Ernest Hemingway's “Cat in the Rain” relies heavily on subtle suggestions through imagery and character dialogue to communicate its intentions. As such, it is difficult to discern his purpose in writing the story. There are countless theories as to what the kitten, the wife, the husband, the hotel owner, and the maid represent within the structure of the story. On the surface, the story is obviously about a failed and unhappy relationship. The hypothesis that Hemingway was attempting to paint a picture of early 20th century relationships and women's struggle for identity in society is not untenable. However, upon further inspection, I concluded that Hemingway had greater aspirations when writing this tale. I think he was trying to address a social issue that was an interest of his from an early age. This problem is the restriction of gender roles imposed by society. Hemingway's sharing of the book Psychology of Sex and discussion of “male and female roles” with his wife serves as historical evidence of his interest in the topic of gender roles (Bennett). I hypothesize that the characters in Hemingway's “The Cat in the Rain” serve as individual examples of the harm caused by forced gender roles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first character of interest in the story is the unnamed wife. Throughout the story, it is quite clear that she is not happy with her relationship. When he states “I don't know why I wanted this so much. I wanted that poor kitten. It's no fun being a poor kitten in the rain,” it's clear he wants something he doesn't fully understand and finds the kitten relatable to his life (Hemingway 2). He goes on to state other wishes such as his, “table,” “silver,” “some new clothes,” and “to grow my hair” (2). These seemingly simple desires reveal a lot about what the wife is supposed to represent in the story. As the kitten seeks shelter in vain in the rain, “under one of the dripping green tables,” the wife seeks a happy life with her possessions and shelter from the reign of her oppressive husband. What the kitten represents is a life characterized by feminine and delicate qualities. What the wife doesn't realize is that the life she seeks, represented by the kitten, is actually a gender stereotype created by society. One who is full of ignorant innocence and fragility. Hemingway uses his wife to demonstrate that striving for a life prescribed by society's gender roles will not lead to happiness. The kitten is in the pouring rain just like the wife, so neither of them is in a better place. The wife may be out in the rain, but she's not the only one suffering in the story. When he looks out the hotel door he notices: “A man in a rubber cloak was crossing the empty square on his way to the bar” (1). This solitary traveler could easily have been left out of the story, but he wasn't because he has meaning. He's out in the rain with his wife and kitten, struggling to find a happy life in a world that is trying to cover him with a variety of labels. It helps introduce the idea that both men and women suffer from the restrictions of gender roles. The husband, George, and the master help expand this concept of universal suffering. George is obviously oppressive and downright rude to his wife. He makes his wife keep her hair, “cut short like a little boy,” and adamantly tells his wife to “shut up” when she expresses her desires (2). His apathy and despotic traits exude