Answer:
Hemingway's title to his story, "Cat in the Rain" carries more meaning than the literal cat in the rain. Indeed, the story talks about a cat stuck in the rain; however, this is not what Hemingway meant when he wrote the story. His character, the American Wife, alludes to the title of the story by presenting elements of confinement similar to that of the cat. In this story there is a process of transformation which is experienced by the American Wife. We notice that from various changes in her attitude. The story presents the American couple as emotionally barren, isolated by their own self-absorption. The husband is unconcerned with his wife's malaise, never rising from his supine position on the bed, and even growing angry when she attempts to express her desires. The wife is nameless; shunned by her husband and lacking a sense of self-hood, she is like the "poor kitty out in the rain.
Carelessness of the husband:
We are first introduced to George and his wife, the latter is referred by as the "American Wife" in the first sentence of the story. This title lacks individuality and has no special meaning, signifying that she is just a mere American Woman and nothing else. This already confines the character in a little cage, since it implies that she will never get herself out of the hole where society has placed her. George does not help much, rarely paying attention to her whenever she demands his care. This is evident when she sees "a cat...crouched under one of the dripping green tables”, and points it out to her husband, who offers to help from his bed.
The wife never speaks out about the restraint George puts on her, but rather feels it. The main reason behind this is her transformation from being the "American Wife" to the "American Girl”. To the general