The Cat Essay

The Cat And The Parrot Analysis

Unlikely of Friends

The Cat and the Parrot – Ender and Petra.

Ender hissed at the ring of cats surrounding him. He wasn't going to give up patch of shade so soon. The cats yowled and turned away from him lazily. Ender slumped onto his belly and stared into the distance. He had the full view of Windmay Town below him. It was a mild day. Ender has already eaten and he wasn't hungry or thirsty. Just rather bored.

Suddenly Ender heard a distant snarl, followed by another snarl. Enders ears pricked up. About five more distant snarls and hissing sounds followed. Ender sat up to focus on the noises. Did he just hear a squawk? Curious, Ender abandoned his cool shady area and started making his way towards the sounds.

Around the play equipment, Ender saw what was causing the harsh noises. 6 cats, all crowded over one. They had bared teeth and backs hunched upwards. However, the onecat that was being ganged up on held down a green little parrot under his paw. Ender realised what was going on. 'Yuck,' he made a face, 'they want to eat the feathery thing..' Ender sat quietly, and struck up an idea....show more content... They took notice of him immediately, and turned their bitter actions towards him.

"What do you want?" One ginger cat hissed, "Want to eat it too?"

Ender swallowed down his look of disgust and simply sat in front of them.

"No fool would eat a bird at this time," Ender simply meowed with a poker face. He licked his paw and continued, "The heat has been driving birds in Windmay crazy. They've been drinking and eating from the sewage system. I've seen it. They're practically inedible right now, you wouldn't want to know the stuff they have to digest if you ate it," Ender gestured to the bird. All the cats had their eyes widened.

"Nevermind, you can have it," one hissed to another cat in a hurry, and paced away quickly.

"Yeah, all yours buddy," another one rushed and sneaked away too.

"The bird is

The crazy cat lady might be crazy, but she sure does have some fuzzy socks. Okay, the socks come later in the story. Let's start from the beginning. Since childhood, Alex had an intense love for her numerous cats. As she was incredibly awkward, she was much more comfortable around cats than she was people and often secluded herself in the fortress that was her room. However, as of right now her room seemed more like a prison than a home. All she really wanted to do at that moment was to get some fresh air. Clad in only hercat pajamas and armed with nothing but a cellphone and her keys, she took a step into the treacherous outdoors and braved nature for the first time in what seemed like months. However, as soon as she opened up the door her Turkish Angora, Missy, bolted into her neighbor 's yard. Alex, being the epitome of mature adults, started shouting at the bushes where Missy had disappeared.

–"

"BETRAYAL! I FEED YOU AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME? YOU

"She's alive!" A thick Irish accent drifted over from the porch next door. Caught acting like a total idiot, Alex was left temporarily speechless. Attempting to regain her dignity, she spoke up. "Uhh... Well, you– uh, you see... Wait, are you Irish?"

"I migrated over here from Ireland a few months ago."

"Oh, that's...swag." She responded while violently flailing her hands around in a horrible attempt to act cool.

"So, what did my shrubs do to offend you?" He asked, completely unfazed by her awkwardness. Alex tried to make

Growth is a characteristic that comes with time. It can define the path of one's personal success. That path or journey, our strengths and weaknesses can be tested. We can be pushed past our limits and bring out the fear in us. It is a learning experience that can shape the person that we grow up to be. New and different experiences help add to our knowledge and personality. It can also change our ways of living and beliefs. These experiences can take us on a journey with new people that can help you learn new things about yourself that you never discovered. The knowledge taught by these people can assist in your growth ,spiritually and emotionally. In Michael Ondaatje's novel, The Cat's Table, eleven year old Michael is taken out of his...show more content...

