The Cat and the Human Imagination: Feline Images from Bast to GarfieldUniversity of Michigan Press, 1998 - 222 pages The Cat and the Human Imagination is a fascinating historical survey of the changing cultural attitudes towards cats and the myriad ways that they have been depicted in literature and art. This book examines the changing images -- fertility goddess, sly little predator, agent of Satan, avenging witness, aristocrat, friend, spirit of the home, bloodthirsty killer, seductive female -- and relates them to the contexts in which they arose. It also analyzes how human attitudes towards cats seem to have evolved in parallel with attitudes toward animals, toward authority, and toward gender.Katharine M. Rogers seeks out the cats who make appearances in an impressive range of literary and artistic works, providing the first critical look at the symbolic functioning of cat characters in Poe's The Black Cat, Dickens's Bleak House, and Zola's Therese Raquin, among other literary works. The historical and artistic range covered is impressive, creating a rich compendium that is the ideal book the cat lover seeking a refreshingly substantial and scholarly work about this fascinating animal.This book is a classic -- something every cat-loving intellectual will have to own. -- Emily Toth, Louisiana State University |
Table des matières
List of Illustrations ix | 1 |
The Harmless Necessary Cat | 19 |
Agents of the Devil | 47 |
Droits d'auteur | |
7 autres sections non affichées
Autres éditions - Tout afficher
The Cat and the Human Imagination: Feline Images from Bast to Garfield Katharine M. Rogers Affichage d'extraits - 2001 |
The Cat and the Human Imagination: Feline Images from Bast to Garfield Katharine M. Rogers Affichage d'extraits - 1998 |
Expressions et termes fréquents
accept actually affection ancient animals appear artists association attachment attractive attributes authors beauty became become better bird black cat called cat's century character charm comes companion contrast conventional creatures described devotion dogs domestic Egyptian equally evil expression eyes fable face familiar feelings feline female give hand History holding human included independence interest keep killing kind kittens less live London look lovers master mice mind moral mother mouse murder nature never night nineteenth-century owners painted particularly person picture play pose powers presented Press qualities realistic refer represent role scene seems sexual share Siamese cats sits story suggest tail tells things tion tomcat traditional turn valued Victorian wants wife wild witches woman women writers York young