The Black Cat

Christian Alarcon

Prof. Wexler

English 313

October, 10^th 2008

The Black Cat

The cat (Felis catus), also known as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from other felines, is a small predatory carnivorous species of crepuscular mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt.[1] Women on the other hand are known to be domesticated (being a house wife), valued by men, and lastly great hunters; in the idea that they will obtain what they really want no matter the price. In society today, one can still see the similarities that women have to cats. In the media for example, we have a five girl group known as the Pussycat Dolls. The name alone isn’t the only thing that connects them to the feline, but also their beauty, lure, and seductiveness that are known to be cat characteristics. By illustrating the similarities with a cat and a woman, we can use Ferdinand de Saussure Course in General Linguistic idea of literal and metaphorical definitions of words. Thus, in the following paragraphs, I will illustrate how a feline is analogous to a woman by using examples from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the Black Cat in the Spiderman comic book.

The Black Cat is a cat burglar with incredible cat like abilities. Her real name is Felicia Hardy. She is a girl that is in love with Spiderman. Although, she’s a cat burglar she has helped Spiderman when he is in trouble. She was trained and created to be a cat burglar and assassinate Spiderman. She rebels against her orders and does what she can to get Spiderman’s attention. The Black Cat signifies the rebellion of women that their told to do something and go off to do something else. The Black Cat like most women are just not going to be a domesticated house cat, but rather as what the Black Cat says “I’m just a stray black cat.” She is the essence of a cat and a woman from her costume which is tight provocative clothing. The way her body language is and how she speaks is very seductive just like a cat. She lives doubles lives being a student by day and a cat burglar at night. They are some domesticated house cats that stay at home during the day, but at night they wander the streets. They are women that do that too that live double lives.

Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s is an escort to wealthy men in New York City. Besides being an escort, she has a past that she is trying to escape. She owns a cat that is nameless and claims that it doesn’t belong to her. She says she has no right to give it a name since she doesn’t own it. The cat is a metaphor on what Holly Golightly signifies which is a lost stray is trying to belong somewhere as much as she tries to hide. Although, she wants a home she tries to push it away more from her grasp. Holly doesn’t allow anyone to come close to her. By not allowing anyone to come close to her illustrates her feeling like a stray cat because a stray cat is one that has no friends, family, and home. The men she surrounds herself are with are similar to rats they are that are in love with Holly, she uses that to her advantage. Holly like a cat uses her feminine wiles to entice men to get what she wants. Cats also do that with their owners they will purr and walk all over their owner to get food. Many would agree that is bad way to get what you want and need. However, in the end who knows if Holly does find at home, but her cat certainly does. Holly knows herself she is like a wild animal. When she’s talking to Joe Bell she advises him “Never love a wild thing; Mr. Bell” (74). This is what perfectly describes the behavior of these two women. They go beyond on what society wants them to be and go out to find their own identity. In Holly’s time it was traditional for women to get marry and have kids, but she doesn’t follow what’s traditional. The Black Cat proves there can also be a woman superhero. According to Chris Barker Cultural Studies defines femininity as a discursive construction that describes and disciplines the cultural characteristics associated with what it means to be a woman; that is, culturally regulated behavior regarded as socially appropriate to women (479). A cat is the essences what it means to be a woman The Black Cat and Holly Golightly represent a certain type of women from different time periods. They each have the characteristics of cat and unleash the animal inside of them weather is the way they walk, speak or approach men.

Femininity is defined though a women’s body language and style. It’s the essence that makes a woman. The media has showed us through music, books, and comic books on how cats and women share similar characteristics. Holly Golightly and the Black Cat are the essence of femininity and metaphor of a cat by being sensual, feminine, and seductive.

Word Cite

Barker , Chris . Cultural Studies . 3 . Los Angeles : Sage , 2008.

Capote, Truman. Breakfast at Tiffany's . New York City: Random House , 1958.

Saussure, Ferdinand de . Course in General Linguistic. 1916

Wolfman, Marv The Amazing Spider-Man #194, July, 1979

"Cat." Wikepedia . 2008. 14 Oct 2008 <.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat>.