It was a place where he can express himself and break free of his boarding school memories in which he explains in the quote, " On the Oronsay, however, there was the chance to escape all order"(Ondaatje 12). Michael, Cassius and Ramadhin were like kids running wild in a candy store. They enjoyed their freedom without any parental supervision and would violate curfew to sneak into the swimming pool on the first–class deck.They participated in smoking twigs from an old cane chair, even though Ramadhin had asthma. But the most daring chronicle was spying on the prisoner that was also on board. The prisoner had nightly walks after all of the passengers would be off to sleep. Michael believed that this was his time to finally disobey rules and to be adventurous: " I had no family responsibilities. I could go anywhere, do anything. And Ramadhin, Cassius, and I had already established on rule. Each day we had to do at least one thing that was forbidden. The day had barely begun, and we still had hours ahead of us to perform this task"(Ondaatje 25). Michael's friends were an outlet for him to express himself playfully. They helped break free of his isolation in a physical, adventurous

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Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Black Cat immerses the reader into the mind of a murdering alcoholic. Poe himself suffered from alcoholism and often showed erratic behavior with violent outburst. Poe is famous for his American Gothic horror tales such as the Tell–Tale Heart and the Fall of the House of Usher. "The Black Cat is Poe's second psychological study of domestic violence and guilt. He added a new element to aid in evoking the dark side of the narrator, and that is the supernatural world." (Womack). Poe uses many of the American Gothic characteristics such as emotional intensity, superstition, extremes in violence, the focus on a certain object and foreshadowing lead the reader through a series of events that are horrifying...show more content...

They named the cat Pluto, which is the name of the god of the underworld in Roman mythology. He mentions that his wife "...made frequent allusion to the ancient popular notion, which regarded all black cats as witches in disguise" (Poe 513). He says that he is only writing this because he just remembered her saying it to him. On the night of the day that he hung Pluto, he awoke to his house burning down. An image of a gigantic cat with a rope around its neck appeared in the plaster of one of the walls. While patronizing one of his drinking haunts, he sees a very large black cat and thinks it could replace Pluto and take away his pain. He asked if he could purchase the cat, but no one had ever seen the cat before, so he brings it home. The next morning he discovers the cat has a very similar physical trait as Pluto, a missing eye. There was something different about this cat, it had a white mark on the breast of its fur. As time went on the white marking on the cat became a more pronounced outline of the gallows. It was the howl, "...a wailing shriek, half of horror and half of triumph, such as might have arisen only out of hell" (Poe 518) that revealed to the police his wife's body that he had buried in the wall. This presents a question, was Pluto a witch in disguise that returned from the dead to burn the house down and drive his master into complete

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The Black Cat, by Edgar Allen Poe, is a story about a man whose love for animals is overcome by an extreme hatred toward the creatures. What goes around comes around is a saying that would most effectively convey the message of this story because Poe implies that people will inevitably suffer the consequences of their actions. Through the careful construction of plot, the ongoing use of irony, and the rapid development of character, Poe captures the reader's undivided attention and evokes a wide variety of emotions through thisshort story

This story is a confession of an atrocious sin told by an old man on his deathbed. The plot begins to unfold as the main...show more content... In doing so, he gives himself away. The multiple ironies of this story make the main character wonder if he is being haunted or if it is all coincidence. The introduction suggests that Poe has had a privileged upbringing and a happy life. He marries a woman with whom he has a lot in common and has a picture perfect life. They both love animals and have lots of them. Then all of a sudden he becomes an alcoholic and begins mistreating his animals and his wife. He cuts his cat's eye out with a knife and kills the cat soon after. The following day his house burns down. The only wall left standing is in the image of a gigantic cat. They now have to live in poverty. One night, while in a drunken stupor, he

3 finds a stray cat and brings it home. The next morning he realizes that the cat resembles Pluto, the dead cat, in every way except for the large white patch on the new cat's chest. It even has the same eye missing. The white spot that has once distinguished the new cat from Pluto changes shape and begins to resemble a noose. He then kills his wife when she stops him from killing the cat. When the police came, the cat's moan reveals his wife's body that is concealed behind a brick wall. He then realizes that he has accidentally walled the cat up with his wife, which is the reason he is unable to find the animal to kill it. Get

The Black Cat

The Cat in The Rain

In the short story the "The Cat in the Rain" by Ernest Hemingway, the cat is a symbol around which the story revolves. As a central symbol, the cat reveals the psychological state and emotional desires of the American wife.

When the cat is first observed it is "crouched under one of the dripping green tables. The cat was trying to make herself so compact that she would not be dripped on."(56) Even though the wife is standing to far from the cat to determine its gender, it is described as "she." This choice of words helps to make a connection for the reader between the wife and the cat. The woman sees the cat in a treacherous enviorment trying to make it through...show more content... "We must go back inside, you will be wet." "I suppose so" says the American girl, as if her emotions are not drowning in turmoil with the life she is currently leading. It soon becomes clear to the reader why the woman probably feels like a cat drowning in the rain.

