I am a Cat (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Natsume Sōseki (Japan)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1997-05-01
Features: I Am a Cat is the masterpiece of Natsume Sōseki. The protagonist of the novel is a cat, and the story is narrated in the first person from the cat's perspective, "I," without a complete plot. Through the seemingly casual observations, experiences, and perceptions of the cat, serious themes are vividly revealed. The cat's owner, Katsumichi, is a middle school teacher who enjoys tranquility and often studies at home. He has diverse interests but achieves nothing. The owner frequently gathers with his friends—"aesthetes" Mito, "a scholar of natural sciences" Samon, "an artist" Kazemachi, and "a philosopher" Dokkyo—to discuss the past and present, compose poetry, and pass the time. One day, the wife of the capitalist Kanda visits Katsumichi to ask for help with her daughter's marriage. Katsumichi thinks it's a joke that Samon would fall in love with the Kanda family's daughter and mocks her along with Mito. From then on, the household faces numerous troubles. First, the coachman's wife spreads rumors and verbally abuses the owner. Then, Katsumichi's old classmate Suzuki visits to advise him to avoid trouble. Next, middle school students are incited to create a ruckus outside the house, causing Katsumichi great frustration. The cat visits the Kanda household and overhears Kanda and his wife plotting to trick the owner. The owner continues to gather with Mito, Samon, and their friends, engaging in lively debates, laughter, and curses, criticizing society, condemning the vices of capitalists, and mocking detectives. Katsumichi has a student, Sanpei, who wants to marry the Kanda family's daughter. Sanpei invites the owner to the wedding, but Katsumichi firmly refuses. The cat also finds the owner's household dull. "The fate of humans is nothing but suicide," the owner's words may be accurate. Drunken, the cat accidentally falls into a water tank and drowns in the struggle. Around the marriage of the Kanda family's daughter, the work powerfully criticizes the arrogance of capitalists and the opportunism of money worshipers. Kanda plans and mobilizes resources to force Katsumichi to "surrender," solely because Katsumichi neglects his wife. His confidence stems from his wealth. Suzuki kowtows to Kanda, becoming his spy and mouthpiece, all due to money. Even the cat realizes, "I now understand that money is indeed the driving force behind everything in the world. Those who fully recognize the function of money and can wield its power are none other than the capitalists." The work delivers a scathing critique of the "depraved humans" who "stare at money with their noses and eyes" and "will do anything for money," lacking morality, humanity, and shame. Through the cat's perspective, Katsumichi's "obsession," Samon's disdain for fashion, Mito's cynicism, Dokkyo's "enlightenment," and Suzuki's selfishness and opportunism are all vividly portrayed. The laughter and curses of Katsumichi and his friends contain satire against money-worshiping society, hatred for the violence of military and police, and the integrity of intellectuals unwilling to align with the powerful. At the same time, the work also criticizes and mocks the weaknesses of Katsumichi and his friends—such as their lack of ambition, idleness, arrogance, and pretentiousness—but this is a "laughter laced with wormwood," embodying the author's sympathy, frustration, and sorrow. The work successfully portrays the image of intellectuals in the lower and middle strata of Japan's Meiji era, who are dissatisfied with the social status quo but cannot align with the common people. The novel's form is unique, with the cat as the protagonist and the cat's life as the narrative structure (from the cat's birth and to Katsumichi's household to its accidental drowning after drinking beer and falling into a water tank). The style is novel, lively, and engaging. The cat's comments may seem scattered, but they are actually coherent in spirit. The cat serves as a narrator, a commentator, and a connector of the story, creating a unique charm. The language of the novel is humorous and satirical, reflecting influences from Japanese haiku literature and British satirical novels.