Short Fiction · Chapter
The Man Who Disliked Cats explained
A man dining at the Café Britannique meets a melancholy Frenchman who recounts his tragic life story.
What happens
A man dining at the Café Britannique meets a melancholy Frenchman who recounts his tragic life story. The Frenchman, an aspiring artist forced to work as a hotel cashier, develops a hatred for animals—especially cats—after being surrounded by guests' exotic pets. He falls in love with an American heiress, Miss Henderson, but his rival Captain Bassett gives her a cat named Alexander. In a desperate scheme to win her affection, he tries to frame the cat by releasing a parrot, but the plan backfires. He then attempts to steal the cat and have it destroyed, but his plot is uncovered when the cat is identified by its hat-box label. The heiress marries Captain Bassett, and the Frenchman is forced into a dreary job as a secretary assisting in writing a history of the cat in ancient Egypt.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
The Frenchman's romantic pursuit of Miss Henderson is thwarted by his rival Captain Bassett, leading to her marriage to Bassett.
Deception and Secrets
The Frenchman's schemes to eliminate the cat Alexander involve deception, including releasing a parrot and attempting to steal the cat.
Loneliness and Connection
The Frenchman's isolation and despair are evident as he recounts his blighted life and failed attempts at love and artistic fulfillment.
Characters to notice
- Captain Bassett
Rival for Miss Henderson's affection; gives her the cat Alexander and ultimately marries her.
- Henry Pifield Rice
Narrator who listens to the Frenchman's story at the Café Britannique.
Key passages
“It was a bagatelle.”
It was a trivial matter.
The Frenchman dismisses his act of killing a fly as unimportant.
“I ’ate all animals, monsieur. Cats especially.”
I hate all animals, sir. Cats in particular.
The Frenchman expresses his intense dislike for animals, especially cats.
“It is the story of a man’s tragedy. It is the story of a blighted life. It is the story of a woman who would not forgive.”
This is the story of a man's tragedy, a ruined life, and a woman who refused to forgive.
The Frenchman sets up his tale as a tragic narrative of lost love and unforgiveness.
“All is fair, you say, in love and war, and this was both.”
Everything is fair in love and war, and this situation was both.
The Frenchman justifies his scheme against the cat by invoking the proverb.
“The book, monsieur, is a ’Istory of the Cat in Ancient Egypt.”
The book, sir, is a history of the cat in ancient Egypt.
The Frenchman reveals the subject of the scholarly work he assists with.