The roles of man and woman in Hemingway's The Cat in the Rain characters to communicate their intentions. As such, it is difficult to determine one's purpose in writing the story. There are countless theories about what the kitten, the wife, the husband, the hotel owner, and the maid represent in the structure of the story. On the surface, the story obviously focuses on a failing and unhappy relationship. The hypothesis that Hemingway was trying to paint a picture of early 20th century relationships and women's struggle for their identity in society is not untenable. However, upon closer inspection, I concluded that Hemingway had greater aspirations in writing this short story. I believe he sought to tackle a social issue that interested him from a very young age. This problem is the restriction of gender roles imposed by society. Hemingway's sharing of the book Psychology of Sex and discussion of "male and female roles" with his wife constitutes historical evidence of his interest in the subject of gender roles (Bennett). I hypothesize that the characters in Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain" serve as individual examples of the damage caused by forced gender roles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The first interesting character in the story is the nameless woman. Throughout the story, it is clear that she is unhappy with her relationship. When she says: “I don’t know why I wanted it so much. I wanted this poor cat. It’s no fun being a poor kitten in the rain,” it’s clear that she’s longing for something she doesn’t quite understand and finds the kitten connected to her life (Hemingway 2). She goes on to state other desires like hers, “table,” “money,” “new clothes,” and “to let my hair grow” (2). These seemingly simple desires speak volumes about what the woman is meant to represent in the story. Like the kitten in the rain futilely seeking shelter, “under one of the dripping green tables,” the woman seeks a life of happiness with her own possessions and shelter from the rule of her oppressive husband. What the kitten represents is a life characterized by feminine and delicate qualities. What the woman does not realize is that the life she is seeking, represented by the kitten, is actually a gender stereotype created by society. One that is loaded with ignorant innocence and fragility. Hemingway uses the wife to prove that striving for a life prescribed by gender roles in society will not lead to happiness. The kitten is in the pouring rain as is the woman, so neither is in a better place. The woman may be out in the rain, but she's not the only one suffering in the story. When she looks through the hotel door, she notices: “A man in a rubber cape was walking across the empty square on his way to the café” (1). This lone traveler could easily have been left out of the story, but he was not because he is of particular importance. He's out in the rain with his wife and kitten, struggling to find a happy life in a world that tries to cover him with all kinds of labels. It helps introduce the idea that both men and women suffer from the restrictions of gender roles. The husband, George, and the padrone help to expand this concept of universal suffering. George is obviously oppressive and downright rude to his wife. He forces his wife to keep her.

Essay / The roles of man and woman in Hemingway's The Cat in the Rain characters to communicate their intentions. As such, it is difficult to determine one's purpose in writing the story. There are countless theories about what the kitten, the wife, the husband, the hotel owner, and the maid represent in the structure of the story. On the surface, the story obviously focuses on a failing and unhappy relationship. The hypothesis that Hemingway was trying to paint a picture of early 20th century relationships and women's struggle for their identity in society is not untenable. However, upon closer inspection, I concluded that Hemingway had greater aspirations in writing this short story. I believe he sought to tackle a social issue that interested him from a very young age. This problem is the restriction of gender roles imposed by society. Hemingway's sharing of the book Psychology of Sex and discussion of "male and female roles" with his wife constitutes historical evidence of his interest in the subject of gender roles (Bennett). I hypothesize that the characters in Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain" serve as individual examples of the damage caused by forced gender roles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The first interesting character in the story is the nameless woman. Throughout the story, it is clear that she is unhappy with her relationship. When she says: “I don’t know why I wanted it so much. I wanted this poor cat. It’s no fun being a poor kitten in the rain,” it’s clear that she’s longing for something she doesn’t quite understand and finds the kitten connected to her life (Hemingway 2). She goes on to state other desires like hers, “table,” “money,” “new clothes,” and “to let my hair grow” (2). These seemingly simple desires speak volumes about what the woman is meant to represent in the story. Like the kitten in the rain futilely seeking shelter, “under one of the dripping green tables,” the woman seeks a life of happiness with her own possessions and shelter from the rule of her oppressive husband. What the kitten represents is a life characterized by feminine and delicate qualities. What the woman does not realize is that the life she is seeking, represented by the kitten, is actually a gender stereotype created by society. One that is loaded with ignorant innocence and fragility. Hemingway uses the wife to prove that striving for a life prescribed by gender roles in society will not lead to happiness. The kitten is in the pouring rain as is the woman, so neither is in a better place. The woman may be out in the rain, but she's not the only one suffering in the story. When she looks through the hotel door, she notices: “A man in a rubber cape was walking across the empty square on his way to the café” (1). This lone traveler could easily have been left out of the story, but he was not because he is of particular importance. He's out in the rain with his wife and kitten, struggling to find a happy life in a world that tries to cover him with all kinds of labels. It helps introduce the idea that both men and women suffer from the restrictions of gender roles. The husband, George, and the padrone help to expand this concept of universal suffering. George is obviously oppressive and downright rude to his wife. He forces his wife to keep her.

Navigation

« Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next »

Get In Touch