Cat Person Ken Roupenian Analysis

Love is a level of emotion too difficult for a strict definition. Love has existed since the beginning of time and it still exists even in the hectic society we live in today. Over the years, the involvement of technology within every day life and romantic relationships has grown. We can even see how it has begun to affect these relations in “Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian and in a more dramatized sense, the film, The Entire History of You, by Brian Welsh, where more advanced technologies are used to even break relationships. A common concept that flows through both of these pieces is the overuse of technology. Aside from electronics, we can also see how comfort in familiarity affect both relationships. To contrast, both stories are taken from different narratives: one a man in the film, and the other a woman in the short story. It is interesting to dissect how each sex handles mishaps and “red flags”

In an interview with Roupenian herself, she shares that, “Margot keeps trying to construct an image of Robert based on incomplete and unreliable information, which is why her interpretation of him can’t stay still” (Treisman, 2018). This interpretation is based solely of what she unveils through the snippets of text message and the brief of dialogue at the beginning movie theatre scene. Because of this, when the two agree to go on a date in person, the encounter is rather awkward. This is observed when, “he made a joke to the cashier at the concession stand about Red Vines, which fell at in a way that embarrassed everyone involved, but Margot most of all” (Roupenian, 2017). Even after the night has ended and Margot plans to never speak to Robert again, the texting is continued when Robert spots her at a local college bar, sending her a stream of messages in desperation, starting off with “Hi Margot” and gradually spiraling down to “Whore” (Roupenian, 2017), thus ending the