Her husband is the source of her emotional despair. He leaves her drowning in a storm of indifference and lack of affection. When she goes back to the room she begins to look at herself in the mirror studying her profile feeling unwomanly with short hair. She feels this causes the lack of physical and emotional attention from her husband. When she tells him of all the things she desires, he merely tells her to "shut up." He really doesn't care about her concerns. She doesn't defend herself from her husband's verbal abuse but rather begins to pout like a little girl saying, "I want a cat, I want a cat now. If I cant havelong hair or any fun, I can have a cat."(pg57) Suggesting that her husband will not allow her to have long hair or any fun. She wants this cat so bad, in order to hold it, pet it, and love it, symbolizing what she wants physically, to be held and touched, and emotionally, to be loved and cared for.

When she finally gets the cat, it is the hotel keeper who has responded to her needs, rather than her husband. The hotel keeper causes her "a momentary feeling of

The Cat In The Hat: A Story of Chaos and Order

The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Seuss, pseudonym of Theodor Seuss Geisel, tells a story of two children at home on a rainy day alone, being visited by the Cat in the Hat and the turmoil that he causes. The Cat In The Hat is clearly Geisel's most famous book, written in 1956 and published in 1957, considered a children's classic today. It wasThe Cat In The Hat "where Dr. Seussjubilantly breaks the barriers of the basal reader's simplistic language and pedestrian artwork" (MacDonald 10). In The Cat In The Hat, Geisel uses this childish language and comical pictures as well as an interesting story and fun characters to not only create a successful children's book but to deliver a subtle political message of rebellion against authority.

The simplicity of the vocabulary and the sentence structure in The Cat In The Hat makes it easy for almost anyone to read and enjoy. In fact, many children learn to read today studying Dr. Seuss books. Virginia M. Reid, author of the article by the National Council of Teachers of English titled Weaning Books, refers to The Cat In The Hat as a "'baby food' type of book" for young children (8). It is these books that can get children excited about reading. Geisel uses repetition, poetic meter and rhyme to make the story flow, encouraging the reader to read it out loud. For example when the Cat In The Hat appears at the beginning of the story, he says "'I know it is wet, And the sun is not sunny. But we can have Lots of good fun that is funny!'" (Seuss 7). The words are simple and lively, immediately getting your attention. The use of the exclamation mark at the end of the sentence also cannot be a mistake. Geisel uses punctuation throughout the book for emphasis and amusement. The Cat in the Hat asks the children, "'Why do you sit there like that?" almost mimicking what the reader is thinking (Seuss 6). Geisel has even gone so far to create a rhythm as one reads the story like poetry. It is this simple language that gives The Cat In The Hat its pleasure to the reader that runs parallel but separate to its entertaining illustrations. The pictures of The Cat In The Hat are very similar to its language, repetitive and

The Black Cat In Edgar Allen Poe's short story "The Black Cat", the main character is the unknown narrator. The narrator seems perfectly normal at the beginning of the story, he is married with a home full of animals. Towards the middle of the story he turns into an unexpected character and makes the home life for everyone he lives with extremely miserable. The narrator is a blamable character. He blames thecat for all of his actions such as the violent scene that occurred whenever he came home drunk one night. Meanwhile, the cat did not a single thing to the narrator. The narrator portrays an insane quality. Towards the beginning of the story, the narrator contradicts himself by trying to convince himself that he is not crazy.

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Publishing Information: Dean, James. Pete the Cat: Five Little Ducks. New York, NY, HarperCollins Publishing, 2017. Overview: Pete the Cat leads five ducks outside to play. One by one they disappear while doing different activities throughout the area. Finally, on a rainy day, Pete the cat lost all his friends and had nobody to play with until he came across the five little ducks who surprised Pete with something they all could enjoy. Rating: On a scale 1–10, I would give it 10. This book is not only a rhyming book, it could be used for multiple lessons such as math, social emotion, music, and introduction to poems in Pre–k thru 1st. It's fun, entertaining, and the art work is done as if a student created it. I believe that the sing–a–long

