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Chapter 10. Another look at “Cat in the rain”

A cognitive pragmatic approach to text analysis
  • Seiji Uchida
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Relevance Theory, Figuration, and Continuity in Pragmatics
This chapter is in the book Relevance Theory, Figuration, and Continuity in Pragmatics

Abstract

Hemingway’s “Cat in the rain” has been discussed from various viewpoints, both by literary critics and by linguists. Among the points in dispute is the issue of whether the cat the American wife saw under the table in the rain was identical with the big tortoise-shell cat introduced in the final paragraph of the story. The chapter reconsiders the issue in terms of strong/weak implicatures in relevance theory. I argue that the interpretation that the cat the hotel owner told the maid to bring to the American wife is different from the one the wife saw is obtained as a strong implicature and that the identity of the two cats can be derived from a weak implicature. I also argue that the latter interpretation leads to an interesting implication: both cats could be the same type of a tortoise-shell cat but not identical.

Abstract

Hemingway’s “Cat in the rain” has been discussed from various viewpoints, both by literary critics and by linguists. Among the points in dispute is the issue of whether the cat the American wife saw under the table in the rain was identical with the big tortoise-shell cat introduced in the final paragraph of the story. The chapter reconsiders the issue in terms of strong/weak implicatures in relevance theory. I argue that the interpretation that the cat the hotel owner told the maid to bring to the American wife is different from the one the wife saw is obtained as a strong implicature and that the identity of the two cats can be derived from a weak implicature. I also argue that the latter interpretation leads to an interesting implication: both cats could be the same type of a tortoise-shell cat but not identical.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part 1. Continua in non-literalness
  6. Chapter 1. Category extension as a variety of loose use 25
  7. Chapter 2. Metonymic relations – from determinacy to indeterminacy 45
  8. Part 2. Concepts, procedures and discourse effects
  9. Chapter 3. Evidential participles and epistemic vigilance 69
  10. Chapter 4. The Greek connective gar 95
  11. Chapter 5. Metarepresentation markers in Indus Kohistani 121
  12. Part 3. Multimodality and style
  13. Chapter 6. When EVERYTHING STANDS OUT, Nothing Does 167
  14. Chapter 7. Relevance, style and multimodality 193
  15. Part 4. Pragmatic effects and emotions
  16. Chapter 8. Towards a relevance-theoretic account of hate speech 229
  17. Chapter 9. Tropes of ill repute 259
  18. Part 5. Stylistic effects in literary works
  19. Chapter 10. Another look at “Cat in the rain” 291
  20. Chapter 11. Echoic irony in Philip Larkin’s poetry and its preservation in Polish translations 309
  21. Chapter 12. Humour and irony in George Mikes’ How to be a Brit 327
  22. Name index 351
  23. Subject index 355
https://doi.org/10.1075/ftl.8.10uch

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part 1. Continua in non-literalness
  6. Chapter 1. Category extension as a variety of loose use 25
  7. Chapter 2. Metonymic relations – from determinacy to indeterminacy 45
  8. Part 2. Concepts, procedures and discourse effects
  9. Chapter 3. Evidential participles and epistemic vigilance 69
  10. Chapter 4. The Greek connective gar 95
  11. Chapter 5. Metarepresentation markers in Indus Kohistani 121
  12. Part 3. Multimodality and style
  13. Chapter 6. When EVERYTHING STANDS OUT, Nothing Does 167
  14. Chapter 7. Relevance, style and multimodality 193
  15. Part 4. Pragmatic effects and emotions
  16. Chapter 8. Towards a relevance-theoretic account of hate speech 229
  17. Chapter 9. Tropes of ill repute 259
  18. Part 5. Stylistic effects in literary works
  19. Chapter 10. Another look at “Cat in the rain” 291
  20. Chapter 11. Echoic irony in Philip Larkin’s poetry and its preservation in Polish translations 309
  21. Chapter 12. Humour and irony in George Mikes’ How to be a Brit 327
  22. Name index 351
  23. Subject index 355
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