Ok, so there doesn't seem to be too much imagination behind this title, but that's when you know something important is going on.
The characters' actions and dialogues in this short, short story do indeed center on a cat in the rain, but the title is actually kind of mysterious when you think about it. Just why is this cat is so darn important? Why is it so particularly important to the American wife who spots it from her hotel room window? What is it about the cat's position, huddling under a table in the rainy Italian square that makes the woman want it so much? What is it about her own situation, trapped in the hotel with her neglectful husband that makes her sympathize with the cat?
Calling this story "Cat in the Rain"—as opposed to " The Cat in the Rain"—opens up a lot of possibilities. Maybe there isn't just one cat in the rain. Maybe there could be any number of people or animals living in such a crouched, helpless position.
When it comes to Hemingway, words are super important, so let's examine the four words in this title. They are all simple, monosyllabic words—like something you might find in a Dr. Seuss book, or in a book for kids just learning how to read. They're deceptively simple. Let's take a closer look at each one.
Cat
Cats are pretty typical animals, right? We see them everywhere. They're cuddly, independent, and often hang around people's houses. They can entertain themselves. Sometimes they go a little crazy and attack birds or hunt mice, but for the most part, cats are pretty cool, calm, and collected. There's nothing in this word that would alarm us readers, right? Or maybe not. What do you think?
It is interesting that there is no article (like "the" or "a") in front of this word. Without a "The Cat in the Rain" or "A Cat in the Rain," we're kind of stumped. Which cat is it? Also, the absence of "the" or "a" makes this title sound like the title of a painting. Like "Still-life with Basket of Apples" or "Girl in White in the Woods." It could be said that, much like these famous works, Hemingway is trying to paint a picture with his words—a study of a restless American tourist on a rainy day in a sleepy Italian village.
Before we start reading this story, we almost feel like the cat isn't going to be a very important part of what's to come.
In
"In" means to be in the middle of something—surrounded by it on all sides. In this case, the cat is getting soaked by the rain.
The
Ah, finally—an article! Imagine what this title would sound like if "the" weren't in it: Cat In Rain. That sounds like a poem or like a bit of conversation from a small child. Perhaps the "the" here helps us take the title a bit more literally. Maybe it helps us understand that there actually is a cat and there actually is rain in the story that follows.
Rain
Rain is a pretty ordinary thing, but there's something fascinating about it—water from the sky, ooh. Have you ever noticed that when it shows up, the mood starts to change—sometimes we get more sleepy when it starts to rain, or we feel like curling up in a blanket. Sometimes we get a bit more thoughtful.