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Eng 290

July 13,2015

The Cat in the Hat by Dr.Seuss is a children's book that was made into a movie. The Cat in the Hat is based on a cat who wears the colors red and white. The author decided to use the words cat and hat for rhyming. This allow children to remember the book and certain things that are in it. The story can be seen as a fun reading for children who connect to the children in the story. The story is very humorous because the characters are not that realistic. In real life one would never see a fish talking and telling children what to do or a cat who is able to put on many different games and then clean up in the matter of seconds. The Cat in the Hat can be seen as a novel of prose...show more content... Within this level the children obey rules to a point and clean up all of the mess in order to hide from their mother that they were having fun with the Cat in the Hat. Also in the instrument and relativist orientation the children and the cat cleaned up the mess that they all made in order for all of them not to get in trouble or get caught. Another idea that is recognized in this tier of Kohlberg's theory is the idea of self–interest. With this people ask what is in it for me. What can I do to not get in trouble and avoid the punishment that I will be in? In the story this can be seen through the idea of the fish and how he is like a babysitter to the children reminding them what the mother is going to say and warning them that she is on the way home. With this in order for the children to stay out of trouble with the mom they decide to kick Cat in the Hat out. They do hope he will come back for fun. The students may choose to do what is right and all though the cat took all his mess they may tell on him because they do not want that mess or even more to happen again.Another level of Kohlberg's theory is

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The Cat in the Hat

Hanna Officer

Analysis Of The Cat In The Hat

The Cat in the Hat is a picture book, written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Doctor Seuss. The book was published in 1957 and follows the actions of an eccentric anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white striped–hat, colloquially named The Cat in the Hat. When the cat invades the house of two children, Sally and Conrad, while their mum is out, he is extremely destructive and, much to the children's despair, everything spirals out of control. At their mum's arrival in the driveway, the children eventually convince the cat to leave but are then left with the mammoth task of cleaning the house. Everything seems lost until the cat returns to clean the house after a dramatic change of heart. The struggle between order and chaos is the most predominant theme in this text, presented through the cat's conflict with the children. Order and chaos is also paramount in another picture book of similar style, written much later by Seuss in 1971, The Lorax. A similar conflict is presented between the protagonist and antagonist, the Lorax and the Once–ler. When the Once–ler discovers a peculiar forest filled with wondrous Truffula Trees, he begins to ravage the trees to produce sweater–like objects called thneeds, much to the dismay of the Lorax. The texts incorporate a range of techniques to present the struggle between the voices of order and chaos, in the protagonist against the antagonist. Characterisation, setting, narrative structure, stylistic devices and narrative voice are used by Doctor Seuss in similar and contrasting ways to demonstrate the same theme of order and chaos in the books, and despite having the same author, different contexts, based on the time–period when the books were written, introduce alternative perspectives. Written with similar purpose and by the same author, both The Cat in the Hat and The Lorax have a target audience of young children and employ relevant language and stylistic devices that allow the key theme of order and chaos to be portrayed to the younger audience. The most significant techniques used by Seuss in both The Cat in the Hat and The Lorax are rhythm and repetition, which emphasise the characters' emotions. Thus, the younger audience can more easily

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Did curiosity kill the cat? Curiosity, like many words, can be apprehended in either a positive or a negative way based on perspective. In the perspective of an eight–year old acquiescent and jaunty child like I was, just about anything and everything seemed like an opportunity to question how and why things happened. Looking back, it is funny how simple questions helped mold my sixteen–year–old self today.

It was a pleasant December night when my father decided to take me and my cousins to get ice cream. Being the lively child I was, I bolted to the car hoping to be seated by the window. Half way into our car ride, I looked out the window and up at the starry sky and wondered, "Why is that start following me?" While I was deep in thought,...show more content...

