Ernest Hemingway’s short story Cat in the rain (1925): A prototype of narrative and emotion

Abstract

Ernest Hemingway’s (1899–1961) short story “Cat in the rain” (1925/1953) describes the weakening of emotional bond between an American couple living in Italy and the gradual emergence of romantic affection between the wife and the keeper of the hotel in which they are staying. Adopting the perspectives of Cognitive Poetics (Gavins & Steen, 2003; Lakoff & Turner, 1989; Stockwell, 2002; Turner, 1991, 1996) and narratology (Hogan, 2003, 2011), the analysis makes two claims: 1. Hemingway’s narrative reflects a prototypical pattern of the literary plot of its genre. 2. Metaphors and metonymies functioning in the structure of the narrative represent various aspects of a prototypical scenario of romantic love. Both elements make the short story convincing in spite of its condensed form.