Minimalism in Cat in the Rain Essay - 1030 Words

Minimalism is a style of writing where the author presents a plot in brevity with few details and allows the reader to draw his or her conclusions. Few noteworthy characteristics of minimalistic fiction include use of plain language, short and simple sentences, symbolism, objective viewpoint, omission of character description, and unresolved main conflict. Well-known American writer, Ernest Hemingway, in his short story â€Å"Cat in the Rain† employs this minimalistic aesthetics effectively to achieve the theme of loneliness along with the notions such as nihilism and the lack of resolution. The use of short, simple sentences, mostly without descriptive language, is a distinctive element of minimalism which helps to emphasize the theme of†¦show more content†¦This roaming lifestyle inhibits her from starting a family and having children. Consequently, she selfishly desires domestic lifestyle. She states â€Å"I want to eat at a table with my own silver and I want candles. And I want it to be spring and I want to brush my hair out in front of a mirror and I want a kitty and I want some new clothes † (Hemingway 535). The lack of domesticity in her life is then highlighted when the maid specifically brings a â€Å"tortoise-shell cat,† a multicolor cat which can only be found as a female. Thereby, the cat can be inferred to represent the American wife’s desire to be feminine and be a housewife. The American wife’s desire to have cat so badly also indicates that she wants the cat for company so she will not be alone physically. Besides the cat representing physical solitude, Hemingway also uses the cat to project the American wife’s inner emotions and her desire for love. Hemingway introduces the cat by stating that â€Å"a cat was crouched under one of the dripping green tables. The cat was trying to make herself so compact that she would not be dripped on† (Hemingway 533). Like the cat in the rain, the wife is ostracized by her husband, not really loved or taken care of and struggling to stay out of the gloomy cloud of isolation looming around her. Taking this notion into consideration, the cat in the story ultimately represents the protagonist who like the cat is stuck alone under the roof of hotel. Hemingway further channels