I no longer restricted myself within my comfort zone. My curiosity no longer scared me, instead it motivated me to do better. Climbing mountains and journeying to far places just to reach out seemed like an everyday activity. I exposed myself to things I didn't usually do. I painted classrooms and even included myself in a community I wasn't used to just so I could make a change. My curiosity impelled me to seek for more knowledge and eventually became my drive to try new things. Instead of wondering about the stars, I now wonder about how I can make people appreciate beauty in all things and probed the endless possibilities of photography. Needless to say, I am no longer hesitant in wondering what would happen if I ventured into things that I didn't usually do, instead it excites me. I sampled the world of being a varsity swimmer, and even a runner, but alas, my passion for serving others triumphs all my passions. In essence, I yearn for the answers to the "who's" the "why's," and the "how's" that continue to baffle me every day. According to the story, curiosity did kill the cat, although like myself, satisfaction and the acceptance of growth brought it

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The Cat in the Hat is a good book for many reasons including how well illustrated and how well written the book is. Dr. Seuss has been known as a genius when it comes to children's books. He is very well known and that is one of the reasons why I chose The Cat in the Hat. The Cat in the Hat is about a cat who tries to make two kids have fun on a rainy day while their mom is away. There is also a fish who is an antagonist of the story because he is keeping the children from having fun by constantly reminding them that their mother would not like what was happening in her house. The Cat in the Hat is a good book for many reasons. Our textbook uses two definitions for what a good book is. One of them being if the reader likes the book,...show more content...

The illustrations in The Cat in the Hat really show the story and even if this book was a wordless picture book then children could understand what is going on. I think that goes to show how much the illustrations really do enforce the text. On the very first page, Dr. Seuss establishes the setting with a picture of a house and one can assume that is where the story takes place (Seuss 1). Dr. Seuss uses a lot of visual elements such as lines to show movement and he only uses shades of blue and red to add color to his book. Something else that I found interesting was the fact that he used the seam in the book as a corner in the house. On the first page, you see the house with a window on its side but no door which would presumably be on the left side of the house where the stairs are. When you open to the second page, you see the children sitting at the window. On pages five and six you finally see the door appear on a separate page than the window. If you close the book slightly you can imagine this is a 3–D element to the book. I may be overthinking it but I think that if this was intentional then Dr. Seuss may have been smarter than people give him credit for. The Cat in the Hat was published in 1957 during the Age of New Realism (Tunnell 51). The Cat in the Hat is coined for being introduced as one of the first beginning reader picture books (Tunnell 51). This was a stable time for the publishing of children's books (Tunnell 55). Overall, I

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Curiosity Killed the Cat

Curiosity killed the cat

"Curiosity killed the cat" is a proverb used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation. A less frequently–seen rejoinder to "curiosity killed the cat" is "but, satisfaction brought it back".[1]

The original form of the proverb, now little used, was "Care killed the cat". In this instance, "care" was defined as "worry" or "sorrow." An easier definiton of the phrase curiosity killed the cat would be that being curious can sometimes lead to trouble.

|Well everyone knows that cats are very curious creatures and poke their nose everywhere which can cause trouble. | |...show more content...

He was a hearth cat, not a fence cat, and did not dearly love to sing. In other respects he was | | | |normal and hence curious. | |

|Last Tuesday afternoon when Miss Godfrey was out Blackie skipped into the grate fireplace in a rear room. He had done this many times | | | |before. But he had not climbed up the flue to the chimney. This he did Tuesday. Blackie there remained, perched on the top of the | |

| |screen separating the apartment flue from the main chimney, crying for assistance. Miss Godfrey, returning, tried to induce her pet to | | | |come down. If you are experienced in felinity, you know that Blackie didn't come down. | |

|On Wednesday the cat, curiosity unsatisfied, tried to climb higher–and fell to the first floor. His cries could still be heard by Miss | |

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Would you rather be a domesticated cat that's taken care of, or a wild cat that's free and independent? This paper will be comparing the poems, "The Golden Cat" by Oliver Herford and "The Cat and the Moon." By William Butler Yeats. First I will be comparing the nature that the cats are referred to.

