin to see the problems in this couples marriage. At first it's easy to assume that this is just a case of a wife nagging her husband, but soon you begin to see that he treats her more like a child than a partner. The wife is sitting at the window when she sees a little cat sitting under a table attempting to keep away from the rain and stay dry. The wife states she wants to go out and get the cat. Although George offers to go get the cat he stays with his feet propped up and barely pulls his eyes away from the book he is reading, when the wife says she will go he responds with “don't get wet”, much like one would warn a child. Later in the story when the wife is commenting on changing her appearance by letting her hair grow out, and she begins to express the things she would like to have, mostly material items, George tells her to “shut up and find something to read.” Hemingway is showing how their relationship is less of a partnership, where they are both equals and more of a father/daughter dynamic. These relationship problems are taking an obvious toll on the wife, she seems
Open Document