The Feline Language Anonymous

In exploring the Western literary canon, I’ve noticed a clear link between felines and mortality. For instance: why do cats have nine lives? Why is the archetypal “cat lady” usually an elderly spinster? And why does Schrödinger's cat only exist in a paradoxical state between alive and dead? When I posed such questions, I received the proverbial warning: “Curiosity killed the cat.” Yet the adage actually means the opposite. In its full context, though the hypothetical cat may have died from over-inquisitiveness, certainly “satisfaction brought it back.”

Through my silly obsession with the literary connotation of the housecat, it’s no surprise that I love English for its intricacies and idiosyncrasies. Literature is a bridge across generational and geographic boundaries; its lessons remain relevant despite place and time. Through the written word, you encounter the dazzling and oft-contradictory perspectives of America’s welfare queens, starving artists, walking stereotypes, churchgoers and left-behinds. Reading about others promotes empathy and understanding, notions I find increasingly relevant in a society agitated by racial tensions, natural disasters, and economic downturns.

Analyzing English literature is a close...