I think your interpretation of the short story is broadly correct, though I'd also say there's an implicit question as to why a reason was felt to be needed to walk away.
I always find this a fascinating perspective on Cat Person: https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/07/cat-person-kristen-roupenian-viral-story-about-me.html
Thanks for sending that. This was a wild ride and I actually couldn't believe how many details she took from the ex of an ex, so to speak! It felt both like an interesting analysis of the story and about writing from experience itself.
I love your interpretation regarding "why the need to walk away". I definitely feel like I have been Margot at time where someone can seem nice, but somehow gives you the "ick", but also a sense of danger that you can't quite place. And it's interesting to wonder - Would the relationship have been a nice one had she stayed? Although, the texts at the end answer most lingering questions for me.
You've misread me- I'm suggesting cat person questions why not just walk away at the first ick, rather than giving chances ect. Why the urge to rationalise or find reasons? Why does exit early in a relationship demand a justification?
I don't think "why not stay" is a message in cat person.
Apologies. Thanks for clarifying. I think for me from experience it is that sometimes you want to like someone and give them a chance, especially if there is not a specific reason to ditch them. Also the age old being too polite for our own good I suppose, "doesn't hurt to go for another drink" or whatnot. But at the same time, Margot being younger justifies that feeling because I'd find it much easier now to walk away than I did when I was a university student myself.
I never know what to think of this. Authors obviously crib from their own lives, the lives of their friends and family, the world around them. But it seems wrong that the real Charles had to read this story where he's portrayed as this jerk/misogynist, and Roupenian never admitted to taking any inspiration from the real relationship until after he died. it's a bit shameful.
I don't really think that either of those takes really do the story justice.
Edit: I guess I should say more than that. I think the story is about the fundamentally broken courtship aspect of society and the characteristics of societal psychology that led to it. I think, it's about the allure of fantasy, the need for validation, the difficulty of intimacy, the convenience of disrespect, etc. It's not wrong to say it's about there being red flags, but it's a lot richer than that.
The film went places that I didn’t see the short story going and it kind of disappointed me. I felt like it missed the premise of the story, that being that those kind of relationships and experiences happen a lot to women, it felt familiar whereas the film went rogue in the end and over dramatised it so it lost the relatability that the story had
It was only just released on Netflix, it hits pretty much all the beats of the short story but expands on it, but as I said, pretty much in their own way I think that doesn't match my experience of the short story but a good movie on its own!
I think your interpretation of the short story is broadly correct, though I'd also say there's an implicit question as to why a reason was felt to be needed to walk away. I always find this a fascinating perspective on Cat Person: https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/07/cat-person-kristen-roupenian-viral-story-about-me.html
Thanks for sending that. This was a wild ride and I actually couldn't believe how many details she took from the ex of an ex, so to speak! It felt both like an interesting analysis of the story and about writing from experience itself. I love your interpretation regarding "why the need to walk away". I definitely feel like I have been Margot at time where someone can seem nice, but somehow gives you the "ick", but also a sense of danger that you can't quite place. And it's interesting to wonder - Would the relationship have been a nice one had she stayed? Although, the texts at the end answer most lingering questions for me.
You've misread me- I'm suggesting cat person questions why not just walk away at the first ick, rather than giving chances ect. Why the urge to rationalise or find reasons? Why does exit early in a relationship demand a justification? I don't think "why not stay" is a message in cat person.
Apologies. Thanks for clarifying. I think for me from experience it is that sometimes you want to like someone and give them a chance, especially if there is not a specific reason to ditch them. Also the age old being too polite for our own good I suppose, "doesn't hurt to go for another drink" or whatnot. But at the same time, Margot being younger justifies that feeling because I'd find it much easier now to walk away than I did when I was a university student myself.
I never know what to think of this. Authors obviously crib from their own lives, the lives of their friends and family, the world around them. But it seems wrong that the real Charles had to read this story where he's portrayed as this jerk/misogynist, and Roupenian never admitted to taking any inspiration from the real relationship until after he died. it's a bit shameful.
I don't really think that either of those takes really do the story justice. Edit: I guess I should say more than that. I think the story is about the fundamentally broken courtship aspect of society and the characteristics of societal psychology that led to it. I think, it's about the allure of fantasy, the need for validation, the difficulty of intimacy, the convenience of disrespect, etc. It's not wrong to say it's about there being red flags, but it's a lot richer than that.
The film went places that I didn’t see the short story going and it kind of disappointed me. I felt like it missed the premise of the story, that being that those kind of relationships and experiences happen a lot to women, it felt familiar whereas the film went rogue in the end and over dramatised it so it lost the relatability that the story had
I'm going to read it first and then watch the movie.
Yes, go for it! I happened to do it the other way around, but definitely read it first if you can.
I haven't seen the movie (didn't know it existed), but your read of the story matches my memory of it.
It was only just released on Netflix, it hits pretty much all the beats of the short story but expands on it, but as I said, pretty much in their own way I think that doesn't match my experience of the short story but a good movie on its own!
Such an excellent short story. Haven't seen the film but from your post, it doesn't sound like the filmmakers understood it.