Ex. 1 Answer The Questions

ex.
1 Answer the questions

1. Where was the couple staying? Did they know anybody there?
2. Who usually visited the public garden near the hotel? Why?
3. What was the weather like that day?
4. Was there anybody on the square?
5. What did the American wife see outside?
6. How did her husband react to it? And what did the girl reply?
7. Who did she see when she went downstairs?
8. What did she like about the hotel-keeper?
9. Who opened the umbrella in the doorway for her? Why?
10. Was the cat outside?
11. What did the girl feel when she was going back to her room?
12. What did she say about her hair in the room? What did her husband think about her hair?
13. What else did she want?
14. Who knocked at their door? Why?
ex. 2 Discussion points

1. Describe the setting of the story: the place and the time. Why does the author mention both the
artists and the colours in the garden and the war monument? Does it tell anything about the time of
the narration?
2. Why doesn't the author set his story on a typical sunny day on vacation? Why rain?
3. Describe the writing style of Hemingway. What is his tone in the story? Do you think the simplicity
of his writing helps and adds to the meaning of the story? Do you like his style?
4. Explain the title of the story. Why is it called "Cat in the Rain" not "The Cat in the Rain"? Why is
this cat so important to the American wife? Why does the woman sympathize it so much?
5. What can you guess about the background of this couple? Why did Hemingway choose the
American couple in the Italian village? Can you guess: Why are they there in this Italian town? How
long have they been there? How long have they been married? What do they feel and think about
each other?
6. Why does she have all these different desires? Do you think she is happy? Is he interested in her
desires?
7. What was this feeling of "great importance"? How does she feel about the padrone?
8. Do you think it is the same cat? Why did the padrone send the maid with the cat? What kind of a
gesture is it?
9. What do you think is going to happen next?
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.
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.
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.
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 monument to not only highlight the conflict that
existed in WWI 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.
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

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1 Answer the questions

ex. 2 Discussion points

9. What do you think is going to happen next?

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