In the first poem, "The Golden Cat" Oliver Herford describes the cat as a "sun." Here are some reasons why I think he's referring the cat to the sun. My first piece of evidence that the cat is referred to as the sun is that Oliver Herford quoted, "The never tired smiling One, that Human People call the Sun."(3, 4) Now we can clearly see that he says the human people call the cat a sun, but let's go deeper in the meaning of this stanza. Now as a child we always saw the sun as bright and happy, mostly in drawings, we seem to see the sun as looking down at us all happy–like. As in the poem, he states that the cat is never tired at smiling. See the similarities? I do. The cat is also considered a sun because he's just so happy and joyful all the time. Now another reason that I think he's considered a sun is that the author stated, "And though the blinds are closely drawn, His claws peep through like Rays of Light." (6, 7) In the poem we visualize the cat is seeking through the blinds with his paws, his paws are implying the sun's rays of sunlight peeking through the blinds. My third and final piece of evidence is that he stated, "His face is one big Golden smile, it measures round, at least a mile." (13, 14) So you're probably wondering why this is indicating the sun, well I'll tell you why. So in the first statement, "His face is one big Golden smile" This implies that his face is happy and joyful like the sun, like we mentioned earlier. Although the sun we see from the atmosphere is a yellow right? True, but as the poem said that the cat's face is all golden, golden is sort of a yellow, right? Can you see how this includes the sun? I can. Now let's start talking about the other poem, "The Cat and the Moon." The cat in the story is being compared to the moon. Here's my first reason. William Butler Yeatsstated, "Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils, will pass from change to change, and that from round to Get

Descriptive Essay About Cats

There are two types of people in this world, you're either a dog person or you're a cat person. Only one of these is the right kind of person: a cat person! These fuzzy creatures are definitely the more superior pet to have, and any cat owner is certain to agree. If you have never had a cat before and are uncertain of what to do, it might seem a little overwhelming. Don't worry, once you know the basics, you will be one step closer to becoming a fantastic cat owner. Cats are great companions to have and it's important to know how to properly take care of a cat. In order to keep a happy and healthy cat, you need to know how to care for him/her.

Before you can properly take care of a cat, you must own a cat. You can get a cat or kitten from a pet store or shelter. Cats can range from many various colors and sizes. It's important that you get the right cat for you. The second you lay your eye on the perfect cat you will know if that is the cat for you. It should be love at first sight. When I first saw my cat I knew that I had to take her home with me. Nothing was going to stop me from bringing her home, not even my dad's hatred for cats.

After you have found your soulmate, in cat form, you have to decide on the perfect name that suits your new pal. Usually, the name of your cat should come to you the minute you lay eyes on him or her. If it doesn't come to you right away, don't worry, the name will come to you soon.You should keep in mind that whatever you ultimately decide

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Dear editor, there are many books that are worth reading for six weeks. Into the Mouth of the Cat simply isn't one of them. As a student of the 8th grade our class has been reading this book for six weeks and has just finished completing it. For me personally I have never been a fan of war nor do I patronize or believe it. When I had first saw the book I was very skeptical of it, my skepticism lead me to be correct. In conclusion of this claim Into the Mouth of the Cat was not worth reading for six weeks. One reason why this was not worth reading is because the whole concept of war and war heroes is a cliche topic to have a class read about. It's not just the Vietnam war it's all the wars that america has been through. The American Revolutionary...show more content...

It's not a good thing to be a hero of war. The whole point of war is to kill the enemy and the opposite side is meant to conquer. It's like the same concept of there are no winners in a fight. I can't understand the point calling someone a hero, for being a part of violence and destruction. Why be a hero of violence when you can be a hero for peace. Lastly, I found the story itself a disappointment because it was supposed to be motivating. However it was not motivating. It reminded me of the moral "If they can do it I can do it." I have learned this my whole life and to learn it again was pointless. I think reading class in general should find different morals to read about, so we can learn something new. In conclusion, this book is not worth reading because war and war heroes is a cliche topic to have a class read about. I do not agree soldiers are heroes and the book was not motivating. The only thing I give credit for is the simple fact that I did learn a little bit about the planes that flown in the war, words and terms used in the army, and the bases in Vietnam. Besides this information the book Into the Mouth of the cat was not worth reading for six Get more content

Evolution Of Cats Essay

The house cat has been a favored companion for many years. Their small size and independent tendencies makes them ideal pets for those who do not want a high maintenance animal. They are quirky and show lots of love if you take care of them. Cats are complex animals, but can be great pets. They have their own way of doing things, but still can be a great companion. They have gone through a lot throughout the years, yet still have barely changed. Cats are interesting in their own ways, both their history and personalities. The cat's scientific name is Eukaryota Anamalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Felidae Felis catus ("Felis Catus: The Domestic Cat," n.d.). Usually just the term Felidae is used ("Felis Catus: The Domestic Cat," n.d.). The evolution...show more content...

