Cat in the Rain

Short Story | Ernest Hemingway

Cat in the Rain Main Text

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. Their room was on the second floor facing the sea. It also faced the public garden and the war monument. There were big palms and green benches in the public garden. In the good weather there was always an artist with his easel. Artists liked the w...
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Cat in the Rain Characters

Major CharactersThe American Wife ✪✪✪: She is the central character of the story. Throughout the narrative, her loneliness, neglect, emptiness, and desire for love are clearly shown. When she sees the cat curled up under the table in the rain, she feels deep affection for it. She does not just want a cat; she longs for womanhood, care, identity, freedom, and a sense of importance. Her wishes to gr...
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Cat in the Rain Key Facts

Full Title: Cat in the RainAuthor: Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961)Language: EnglishWritten Date: 1923 - 25First Published: 1925 (in the short story collection “In Our Time”) ✪✪✪Genre: Modernist Short StoryForm: Short Fiction (symbolic, psychological, and minimalist narrative)Type of Work: Psychological and symbolic domestic story centered on loneliness and unfulfilled desiresPeriod: Modernist Period...
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Cat in the Rain Literary Devices

ImageryDefinition: Imagery uses words that appeal to the senses and create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.Example: “Water stood in pools on the gravel paths. The sea broke in a long line in the rain.”Explanation: The wet garden, dripping palm trees, and grey sea create a vivid picture of a depressing, rainy day. The scene mirrors the wife’s inner sadness.Effect: This imagery strengthens the t...
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Cat in the Rain Quotaions

“Only two Americans stopping at the hotel.” (Narrator)Explanation: The narrator tells us that the hotel has only two American guests. This detail shows that the couple is far away from their home country and does not know anyone around them.“I’m going down and get that kitty.” (American Wife)Explanation: The American wife decides to go down on her own to bring the little cat hiding under the table...
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Cat in the Rain Summary

Beginning of the Story and the Rainy Atmosphere:  Ernest Hemingway’s “Cat in the Rain” is based on the experience of an American couple staying in a small hotel in Italy. The rainy weather, the quiet hotel, and the view of the sea, the garden, and the war monument create a mood of isolation and loneliness. Their room is on the second floor, from where they can see the sea, the garden, and the...
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Notes

Explore 3 detailed notes related to Cat in the Rain. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.

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Ernest Hemingway
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