Cat in the rain
...ck of involvement in her wish for the cat. When his wife says that she wants to go out and get the cat, George makes a poor attempt, offering to help. Unmoving and still laying in his same position on the bed, he remains reading his book, and offers a half-hearted “I’ll get it” (159). Since she is not looked after by her husband, she takes comfort in the fact that the padrone takes a liking to her and a concern to her well-being. By offering her an umbrella and his assistance “The padrone made her feel very small and at the same time very important. She had a momentary feeling of supreme importance”(161). Often women who are neglected look for attention outside, whether negative or positive. The fact that the padrone gave the wife this feeling of importance reflects the lack of attention or even affection she receives from George. On the other hand, she can be like most women who like and enjoy beeing seen attractive by other men. These are the type of women who, no matter how much attention they receive from any particular source, still demand more. Even though George seems to be a neglectful husband, his controlling nature is of the sort that denies her many of her needs, and desires. She is very disappointed not finding the cat outside, even more than she expected to be. When she comes back to the hotel room, her husband is still reading, she repeats over and over in a childlike way how much she wanted that kitty. She tells him that she does not know why she wanted that cat so much, but we know it: She feels the need for something to care for, to be responsible for, that makes her grow up, for example having a baby. George does not need all that anymore, because he already is grown up. And that is shown by his serious behaviour and that he treats his wife like a child. As she looks at herself in the mirror, first at one profile, then the other, then the front, and then the back, she thinks about her hair. She currently has a very short, boyish cut which the husband thinks is fine, but she wants to let it grow long. This shows the contrast between George’s complacency about his wife and her desire for respect, admiration, and emotional fulfilment. And now we can understand why they are having problems with their marriage. They are on different levels: He already is a man, she is still a girl. They cannot find a mutual base for their relationship and that makes her bored by him and him annoyed by her. However, George does not understand her problem and therefore the conflicts of their relationship. When she talks about letting her hair grow to make her become more female, he just tells her with disinterest that he likes her hair the way it is. As she continues to describe her longing to look like a girl, with long hair with “a big knot at the back that I can feel”(162) and her desire for “a kitty and some new clothes”(162). George simply orders her to “shut up and get something to read”(162). George just doesn’t pay attention to hear it. His wife is almost slave-like to him, any opinions expressed result in George’s responses just to get her to stop talking. What kind of marriage are these two entangled in? Obviously she is putting up with a lot, doing all that she can to please, while George tells her how to act, dress, and even wear her hair. Even though she is controlled, it isn’t entirely George’s fault because she subjects herself to that type of treatment. As she becomes enthralled in retrieving the cat, some questions arise as to why she is so focused, and what the cat represents. When people are neglected, they turn to animals or objects for a sort of therapy. They can become the caretaker of such things as a cat and find beauty and care in them which they know they possess. However, they just can’t come to terms with because of certain outside factors. In this case, it is a controlling husband . She says, “It isn't any fun being a poor kitty out in the rain”(161). The cat is a metaphor for the women. And by stating that, the girl is pretty much expressing how she feels to an unbeknownst husband. Since she describes the cat as “a poor kitty out in the rain”(161) which she wants so much but doesn’t know why, she sees herself in the cat, as though she is stuck in the rain having no fun. She identifies herself with the poor kitty and wants very much to care for it. After all, misery loves company. One could argue that her need for the cat is just another one of her many needs, that nothing is ever enough for her. Here they are, this American couple, on holiday in Italy, which George obviously provided for her, and all she can think of is having more stuff. “I want a cat. I want a cat now. If I can’t have long hair or any fun, I...