They have special adaptations that they have acquired through time and evolution. On the outside, cats have whiskers on their face that help them to navigate (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008, p.12). They also have cupped ears that can rotate to catch sound, which helps them to hunt (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008, p.10). Their tongues are covered in papillae to help scrape food off of bones or to clean itself (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008, p.10). Their fur coats protect them from cold, bug bites, stings, and other irritants, and can also be raised when frightened or threatened to seem larger in size (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008, p.10). Not easily seen are the sweat glands that cats only have on their paw pads (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008, p.11). Moving inward, cats have a very flexible spine, aiding them when falling to land on their feet or to help them get into small spaces (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008, p.12). Most cats can see ultraviolet light (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008, p.9). Evolution has favored night vision over being able to see colors during the day (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008, p.9). Another part of the cat's night vision is that at the back of the eye, there is a layer of cells that reflects the light (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008, p.9). Cats have to have a good sense of hearing and sight since they depend on that more than smell when hunting (Foss, Stewart & Swift, 2008,

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Puss in Boots is a strange little folk tale in which a talking cat performs deeds of heroism in order to further his master's lot in life. It is saddled with a moral which implies that through hard work and ingenuity one can rise above his station. This hardly seems to be the case, however, when we look at the contributions made by the miller's youngest son and master of the puss himself. Furthermore, the symbolism peppered throughout the tale would seem to indicate that there is more going on.

The tale begins with the death of a miller, who leaves his sole possessions to his three sons. The youngest of the sons winds up with nothing but what he believes to be a lowly cat, which he is convinced will be good...show more content...

The cat in turn becomes the son and the main protagonist of our story and the only character to go through a transformation. When viewed at this angle, the moral retains its truth.

The deeper story here seems to be a part coming–of–age, part underdog–overcoming–the–odds tale. The story begins with a miller. In a pre–industrial society, the miller would have had an important position, akin to a woodcutter. The miller was responsible for grinding corn into meal, essential in making bread and other staples. His death represents a lack of a provider in his sons' lives. The two elder sons are granted an inheritance that will allow them to make a living, but not the youngest, who gets the cat. The cat, a possession of the miller, also finds himself without a provider, and hatches a plan to prevent the son from eating him. In the course of the story, the son becomes as reliant on the cat as he was on his father. It is at this point that the cat replaces the son as a formal story element. In many respects, the cat and the son are two halves of the same character, their fates interlocked with one another. This is a deliberate device which reflects the medieval superstition that cats were somehow linked to their masters, as Robert Darnton suggests in his article "The Great Cat Massacre."

The cat asks for some boots to protect his feet from the thorny undergrowth. Putting boots on the cat reinforces the superstition and creates an

The Cat and his Master

"The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe is one of Poe's greatest literary works that embodies his signature themes of death, violence, and darkness. Poe's main character begins his narration of his horrible wrongdoings regarding them as a "series of mere household events" (Poe 705). However, this is where Poe's satire and irony begins and the story progresses to show the deranged mindset of this character as he tries to justify his actions. As the main character proceeds to rationalize his crime, Poe is able to convey a sense of irony through his use of foreshadowing, metaphors and symbolism. Irony begins within the narrator's introduction to his confession by telling the reader that he will tell his story...show more content...

The greatest metaphor throughout this tale is the black cat. While the narrator's wife has been known to refer to the dark–haired feline as a "witch in disguise", the metaphor for Poe is that the cat is not only a superstitious monster but it is also a metaphor for being the narrator's own personal demon (Poe 706). The recurring events with the black cats in the story portray that they are metaphors for the narrator's own problems that haunt him. As the series of events continue throughout the story, the cat becomes a visual element in the scene for the narrator's recurring violence and finally brings him to the point of his insanity. Moreover, it has been argued that the cat is a metaphor for the narrator's wife. Critics claim that the following passage raises suspicion that the killing of the first cat was actually the murder of his own wife. Poe writes: Norton Anthology American Literature. 7th. 1. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2008. 705 –711. Print. Critics who support this notion feel that the "reversal is substitution in wife for cat and cat for wife" and that the narrator had clearly projected his feelings for his wife onto the cat (Amper 475). Literary critic, Susan Amper, commented on this metaphor–theory, "It is not merely that the wife was always the intended victim; she Get more content