Cat in the Hat Essay

Have you ever read the Cat in the Hat? I bet you thought it was just another kid’s story. Read between the lines and take a closer look at the fish. Think about what he looks like, how he acts, and how he influences those around him.

Let’s start with his looks. He is a little fish in a little bowl. Notice how many times I said ‘little’. Compared to the Cat, and the kids, he’s pretty tiny. You wouldn’t really pay much attention to him because of that, would you? Kind of like an ant and an elephant, right? Where does he live? In a bowl in the house. He is trapped and can’t go outside. Whatever happens in there is all he knows. He has no idea of any other way for things to be done.

Let’s move on to how he acts. He seems to be the policeman in the home and tries to make everyone follow the rules. The reason he follows them so diligently and believes in them so strongly because they are they only thing he has been exposed to. Faced with this new creature and his ways, he is resistant to change. Too worried about the consequences that are set by the rules he knows to try something new, and maybe better.

Now, lets go to how the other characters relate to him. In the beginning, it seemed like no one is listening to him. Does that stop him? No, he continuously reminds them of the rules. They start listening to him toward the middle and begin to understand that he is right. Sally and the narrator doubt the cat and return to the straight and narrow. The cat, knowing he has been defeated, like an evil villain by the shining knight, packs up his bags and leaves after helping put everything back in order.

Obviously, the fish is more important than you think. Without him, who knows what kind of trouble the children could be in? Everything about him had a huge affect on the story. His physical appearance, his actions, and how he persuades the other characters, all contributed to the end result. Take another look at some of the minor characters in other books you have read, you might be surprised that they’re not so minor at all.