Cat in the Rain Gender Quotes

Talk about a breath of fresh air. After the husband's indifference towards his wife, the padrone's kind, attentive attitude towards her is startling. The bow is almost chivalric in comparison, like a knight in shining armor addressing a lady. To the padrone, she is a lady and he is sure to make her feel like one.

The American wife's response to the padrone is so basic that it almost sounds childlike. There's no explanation as to why she likes these things, she just does. It could be that she associates his big heaviness with masculinity. The logic is a little complicated, but think of it this way—she doesn't just like these things about him, she likes liking these things. She is enjoying her own feminine (and gendered) response.

As we've already discussed, this is a moment where the wife is having a very physical response to the padrone—but did you notice? It's not because he's tremendously handsome or even comes onto her in any way. She's responding to his gentlemanly gesture—a bow. It's so well-mannered, respectful, and formal…Why should these things give her a physical thrill?

Shifting over to George's point of view here, Hemingway tells us pretty directly how George sees his wife—as boyish. He isn't looking at her face, which presumably isn't boyish; instead, he's looking straight at the part of her that isn't feminine and he seems to approve of it. Why?

Think about the specific words here. The wife simply states that she gets "so tired of looking like a boy." It's specifically appearing boyish that she gets tired of, and interesting to think about why. Might it affect the way others treat her? Does it make her identify herself in a less feminine way? There are a lot of different ways to interpret this.

You always want what you don't have. Again, there's no explicit reason given by the woman as to why she wants this—it's just the complete opposite of her short hair, which gives her nothing to hold or hold onto. Also, there's an adjective here that should buzz a little for you. That's right: "tight." Where else does it come up in this short, short story? How do those others instances influence its meaning here?

Dream all you want, lady…but why does the cat have to be a "her"? Why does this pronoun slip into the statement?

These items are the most materialistic of the wife's cravings, but they're also really suggestive of deeper desires . The table, silver and candles are all part of a domestic scene, and wanting them to be her "own" (as opposed to hotel silver) conveys her desire for a home of her own—a place where she presides. The domestic realm, and particularly the setting of a dinner table, is one of the most stereotypically feminine spaces you can imagine. Very subtle, Mr. Hemingway

Notice the way she's starting to loop back on herself? Didn't we already talk about the hair? In a way, you can get a sense of Hemingway's prejudice against women here. All of what she's just expressed comes down to wanting some new clothes. Do you think this is fair of him, as the author? Do you really think this is the core of what a woman wants? Newness and pretty things? Or maybe Mr. Hemingway didn't quite understand women as well as he thought he did…

Notice the word at the end of this sentence, which is also the last word of the story: "Signora." A "Signora" is what the American woman desires to be: someone with the power of feminine traditions, someone with a home, who presides, and who is loved. A "Signora" is precisely what the padrone makes this woman feel like—not a simple "American wife"