Summary of Cat in the Rain (Ernest Hemingway)

NAME            : ZUANITA ARIFIN

NRM              : 112154021

CLASS           : ITL  A

CAT IN THE RAIN

This story tells about an unfortunate American woman. She came to a hotel in Italia with her husband to spend their holidays. They entered a room which was located in the second floor facing the sea.  Their room was very strategic, because it also faced the public garden and the war monument. It was raining hard. The American wife was looking out of the window. She saw a cat was bending her knees under one of the wet green tables. The cat was trying to make herself so tidy that she would not get wet.

The American wife pitied the cat. Then she went out the room to get the cat. In the first floor she met the owner of the hotel. “It’s raining”, she said. Then he replied, “Yes, yes, Madam, awful weather”. She liked him because of his good attitude. She liked the way he wanted to serve her. She liked his dignity. She liked everything in him. 

Suddenly, there was a maid opened an umbrella behind her. Then the American wife went out with umbrella in her hand. But the cat was gone, it was not there anymore. She was very disappointed because she wanted that cat very much. Then she went back inside. The maid was waiting at the door, then she closed the umbrella and went inside with that woman. The hotel’s owner saw sadness in that woman’s eyes, he understood that she was very sad because she could not get the cat.

Then she went back to her room where her husband was still reading the same book. The wife went over and sat in front of the mirror of the dressing table while she was holding a mini mirror in her hand.  Then she looked at herself in the mirror, she observed the back of her head and her neck. Actually she wanted to let her hair grow out, so she would look like a woman. Then she discussed it with George, but he disagreed, he wanted her hair clipped close like a boy’s as usual. And she told him many things what she wanted. But George did not care about that.

Suddenly the door was knocked by someone outside. The maid stood up at the door with a cat on her hand. She wanted to give the cat to the American wife.