Cat in the Rain Dissatisfaction Quotes

This is the first image we are given of the American wife and—surprise—she seems kind of bored and restless.

After deciding that rescuing the cat might make her feel better, the wife is understandably disappointed when she goes downstairs and it's not where she'd seen it. This is a great moment to think about Hemingway's narrative choices: why does he choose to draw out the wife's dissatisfaction in this way? Also…did this woman really think she could just take this wet, stray cat home to the states with her?

The wife's desire to "save" the cat from the rain begins to morph into a sense of "want." She repeats the word three times, which may be due to the fact that she doesn't know why she wants it. The desire to have, to possess, to literally hold that cat is the catalyst to all the desires that follow. Why do you think this is? What is it about that feeling of holding the cat and owning it that appeals to her? What does it have in common with the other things she wants?

Sure, it's kind of a silly statement. Does anyone need to be told that cats don't love torrential downpours? Not really. This kind of remark, however, does tell us that the wife sympathizes with the cat—maybe she sees a bit of herself reflected in the poor, wet kitty.

After examining herself in front of the mirror, the wife's verdict is ultimately disapproving. It's interesting that her appearance becomes a factor in her dissatisfaction. Clearly, the boredom or satisfaction of her life rests on more than her profile and hairstyle—looks are definitely not everything. So why does she attach her sense of satisfaction to these things here? Why does she express her discontentment this way?

This statement helps narrow down where the wife's dissatisfaction lies. It's not herself she's tired of or upset with; it's her appearance. You get the sense that there is something draining about this boyish appearance—like it's something she has to keep up, and something that's, to use her words, not very "fun."

Poor George. You get the feeling that he would be perfectly fine if it weren't for all this complaining from his wife. Let's think more specifically about why he's irked by this list of "wants" she gives: he can't really do anything to remedy all her dissatisfactions. They're material and have a lot to do with property and stability—things George might not be in a position to secure. It's like an indirect way for the wife to tell George he's just not cutting it for her.

This is an awesome example of how careful Hemingway is with his grammar. "Was reading" and "was looking" are both examples of past participle verbs—they indicate an ongoing past action. Why is this significant? Well, notice how you get the husband's past participle action and the wife's right after. There's a sense that the actions (reading and looking) are kind of ongoing and continuous. You get the feeling that the husband and wife weren't really paying attention to what the other just said. Everything has settled right back to where they started.

This book George is reading must have been a real page-turner. This small description is amazing because it gives 1) the omniscient description of what's happening 2) a hint that the wife's acknowledging that her husband isn't listening and 3) a suggestion that George himself is making a conscious effort to not listen to what his wife has to say. With this three-way perspective that Hemingway gives, it's hard not to feel that this sort of inattentiveness has happened in other "discussions" before.