Analysis of Cat in the Rain Novel by Hemingway - Essay Example

Gender roles and gender-specific expectations and issues have long been developed by patriarchal society to maintain control over them. Indeed, the interests of women have also been issues that were dependent on the male members of the family.

Hemingway’s story highlights the women’s desire to be free so that she can enjoy doing things that make her happy and not that satisfy male members or husbands. Cat, therefore, symbolizes women’s status that at all times strives to conform to the demands of their husbands. ‘It isn’t any fun to be a poor kitty out in the rain’ reflects the way of a woman’s life who is constantly under the vigil of her husband. The protagonist in the story is first addressed as an ‘American wife’ and then as an ‘American girl’ which subtly defines the difference between a married girl and a girl who can pursue their happiness as they deem within the broader framework of patriarchal society.

Married women are denied the basic right to self-expression and empowerment of women and have to restrict themselves within the expected behavior as decided by their husbands. Indeed, social conditioning significantly impacts marital bonds and makes women rebel against the restrictions that make the unequal and less worthy of their counterparts. (words: 261) On the other hand, Hemingway in the story, ‘Hills like White Elephants’ shows human frailty and confused state when confronted with socially unacceptable issues.

The author has touched on the issue of abortion and describes the vacillating views of the two individuals who are trying to justify the abortion decision. Abortion is a highly sensitive issue within society and refers to the deliberate termination of the fetus. It has huge moral, religious, and legal implications which make it almost a taboo subject. The author’s foray into the subject is highly abstract and touches the subject in various ways to display personal fear, social stigma, and future hope. The inter-related consequences of abortion have wide ramifications and as such, decide the most critical aspect of the deed. The similarity of the hills with that of the white elephants is inane and describes the confusion of the woman.