stars are sharp-pointed, and there's quiet. Why, you rise up and up! Every pointed star gets driven into your body. It's like that. Hot and sharp and—lovely.

Elisa's stagnating life leads her to act out after a stranger shows the slightest bit of interest in her life. This quote also showcases her lack of satisfaction with her husband. The reader is left with the impression that her husband cannot or does not please her, and that frustration has led her to a point where she is oversharing with a complete stranger.

Though not as sexually explicit as the above example, the American wife in "Cat in the Rain" has a similar dissatisfaction with her life. She is unable to enjoy a calm reading session with her husband in their hotel, she craves attention from the hotel-keeper, and she specifically voices everything she wants:

"I want to pull my hair back tight and smooth and make a big knot at the back that I can feel," she said. "I want to have a kitty to sit on my lap and purr when I stroke her."
"Yeah?" George said from the bed.
"And I want to eat at a table with my own silver and I want candles. And I want it to be spring and I want to brush my hair out in front of a mirror and I want a kitty and I want some new clothes."
. . . "Anyway, I want a cat," she said, "I want a cat. I want a cat now. If I can't have long hair or any fun, I can have a cat."

Her dissatisfaction with her life could not be more apparent than in this section of the story. Similar to Elisa's outburst, the American wife lets her emotions show after her attempt at rescuing the cat in the rain. The most telling part of this quote is the final sentence: "If I can't have any long hair or any fun, I can have a cat." She is clearly unhappy with her life, and she looks to an outside source (the cat, in addition to the hotel-keeper) for happiness.

Another similarity is that both women encounter patriarchal treatment from strangers. Elisa flirts with the idea of being a traveler after meeting a man traveling around selling his wares:

"You sleep right in the wagon?" Elisa asked.
"Right in the wagon, ma'am. Rain or shine I'm dry as a cow in there."
"It must be nice," she said. "It must be very nice. I wish women could do such things."
"It ain't the right kind of life for a woman."

Elisa, bored in her marriage and with life on the farm, yearns for something more. The only thing she seems to have of her own is her garden. After voicing her interest in traveling around, she is immediately shot down by the man, who claims women are not suited for that kind of life.

Similarly, the American wife in "Cat in the Rain" is cautioned away from an activity based on her gender. When she expresses interest in—and even attempts—rescuing a cat from the rain, she is treated as though it is dangerous to go out in the rain:

A man in a rubber cape was crossing the empty square to the cafe . . . As she stood in the doorway an umbrella opened behind her. It was the maid who looked after their room.
"You must not get wet," she smiled, speaking Italian. Of course, the hotel-keeper had sent her.
. . . "Come, Signora," she said. "We must get back inside. You will be wet."

The inclusion of the first sentence about the man in the rubber cape is intriguing, as it contrasts the fact that the American wife is coddled by the hotel-keeper and the maid. Unlike that man, she "must not get wet." As with Elisa, her desire is stifled by a patriarchal mindset.

Finally, both women are forced to take part in activities their husbands want to do (though each protagonist does have a different reaction to their respective situations). After her disheartening encounter with the traveling man, Elisa reluctantly goes out for a meal with her husband. She capitulates to her husband's idea of an entertaining night out, and it seems this is a regular, monotonous activity for the two of them.

Similarly, the American wife is forced to submit to her husband's desire to stay in their hotel room and read. However, unlike Elisa, she verbally rebels against her imprisonment (as can be seen in the first quote from the story above). After her husband tells her to "shut up and get something to read," she complains that she is not allowed to have long hair, fun, or a cat.

If you're looking for further similarities between the two female protagonists, you can explore how both women pretty much ignore it when their respective husbands compliment them on their looks. Additionally, Elisa and the American wife both struggle with their femininity, albeit in different ways. One thing to remember is that the main similarities between the two are more universal concepts, as the two women are vastly different in character.

There certainly are some similarities. First, the wife in "Cat in the Rain" is disillusioned by her marriage to George. While she doesn't seem to have been married as long as Elisa in Steinbeck's story, she believes that her marriage has lost its excitement and that her husband doesn't pay her enough attention. Similarly, Elisa longs for attention and for someone to notice her femininity and to treasure that aspect of her character. While she most likely would not have griped to her husband about all the things she wanted (as the wife in "Cat" does), it is obvious from her conversation with the stranger that she longs to be appreciated.

Both women also rely briefly on strangers to make them feel special. The wife in "Cat" likes the way the hotelkeeper treats her and panders to her every wish. Elisa likes the way the stranger talks to her and how he seems interested in what she is doing and saying.

Finally, Kitty and Elisa depend upon elements of nature to brighten their tedious lives. Kitty wants the cat so that she can have something to be affectionate with, and Elisa cherishes her flowers because of their beauty and because they need her care.