Write a Note on the Significance of the Symbols Used in “Cat in the Rain.”

Answer

 Write a note on the significance of the symbols used in “Cat in the Rain.”

Ernest Hemingway’s (1899-1961) “Cat in the Rain” (1925) is a story rich in symbolism. The short story is written in Hemingway’s famous iceberg style, where the untold is more significant than what is told in the story. In this story, the symbols help to explore the central themes of loneliness, longing, and emotional distance between the American couple.

The Cat: A Symbol of Loneliness and Desire: The cat in the rain is the most prominent symbol in the story. It is raining outside, and the American wife spots the cat crouching under a café table. She is touched by the cat’s helplessness and vulnerability. She says,

It isn’t any fun to be a poor kitty out in the rain.

Here, the cat becomes a symbol of the wife’s own loneliness. Her husband, George, shows little interest in her feelings. He is absorbed in reading all the time.

The wife’s longing for the cat is more than just a desire to rescue an animal. She imagines holding the cat on her lap. She says:

I want to have a kitty to sit on my lap and purr when I stroke her.

This symbolizes her craving for emotional intimacy and connection with her husband, which is missing in her marriage. The cat also symbolizes her feminine desire to have a baby. When the wife goes out to rescue the cat, she cannot find it. It reflects her larger dissatisfaction with her life and relationship. The cat becomes a metaphor for all the things she yearns for but cannot seem to have—love, baby, attention, and fulfillment.

The War Monument: The bronze war monument visible from the hotel window symbolizes the destruction and sacrifices of World War I. The story is set in a small Italian town shortly after the war. The monument is a stark reminder of the pain and devastation left behind by the war. The war monument in the rain creates a gloomy atmosphere. We find the same gloomy atmosphere in the American couple’s bedroom.

The Rain: The constant rain throughout the story reflects the wife’s gloomy emotional state and the isolation of the couple. Rain often symbolizes sadness. In this story, rain creates a sense of entrapment. The couple is stuck in their hotel room, and the empty streets and dripping palm trees add to the bleak atmosphere. The rain creates an atmosphere of emptiness. The narrator describes:

It was raining…. The motor cars were gone from the square by the war monument.

This bleak rainy setting mirrors the emotional isolation of the wife. The rain highlights the wife’s loneliness and her desire to escape her current situation.

The Wife’s Hair: The American wife’s short hair is a powerful symbol. Her hair is cut short like a boy, which she does not like. She desires to grow her hair, which her husband does not allow. She says:

I get so tired of looking like a boy.

It tells a lot. The American wife is dominated by her husband. There is no love, respect, and care for each other in their conjugal life.

The Hotel-Keeper: Although not a traditional symbol, the hotel-keeper represents the warmth and attentiveness the wife craves. She likes him because he makes her feel important. It is a feeling she does not get from her husband, George. The hotelkeeper’s gesture of sending a cat to her at the end of the story contrasts sharply with George’s indifference.

In conclusion, Hemingway’s use of symbols in “Cat in the Rain” enhances the story’s emotional depth. The cat symbolizes the wife’s longing for connection, the war monument reflects loss and detachment, and the rain creates an atmosphere of emptiness and isolation. Together, these symbols reveal the central theme of alienation.