Cat In The Rain

3 Pages 773 Words

Ernest Hemingway’s “Cat in the Rain”

Hemingway’s “Cat in the Rain” is a short story depicting a couples stay in Italy. The woman in the story sees a cat stranded outside in the rain and wants to bring him to her hotel room. When she goes to retrieve the cat, it is gone. However a short while later the cat is delivered to her room by the hotelkeeper. Hemingway helps the reader to appreciate “Cat in the Rain” through his use of setting, writing style, and character.
Ernest Hemingway uses the setting in the short story “Cat in the Rain” to set a unique feeling. In the story “it was raining. The rain dripped from the palm leaves.” (Hemingway 408). The hotel is where the whole story takes place. The hotel was not very active on the rainy day. “There were only two Americans stopping at the hotel. They did not know any of the people they passed on the stairs on their way to and from their room.” (Hemingway 408). The Italian atmosphere with the American guests in it gives definite volume to the setting.
Ernest Hemingway also uses his writing style in “Cat in the Rain” to aid the reader in understanding and interpreting the short story. The point of view Hemingway tells “Cat in the Rain” from is very sexist. Hemingway displays his sexist attitude in the short story when the man, George, compliments the woman saying, “You look pretty darn nice,” (Hemingway 409), then in his next breath degrades her by telling her to “shut up and get something to read.” (Hemingway 409). Hemingway’s opposition to women is one of his notorious traits. Hemingway is also known to use little description in his works but rely confidently in the dialogue. In “Cat in the Rain” Hemingway balances both description and dialogue quite well. When describing the woman finding the cat, Hemingway writes:
The American wife stood at the window looking out. Outside right under their window a cat was crouc...